Anyone have any experience...

[bruce johnson]

I guess this topic probably fits here as well as any. Seeing now that new clickers, motorized skivers, and strap cutters are becoming more available from the traditionally sewing machine sellers like Ferdco and Artisan. I am pretty set for sewing machines, but I see these other machines in some shops. Some are covered with dust and serve as a hangup or a lay down place for junk, and others are put to work. I have adapted a shop press into a clicker, but am curious if anyone has experience with the strap cutters and motorized skivers. Any pluses or limitations, not just on these two sources but any info in general on these machines would be appreciated. Looks like at least some of these are set up for 110, and not the 220 big brothers that seem to be on most of the used ones. Thanks for any replies.

Bruce Johnson

[Art]

Hi Bruce,

I have used the Artisan, but they all really look the same and I am sure come from the same factory in Tiawan. I wouldn't consider the strap cutter as a general shop tool; however if you do a lot of straps or belts it could easily justify the costs. The skiver I just can't get a handle on. It is probably used for something specific although for a saddlemaker or a holster maker I can't see where those things would ever do any better or faster than a razor blade skiver. Again, if you do a LOT or belts and straps maybe a motorized skiver would help.

Art

I guess this topic probably fits here as well as any. Seeing now that new clickers, motorized skivers, and strap cutters are becoming more available from the traditionally sewing machine sellers like Ferdco and Artisan. I am pretty set for sewing machines, but I see these other machines in some shops. Some are covered with dust and serve as a hangup or a lay down place for junk, and others are put to work. I have adapted a shop press into a clicker, but am curious if anyone has experience with the strap cutters and motorized skivers. Any pluses or limitations, not just on these two sources but any info in general on these machines would be appreciated. Looks like at least some of these are set up for 110, and not the 220 big brothers that seem to be on most of the used ones. Thanks for any replies.

Bruce Johnson

[bruce johnson]

Art,

Thanks for the reply. I agree the strap cutter is probably overkill for most shops unless a guy lives to make reins, latigos, or belts. What I am wondering is how well they would work for stripping chap leather. I don't know if they could feed it alright or would bunch up. Even with sharp blades I have trouble with little waves and wiggles.

Regarding the skivers, have to admit I wouldn't have thought about one 6 months ago. Seems like I will be doing more chaps in the next few years, and a motorized skiver might be the ticket for inlays and build-ups. I also have been starting to make some of the personal goods like checkbooks and planners from heavier leathers like 8 oz. Allows more latitude for deeper beveling and pro-petaling, but then I skive the edges thinner to make a cleaner looking edge. Thinking a machine with a guide would either make it more even. I know some guys use them to thin strips for horn wraps too. I just sold my Adler to a bootmaker/chapmaker who sold his equipment with a previous business. His first order of business was a skiver, and then sewing machines. I am thinking that skiving the edges where I am sewing an inverted seam would make them a little cleaner looking too? Have a good one.

Bruce Johnson

[Art]

Hi Bruce,

I played with a skiver for about an hour. it was an Artisan at a show. It seems to want to skive in a straight line, although I really didn't have enough time to figure it out. The strap cutter is really made for strips, and I could get a very even edge although I was not trying to cut a bunch of straps off a whole side or back which is what I would use it for. I will probably visit Weaver this spring and see what they use as they manufacture a bunch of strap goods.

Art

Art,

Thanks for the reply. I agree the strap cutter is probably overkill for most shops unless a guy lives to make reins, latigos, or belts. What I am wondering is how well they would work for stripping chap leather. I don't know if they could feed it alright or would bunch up. Even with sharp blades I have trouble with little waves and wiggles.

Regarding the skivers, have to admit I wouldn't have thought about one 6 months ago. Seems like I will be doing more chaps in the next few years, and a motorized skiver might be the ticket for inlays and build-ups. I also have been starting to make some of the personal goods like checkbooks and planners from heavier leathers like 8 oz. Allows more latitude for deeper beveling and pro-petaling, but then I skive the edges thinner to make a cleaner looking edge. Thinking a machine with a guide would either make it more even. I know some guys use them to thin strips for horn wraps too. I just sold my Adler to a bootmaker/chapmaker who sold his equipment with a previous business. His first order of business was a skiver, and then sewing machines. I am thinking that skiving the edges where I am sewing an inverted seam would make them a little cleaner looking too? Have a good one.

Bruce Johnson

[bruce johnson]

Thanks Art,

Looks like I need to find someone close by, and play with a skiver a little. I think it is one of those things that can do some jobs, and I can probably justify if things go the way it appears. Just need to check some more, and see if these new ones are enough machine, or one of the older Fortunas might be the ticket.

Bruce Johnson

[bruce johnson]

Art and others,

Report on my bell knife skiver quest. I am on a boot and shoe makers group as well. I got some advice on bell knife skivers there as well. I went to Melanie Machines in LA at the advice of bootmaker. This is the candy store of leather machinery - new and used. A couple hundred stitchers and sewing machines, rollers, cementing machines, folders, kick presses, clickers big enough to crush cars. The owner used to run a shoe factory that kicked out 5000 pairs a day before that trade went overseas. He stayed in leather with machinery. He invited me down with my leather to play.

He sells new and used, and had a used Fortuna and a new Asian knockoff both set up for me to try. For most shoe and boot shops, the knockoff is working out fine. I needed one to do vegtan up to 8-9 oz or so, as well as softer chrome tan. The one I tried at a tradeshow was the knockoff, and I had all intentions of buying that type skiver, although was warned by several that it doesn't do vegtan well. They told me I needed a top and bottom feed for vegtan, and the bootmakers tell me the top feeds can eat the surface of chrome tan. Arnold set the machines up with a steel feed wheel (instead of the standard stone feed wheel) for the vegtan and a roller presser topfoot, both machines plowed through it. The stone wheels may slip and glaze with the vegtan and then need to be dressed to move anything. The steel wheel has milled grooves like the feedwheel on a handcrank splitter - it gets ahold. The Fortuna casting is heavier than the knockoffs. The feedwheels are easier to change on the Fortuna as well, although I have had no problems using just the steel wheel for everything for the most part. Some of the Fortuna feet needed slight modification on the drilled hole to fit the knockoff as well. Fortuna makes about 40 feet for different specialty edge skives or channeling for folds. This all made the decision for my wife to tell me to get the Fortuna easier.

He had his mechanic go through it, replaced almost every bolt, beefier tension springs for the vegtan, new belts, new motor, and shipped it to me. I have had it a little over a month. It is used every day. Easy to readjust for different skives, or change feet. I use it to skive edges to use heavier leather, but still have a thinner nice looking edge. It thins mulehide and latigo hornwraps like nobody's business. Skives or thins soft chrometans and latigo. They are clean and not wavy, and it makes welt strips simple. The only thing I haven't got the foot to do right is grooving folds deep in from edges like on a binder or briefcase. I can still use my french edgers for that. I guess you can tell I like it. Glad it is on my team.

Bruce Johnson

[alb]

Bruce - just came across this post and I'm wondering if you are still using this machine 3 years later and what you think of it now.

Ann

[bruce johnson]

Ann,

The three year update. It is still used pretty steady. I use it for splitting chrome elk and mule hide for horn wraps. I use it for skiving for turned edges on chrome tan. My favorite use is for thinning down edges on vegtan. I can take heavier leather and groove for folds, then skive edges down. I leave the middles pretty full and get deeper tooling effects and the edges are thin and even so they don't look clunky.

The best part - I have not had the first bit of trouble with it, not a second's worth. I am so glad I took the time to go try a few out, that I got brushed off by another dealer, and ended up at Melanie Machine with a sack of my leather. Arnold compared a few he had, showed me how to set mine up, had the right feet and wheels, and honored his promise that he would make the trip worthwhile. I was dealing with a guy who had used them and knew them.