Leather Strap End Skiver And Splitter Machine

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hello good people,

I've grown tired of using the disposable razor looking metal skiver I purchased a few years ago. I use it all the time, I always skive two ends of a strap and glue them over/under each other so I like the skived end to be very very thin. Doing this as often as I do is making my wrists hurt lately and am wondering if any of you can recommend a good combination leather strap end skiver and splitter. Some times a strip of eather I have is a bit thick and I need to split it an ounce or two and I currently do not have a way to do this. So having said all this, please tell me the best way to approach this. I always work with leather that is 4-6oz in both veg tan and chrome tan. My maximum budget is $1k but would LOVE LOVE LOVE to keep it WELL under that if possible. I looked into those tandy splitter/skivers but they dont seem to get reviews. Anything else? THank you kindly!

Nyis

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Anyone? Thanks in advance for any help. Cheers.

[bruce johnson]

The bigger problem here I see is with the chrome tan. For softer leather like that, I use a bell knive skiver. I can set them to level split up to about 2 inches wide. I have run straps through crosswise and done laps. Somebody may have some experience with the Scharr-Fixx unit for this, but I don't. Other than that - it's the knife or hand skiver.

There are a few more options for vegtan here. A handled splitter like the Osborne #84 will level split if you tighten the handle down. You can skive laps by pulling the strap through as you push the handle forward. I just got in a Heritage splitter that is a handier lap skiver by design than it will ever be as a splitter. In fact I am pretty impressed with it on a few laps I have pulled through it to try it out. A crank skiver can also run straps through crosswise and skive easily repeatable laps. With either of those and a pull through splitter you could do laps and level splits and sure be under $1000.

Edit - I had orignally typed that the #86 was a handled splitter. It is not and I had a brain freeze thinking about the #84 but typed #86. The post is now corrected.,

[NewYorkerInSydney]

So an Osbourne 86 would skive a strap end well then too? Being able to skive ends of a strap is my main priority. I can deal with splitting at another time, but my main concern is being able to skive ends so they are very thin and can glue them together when I make a strap. Finding something that would do this well would make me soooo happy. IM tired of doing it by hand with a hand skiver tool. THANK YOU!!

Edited October 2, 2012 by NewYorkerInSydney

[bruce johnson]

So an Osbourne 86 would skive a strap end well then too? Being able to skive ends of a strap is my main priority. I can deal with splitting at another time, but my main concern is being able to skive ends so they are very thin and can glue them together when I make a strap. Finding something that would do this well would make me soooo happy. IM tired of doing it by hand with a hand skiver tool. THANK YOU!!

I had typed in the #86 in error and corrected my previous post. It should have been the Osborne #84 splitter that has the handle and will do lap skives. Another handled splitter that will skive is the Heritage splitter/skiver. Campbell-Randall makes a handled splitter as well. Sorry for the confusion.