Skiving Machine Inquiry

[Blake428]

I'm looking at purchasing a skiving machine and wanted to know if anyone is familiar with the Consew DCS-S3. Is this a good machine or should a spend the extra money and go with a cobra. I will be skiving 10oz leather max, but mostly 4-5 oz oil tanned.

[Greystone]

I just got a cobra NP 4 and its the bomb,,, well made ,easy assembly, set up,,FOR LEATHER

and now its my learning curve which will need adjustment

Talk to Steve,,,tell him what you want and how you wanted it set up.Give samples or pics and they will get it right from the "get go"

I also looked at the consew and figured a setup and tested machine is well worth a few $hundred$ more,

money saved on the learning curve and test material,,

[Wizcrafts]

10 ounces is considered lightweight when it comes to skivers. I used to have two skivers. One was a Fortuna, with a stone drive, which was best suited to shoe upper or garment leather. The other had a serrated steel wheel and worked best on veg-tan and sole leather. That machine tended to eat chrome tanned leather, as it skived it. I got rid of both machines a long time ago.

The modern top and bottom drive units can handle both ends of the skiving spectrum.

[Blake428]

I would like to get the cobra np4 $1900 but I found a Consew DSC-S3 for $950 that's a pretty significant price difference. Would it really be worth spending the extra for the cobra?

[Wizcrafts]

You'll appreciate the difference you paid for the Cobra skiver when you need help with some problems that develop, or parts that wear out or get damaged from misuse. Unless you are prepared to fix parts yourself, including the band blade, buy the new machine from Steve.

[Blake428]

Thank you for the input. I have a Cobra class 4 and love it. Steve is a great guy and a big help when it comes to his machines. Ill save up and go for the Cobra.

[Greystone]

I would like to get the cobra np4 $1900 but I found a Consew DSC-S3 for $950 that's a pretty significant price difference. Would it really be worth spending the extra for the cobra?

cobra np4 is $1200 bottom feed ,same machine as consew dcs-s3 ,,,,,,,,,,,,cobra np 10 $1900 top n bottom feed

[Blake428]

My fault, so many part numbers. I was looking at the 10 but ill look at the 4. What is the benefit to a top and bottom feed opposed to just a bottom feed?

[Wizcrafts]

Top feed assists the feeding of sticky materials, like some chrome tanned leathers. Normally, with bottom feed only the leather could drag under the presser "foot" that is on top. That foot determines the thickness to be skived. With a driven top foot, sticky or extra dense leather gets moved through no matter what.

Expect a medium learning curve with a first time skiver. It takes a lot of practice to set them up for different leathers and thicknesses/angles of cut. Properly adjusted, they can do lap skives.

[Ferg]

Get a bottom and top feed machine. I can put any thickness of any type leather through mine without problems.

Information on adjustment of all the different knobs etc. are practically unavailable.

I don't remember if Steve sells his skivers with a clutch or servo motor but I am sure he would sell you which ever you want.

My machine had a clutch motor on it when I bought it. Just too doggone fast for me to handle fine, thin leather.

Swapped the clutch for a digital servo, best thing I ever done.

I have taken some of my machine apart, have to see how it works. Have tried to do every adjustment imaginable to see what effect it has on different leathers.

Yes, I have wasted mucho leather, wait, it wasn't really wasted was it? I am getting pretty good with it finally. Most all the machines, no matter what the name plate says , are made pretty much the same. They all need daily oiling in spots you probably would never see if you didn't have some instructions.

Information coming with the machines is lacking for the most part.

Anyone buying one of these machines.....If I can be of any help just let me know.

ferg