Best Leather Splitter/skiver?

[tossik]

Hi everyone, I have been searching for a nice leather splitter, and with so many options and so little description, it is very hard to pick one.

I have been doing belts lately from veg tan 9-12oz that I would ideally split into 9oz. I have also been doing camera straps and wallets out of chrome tan leather and I have a 8-9oz piece that I want to split down to around 3-4oz.

Ability to skive the edge would be great as well. I do know chrome tan is very soft, so not sure how well it splits.

I have around $400 budget for a machine. Any advice? What should I avoid? What should I look for? should I get Osborne 86, 86a, 84, or weaver or tandy one or a hand roller kind? I am really lost. Please help!

Also maybe someone is trying to sell a splitter, then pm me.

Thank you all!

[tossik]

No advice?

[J Hayes]

I have a Weaver Heritage, the 8" one, pretty nice( Keystone or Osborne 84 clone) Also had an Osborne 86 6", worked good. Have a Spittlers Patent Champion lap skiver and splitting machine by H F Osborne, 6" that ones for sale. Anyway the HFO and the Weaver do lap skives very well, the 86 didn't really have the capabilities. None of these can edge skive as far as I know. I have split chrome and veg tan on all. Blade needs to be really sharp to do the soft chrome tan with out distorted it.

Widest I've pulled was 3.5" veg , and 2" chrome through the Weaver Heritage.

How wide of pieces are you splitting?

Kinda like any tool, everyone has their favorite.

Jeremy

Edited August 5, 2014 by J Hayes

[tossik]

Thanks Jeremy, if none of them pull more than 3-4", should I look for a 6" machine or try find an 8"? I dont need edge skive, I was referring to lap skive. Would you pick osborne or Weaver?

[TXAG]

I have an 86 with a VERY sharp blade and it will not do chrome tan leather at all, whatsoever.

Just FYI before you go out and buy one thinking it'll do that right because mine can't and I've tried too many times to count. Finally gave up.

Edited August 5, 2014 by TXAG

[tossik]

XTAG, what thickness were you trying to do on the chrome tan?

I see a osborne 84 on ebay right now, for $600, and not sure if its worth grabbing... This is so difficult!

[TXAG]

84 isn't the same as the 86...I don't think the 84 would work either though.

I've tried various thicknesses of chrome tan on the 86 -- none worked.

Edited August 5, 2014 by TXAG

[Cobra Steve]

Have you seen our new COBRA Class 14 Leather Splitter? Even though it is over your budget, you should still check it out. It is impressive. Thanks, Steve

[tossik]

Thanks Steve, but that thing is $1500 out of my price range Maybe once I do more commissioned work, I will be able to afford something like this

[J Hayes]

So I've split 5/6oz crazy horse pull up from Zack White down to 2oz, maybe the oil tanned waxed stuff is just firm enough to be able to split on a pull type splitter. That's the only chrome tanned I've split.

Steve's splitter is nice, sometimes wish I could split wide stuff like that

[tossik]

J Hayes if you had to pick, would you stay with your Weaver Heritage or Osborne 84?

[J Hayes]

I went with the Weaver because of good reviews here and it put me over the minimum for my first order for my business account, it came sharp enough to split out of the box. Some of the new stuff I've bought from Osborne hasn't been close to sharp, and I didn't want to mess with sharpening a splitter again. You can also check with Bruce Johnson, he will sometimes have spliters for sale and those will be ready to work when you get them. One thing I think the Weaver lacks is a spring to push the stop up but its not a deal breaker. I have not run much leather through mine yet.

[Hunhunt]

I'll second the recommendation to contact Bruce Johnson to see if he has any splitters available and for his recommendations for your application. I recently purchased an old Chase pattern splitter from him and have tried it on several different chrome tanned leather pieces as well as some Horween Chromexcel. The splitter worked fine on everything I tried. This included some very oily, pliable chrome tan that I had no hope of splitting as well as a very soft, heavy knap shrunken chrome tan. The knife needs to be very sharp.

[tossik]

Thanks for the advice guys, I will contact Bruce, and hopefully he can point me in the right direction. Hunhunt, how much did you pay for your chase? how big is it and whats the widest piece you split? does it do lap skive?

[Hunhunt]

I paid around $450 for the reconditioned Chase pattern splitter. It is an 8 inch and I have split up to 4 inches. As you split wider chrome tan the leather tends to stretch as you pull it through the splitter. Yes it will do a lap skive but not a tapered lap skive like the Krebs pattern splitters. For making belts I don't need a tapered lap skive to fold over the portion where the buckle goes so the Chase works fine. Bruce explains the attributes of the various types of splitters on his website. The Krebs splitters have an adjustment mechanism so that you can get repeatable thickness in your splits. The Chase does not have this feature. The Krebs tend to be more expensive. Bruce suggested that the Chase I got from him might be best for splitting the types of leather I use due to the thinner blade and shallower (?) angle of the cutting edge. I have been very satisfied with it. There are other types of splitters as well that you can learn about on Bruce's website.

[tossik]

So many options! Ill be going crazy soon!

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I have 5 splitters that I use routinely: my first splitter--a Tandy model that I bought about 30 years ago when it was the only model they had. Oddly enough, I prefer it over the others to split lacing and saddle strings. My second, a twist handle Randall. Man I thought I really had something when I got that one! It is a good splitter and if I had to have just one, that's the one I'd keep. The third splitter I got was either an American or a Landis, never can remember which even though I use it nearly every day. It's a 6" crank splitter, can't do lap skives. Fourth, a 10" Chase pattern splitter that I also really like, but since you can't do tapered skives on it, it wouldn't be my choice to keep if I had to keep just one. Fifth, an 18", (can't remember name) that I finally bought last winter after years of deliberating, that I absolutely love. It's awesome to level saddle skirts and plugs, swell covers, and about anything else that won't go through my 6". I have another Chase, an 8" I think, that needs a spring, and a Spitler pattern that needs sharpening. Haven't been motivated enough to tackle that. I would really, really like to have a Dixon lap skiver. I saw one in Bernie Samson's shop, and knew I wouldn't be happy til I found one. Some say don't waste your money, but if I find one, I'm buying it. I don't feel like I have more splitters than I need, as has been hinted at by non-leatherworking members of my family. I use them all often enough to justify having them, and they'll probably never go down in value.

[bruce johnson]

I used to wonder how many different kinds of splitters were made. Every time I think I must be getting close to the end of the list, I see something different yet again. Splitters are the leather kingdom's version of the never ending story. I've had or have most all of the one's BSS has, plus I have a Dixon lap skiver. I sold another a while back. Yep, they are cool...

HH has had good luck with the Chase splitting chrome tan. That was a real concern for me when I sent it, and sounds like it is still doing what I wasn't sure it could. You can't see me, so here's a cyber fist pump!

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Bruce, if you find a Dixon lap skiver that you want to sell, I am interested!

[J Hayes]

Bruce, how about some pictures of the coveted Dixon?

[tossik]

Wow Big Sioux Saddlery, you seem to have a nice collection of splitters! Got one laying around that you'd wanna sell?

[J Hayes]

Check the for sale section too, usually something listed there too

[tossik]

J Hayes I've been checking daily, as well as other auction places.. not a very common thing to go on sale...

[tossik]

Found this online:

http://www.sheridanleather.com/J_D_Randall_Co_Krebs_Style_Splitter_9_Blade_p/dt-32-d.htm

Is it worth that much money? or is it over priced?

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

'Wow Big Sioux Saddlery, you seem to have a nice collection of splitters! Got one laying around that you'd wanna sell?'

Sorry but I really don't. I become rather attached to my machinery:)