Any Campbell Keystone Splitter Owners?

[Trox]

Hi Dylan,

I do not think its possible to bend the blade this way. If you apply a hundred kg downward pressure on it it might happen, its depended of the core of the blade (do not try that). Some knife blades are hardened on the outside and have a soft steel core so it will break (and the soft core keep the edge very sharp too). I do not know what construction this blade has, (you got to ask Dan about it) if it is made out of two steel types to get a soft core or not. It was dull and would not cut, and needed to be polished.

However, if the blade was not straight I would have returned it. If it is not straight on the bottom it will give a uneven thickness on the split. I would still split, but the leather would come out with a bevel to one of the sides ( or both sides depended of where the unevenness are of course) You can still get the blade very sharp but never have a consistent split.

Tor

[reddevil76]

The shop is confident of flattening the bottom. Caveat is that I will lose 2mm thickness from the grinding.

I hope it'll solve the problem as I dread having to foot the cost of return shipping which means I have spent money and return to nothing. When Dan suggested that I return it, we didn't delve into details but from his email, it seems he won't be footing the entire bill.

[Trox]

The shop is confident of flattening the bottom. Caveat is that I will lose 2mm thickness from the grinding.

I hope it'll solve the problem as I dread having to foot the cost of return shipping which means I have spent money and return to nothing. When Dan suggested that I return it, we didn't delve into details but from his email, it seems he won't be footing the entire bill.

Hi,

2 mm off is not a problem. It has to be flat if you want to split evenly wide pieces (depended of which direction your blade was uneven). Flat or not, I do not think thats the reason it would not split. Unless it was uneven a cross the blade and not lengthwise. It would still split if it is sharp and polished, sharp alone is not enough. Unevenness a cross the blade would only create a different angle on the blade, and splitter blades comes in a variety of angles; they all split (more or less). Micro angle, hollow ground or a leather edge, all of them needs to be polished (to the best of my knowledge).

I just tried to split a 1/2" soft weg tan rein on my Osborn with newly sharped up blade, it was not possible without polishing the blade first. The blade was sharp enough to cut paper (sharp enough to start the polishing of it). It would not even initiate the cut, not a change.

Most people regard the pull true splitter as a bench tool, it takes about two to three minute's to take the blade off and maintain its polish.

(Of course the first time polishing will take longer). Then every time its dull again, a couple of strokes on the strop will ready it up again. Just like on every other leather knife.

I know Dan to be a fair man to do business with, I am sure he will take care of your requests/complains. The most important thing is that you will have your splitter up and working.

Even with cheap sharpening prices, you cannot run to that shop every time your blade needs a polish. If you are about to split something you must be able to give it a polish if needed, or else you will get a days unwanted delay in your work. The sharpening might be cheap but it still takes time. And you do not want to sharpen the blade to often, after all sharpening means loss of material. I never had to resharpen any of my tools, I just polish them. The strop and the buffing wheel are maybe the most important leather tools we have. I do not know what I would do without them.

Good luck

Tor

[reddevil76]

Hi Tor, you are right. It's not wise to keep running to the shop every time the blade is dull. It's better that I learn to strop it.

[Trox]

Hi Tor, you are right. It's not wise to keep running to the shop every time the blade is dull. It's better that I learn to strop it.

Thats much easier and its nothing to it.

Good luck

Tor