Schärf-Fix 2000

[esantoro]

I think this paring machine will have to be the next addition to my shop. Anyone have any experience with it.

http://www.charnwoodbooks.co.uk/shop/produ...products_id/107

I should have bought it when I saw it for sale in the states for around $350.

Ed

[esantoro]

I found it in my neck of the woods for $325. I've never seen it lower than this.

http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/pro...ProductID=17482

Ed

[bruce johnson]

Ed,

I tried one. It is designed for bookbinding. It will do leather up to maybe 4 oz pretty well. The blades that come with it are sharp, but won't hold up for long, or stand up to leather with more body like latigo. They are designed for bookbinding type leather. Several of the bookbinding websites sell them (or used to). I looked at one that was bought with a set of bookbinding tools and was told to bring it back if it didn't work for me. It was for $150. Sometimes they show up on ebay.

What you really need for your leather is something stouter. A handcrank skiver with a rerally sharp blade will do latigo and firmer chrome tan like diamond-tan OK. Not good for soft chap. The Landis or American B (?) both have a smooth top feedwheel, and won't mark leather. The blade has to be sharp and the blade adjusted right or softer leather will bunch up against the blade. The ideal machine is a bell knife skiver. This machine is designed for just what you are expecting one to do. They are a bit pricey - low enders on ebay from $900. I have a used Fortuna. These are kind of like a sewing machine, you have to make friends first, then dance with it. There is a thread on bell knife skivers in I think the sewing machine section. It just depends on how much you need one, and how good it needs to be whether you can justify a hand crank or bell knife. I have both and wouldn't be without either.

[esantoro]

Ed,

I tried one. It is designed for bookbinding. It will do leather up to maybe 4 oz pretty well. The blades that come with it are sharp, but won't hold up for long, or stand up to leather with more body like latigo. They are designed for bookbinding type leather. Several of the bookbinding websites sell them (or used to). I looked at one that was bought with a set of bookbinding tools and was told to bring it back if it didn't work for me. It was for $150. Sometimes they show up on ebay.

What you really need for your leather is something stouter. A handcrank skiver with a rerally sharp blade will do latigo and firmer chrome tan like diamond-tan OK. Not good for soft chap. The Landis or American B (?) both have a smooth top feedwheel, and won't mark leather. The blade has to be sharp and the blade adjusted right or softer leather will bunch up against the blade. The ideal machine is a bell knife skiver. This machine is designed for just what you are expecting one to do. They are a bit pricey - low enders on ebay from $900. I have a used Fortuna. These are kind of like a sewing machine, you have to make friends first, then dance with it. There is a thread on bell knife skivers in I think the sewing machine section. It just depends on how much you need one, and how good it needs to be whether you can justify a hand crank or bell knife. I have both and wouldn't be without either.

Thanks, Bruce. What I really need to do is probably get better at using a paring knife, and just skive the corners of my gussets rather than the entire length. Though more about the Schar-fix 2000. I'll pass, but I will pick an English paring knife from this same store in MAnhattan, $14. 95 for a handleless English paring knife.

Ed

[esantoro]

I don't know. I sure am tempted to buy this machine and give it a try. It just looks so well engineered. Valerie Michaels use one for 6 oz or thicker veg tan in her book (though I think it's the Brockman type) , but I know to trust your experience, Bruce.

I'll email the company and ask if I can return it if it doesn't suit my needs. It would probably be easy to sell later for the same price.

Would it be redundant both to skive a gusset edge and gouge about a half inch from the edge?

ed

[esantoro]

I have this fantasy that this machine will allow me to split an 6" wide 8 oz strip of leather down to 4/5 oz in 1.5" increments. But now that I think about it, if I'm willing to spend $350 for a machine that might do this with some patience, why not spend $500 to $600 for a 12" or 8" hand crank splitter. Would such a splitter have an open ended side to allow me to do six to nine inches on one side of a 12" to 18" piece of leather side and then do the same on the other side?

Ed

[bruce johnson]

Ed,

I don't think the Scharf-Fix will do that on any leather. Most handcrank splitters are 6" that I have used. I don't know of any that have an open side. Closest you are going to get is a bell knife skiver. Mine will do up to I think 2" with the guide fence. I have free handed some wider than that, it might take 6" off an edge in a few overlapping passes.

If you just need to evensplit a 6" or a little better strip down, then a sharp blade and a Chase pattern splitter would be my choice. I have 8" and 10" Chase patterns, and they will do up to about 2" less than capacity without a lot of effort. Much wider than that, and you are looking at either a bandknife splitter or one of the new Artisan wide blade splitters they are coming out with.

[Ladyk]

The Scharf-fix is an excellent tool for paring and skiving garment type leather so you can easily make turned edges. Indeed it is finely engineered, it requires very little skill to use it proficently. If you wish to make turned edges on garment leather I highly recommend it!

[esantoro]

The Scharf-fix is an excellent tool for paring and skiving garment type leather so you can easily make turned edges. Indeed it is finely engineered, it requires very little skill to use it proficently. If you wish to make turned edges on garment leather I highly recommend it!

Thanks, LAdyk. Do you think it will work well on 4 oz to 12 oz chrome tan and veg tan?

Ed

[penguineer]

Hiya!

My partner has one of these and is a bookbinder. She loves it. She doesn't work with anything over 1mm kangaroo or goat though(about 2.5oz). Probably would work for thin garment leather too.

I'm not sure if it has enough of a throat for the sizes of leather you're talking about either.

Cheers!