Video: Possible Schärf-Fix 2000 Alternative?

[Daniel G]

I was browsing youtube and ran across this device. Wondering if anyone has experience with it? It's not as pretty as the Schärf-Fix 2000, but looks like it gets the job done.

I'm not sure how to embed videos on this forum, so I'll just leave the link for now.

https://youtu.be/ai21-SxZ2Ow

http://www.leathercraftpattern.com/Leather-skiver-splitter-thinner

Edited September 29, 2015 by Daniel G

[lilwaysleather]

came across this as well on ebay about a week ago. Looks interesting. Hopefully some reviews come out soon.

[Northmount]

OK. I decided to get one to try it out. Took about a week after shipping date to arrive, so wasn't on a slow boat from China.

It comes completely disassembled. The instructions in the box are all Chinese. After assembling it, I found a download with English instructions. That would have been much more helpful! Instructions

It skives soft leather fairly easily. On vegtan, it kept digging in and cutting right through, making a useless mess. The blade has too high an incline wrt the leather, so just keeps cutting deeper. I decided to try reducing the angle (actually bending the blade holder closer to 90 degrees) to about half of what it was supplied as. Now it will skive vegtan too. The instructions say to place the blade about 1 to 2 mm behind the apex of the roller. If you don't, the leather runs into the bottom of the blade holder and screw heads. The blade needs to be supported as close to the edge as possible to stop the blade from flexing. So I will be filing the bottom blade support at a much shallower angle to give the clearance needed plus the support.

It uses standard disposable razor blades. Comes with 3 packages of five.

If you watch the video in the OPs original post, It looks real easy to skive. You will need some practice to get it to behave that nicely. Notice that the user in the video has left a number of screws out of the blade holder and bracket. Makes it easier and quicker to change blades or skiving angle. The version I received has the blade clamping bar on the top of the blade holder, whilst the video has it under the blade holder.

The "limit block" or guide is useless.

The video and instructions show it assembled to pull the leather from left to right. I reassembled mine to pull from the right to the left. I can see better what is happening, and find it easier to guide with my right hand rather than my left.

For any amount of skiving, I find this easier to use and more repeatable than a skiving knife, round knife, or safety skiver. It will take me a little more practice to go around corners, and to start right at the end of a strap. Once started, it goes well now (with the lower blade angle).

Tom

[soccerdad]

How much did you pay, including shipping?

[Northmount]

How much did you pay, including shipping?

$120 USD plus $27 USD shipping. (Sep 30)

Tom

[panchoskywalker]

I was looking at that skiver too, I aslo saw these on aliexpress, I feel tempted on the first one. I'm just sharing.

1. For about US$200

http://es.aliexpress.com/store/product/Leather-paring-device-kid-max-35mm-width-Manual-leather-skiver-handle-leather-peel-tools-vegetable-tanned/1243106_32511083635.html?spm=2114.04010208.3.10.iCvdBS&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_1,searchweb201644_4_10001_10002_10005_301_10006_10003_10004_62,searchweb201560_8,searchweb1451318400_6150,searchweb1451318411_6452&btsid=a4864808-3050-42a7-89be-8b6cc3292427

2. For about 238 euros.

http://es.aliexpress.com/store/product/6-inch-Manual-leather-skiver-handle-leather-peeling-tools-DIY-shovel-skin-Machine-split-leather-vegetable/1243106_32378843819.html?spm=2114.04010208.3.1.iCvdBS&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_1,searchweb201644_4_10001_10002_10005_301_10006_10003_10004_62,searchweb201560_8,searchweb1451318400_6150,searchweb1451318411_6452&btsid=a4864808-3050-42a7-89be-8b6cc3292427

3. For about 234 euros

http://es.aliexpress.com/store/product/Leather-splitter-Skiving-machine-Peeling-machine-Paring-machine-Leather-skiver-Vegetable-tanning-Scrape-thin-tool/1314153_32382431658.html?spm=2114.04010208.3.29.iCvdBS&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_1,searchweb201644_4_10001_10002_10005_301_10006_10003_10004_62,searchweb201560_8,searchweb1451318400_6150,searchweb1451318411_6452&btsid=a4864808-3050-42a7-89be-8b6cc3292427

[club49]

I will stick with a knife, if I do buy a machine it will be made in the USA.I have enough problems reading instructions in English.

Jim

[Northmount]

Attempted to do some more work a few days ago with the Chinese Skiver / Paring machine.

Attempted to skive the edge of some 8/9 oz. Chrome tanned.  It just kept digging in deeper.  Changed the angle of the knife, but didn't improve.  I went back to one that I made modelled on the Scharf Skiver.  Works much better.

Tom

 

Edited November 14, 2020 by Northmount
added photo since originals are gone from above post

[panchoskywalker]

On 19/8/2016 at 3:04 PM, northmount said:

Attempted to do some more work a few days ago with the Chinese Skiver / Paring machine.

Attempted to skive the edge of some 8/9 oz. Chrome tanned.  It just kept digging in deeper.  Changed the angle of the knife, but didn't improve.  I went back to one that I made modelled on the Scharf Skiver.  Works much better.

 

Tom

 

Any picture to share with us?

 

Edited September 6, 2016 by panchoskywalker

[Northmount]

9 hours ago, panchoskywalker said:

 

The Chinese one or my copy of the Scharf?

Tom

[panchoskywalker]

your copy.

[Northmount]

Edited:

Looks pretty rough!  Frame made from 4 X 4 X 1/2" rusty angle iron, with minimal tools (drill, hacksaw, file).  Oh, and lots of wire brushing!

Pic 3 and 4 show skiving, then modified to allow more adjustment of the knife, pics 5, 6, 7, 8.  Knife holder needs to be re-done.  Tried milling a nice recess for the blade using an end mill in the drill press, but too much slop, so it jumped and tore out a small piece.  Now that I have a milling machine (which I haven't used yet since it is at my sons place) I should try prettying it up some.

Tom

Edited September 8, 2016 by northmount
updated

[panchoskywalker]

Wow, great work! It looks heavier than the chinese.

[Trox]

Impressing work Tom, you have a future as a tool maker. Looks like your machine uses a very different angle on the blade and a more stable blade support. Are you able to skive upholstery type of leather on your machine or only firm leather. 

[Northmount]

On 9/6/2016 at 5:50 PM, Northmount said:

Looks pretty rough!  Frame made from 4 X 4 X 1/2" rusty angle iron, with minimal tools (drill, hacksaw, file).  Oh, and lots of wire brushing!

Time to update with it cleaned up some more and even painted. 

[Northmount]

On 9/15/2016 at 1:42 PM, Trox said:

Are you able to skive upholstery type of leather on your machine or only firm leather. 

Sorry I missed this long ago.  I just tried it on some upholstery leather.  Had to saw back and forth.  Might work a lot better if I put a new sharp blade in it.  Also stretched a little, though that might again be due to needing to replace or sharpen the blade.

[Runzeigrun]

On 11/14/2020 at 9:53 AM, Northmount said:

Sorry I missed this long ago.  I just tried it on some upholstery leather.  Had to saw back and forth.  Might work a lot better if I put a new sharp blade in it.  Also stretched a little, though that might again be due to needing to replace or sharpen the blade.

Where did you get your little roller you used to slide the leather over under the blade? Thank you in advance and everything you do on this community page. 

[Northmount]

34 minutes ago, Runzeigrun said:

Where did you get your little roller you used to slide the leather over under the blade? Thank you in advance and everything you do on this community page. 

I made it on a little metal turning lathe that I have.

 

[paloma]

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/32862478046.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.146d4e70d1BhTf&algo_pvid=069c895e-3ab3-43e6-8288-443b888a4b9a&algo_expid=069c895e-3ab3-43e6-8288-443b888a4b9a-43&btsid=2100bde316170352994904058e2e42&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

[Northmount]

22 minutes ago, paloma said:

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/32862478046.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.146d4e70d1BhTf&algo_pvid=069c895e-3ab3-43e6-8288-443b888a4b9a&algo_expid=069c895e-3ab3-43e6-8288-443b888a4b9a-43&btsid=2100bde316170352994904058e2e42&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

I bought one of these too!  Their video looks nice, but I could not get mine to work like in their videos.  So it sits in a drawer.  Bad purchase.

See my post third one from the start of this thread.

[toxo]

I use a Scharfix lookalike in black. Cost me around £90. When I first tried it I almost threw it in the bin but as I got used to it'd little foibles I found it to be quite capable in a limited way. It's ok with veg tan types but I found it stretched the edge on softer leathers. Then I found a little trick that all these type of skivers can benefit from. Say you want a 20mm skive. Using a smallish roller start off at the 20mm mark and work outward. When you get to the edge you'll have a small area left meaning less pulling pressure and less stretch. You'll have to play around a bit. You may have to start at 25mm to get the best result. Of course you need a sharp blade so here's another trick. The blades come in different thicknesses and the thicker ones can be resharpened but I couldn't find any at a decent price until I found these,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BH7CNC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Runzeigrun]

On 3/29/2021 at 10:43 AM, toxo said:

I use a Scharfix lookalike in black. Cost me around £90. When I first tried it I almost threw it in the bin but as I got used to it'd little foibles I found it to be quite capable in a limited way. It's ok with veg tan types but I found it stretched the edge on softer leathers. Then I found a little trick that all these type of skivers can benefit from. Say you want a 20mm skive. Using a smallish roller start off at the 20mm mark and work outward. When you get to the edge you'll have a small area left meaning less pulling pressure and less stretch. You'll have to play around a bit. You may have to start at 25mm to get the best result. Of course you need a sharp blade so here's another trick. The blades come in different thicknesses and the thicker ones can be resharpened but I couldn't find any at a decent price until I found these,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BH7CNC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I actually bought one that came in this lot of tools however they left out the rollers that the leather rolls on under the blade so as of right now I cannot try it and I cant seem to find that part. only option is buying another one and I have heard mixed reviews about it.  

[Northmount]

35 minutes ago, Runzeigrun said:

I actually bought one that came in this lot of tools however they left out the rollers that the leather rolls on under the blade so as of right now I cannot try it and I cant seem to find that part. only option is buying another one and I have heard mixed reviews about it.  

Find a friend with a lathe, or go to a machine shop and see what they can do for you.  You should be able to figure out the diameter, length, and support pins dimensions from you skiver.  You can look at different pictures and scale them to match your skiver to help with the measurements.

[toxo]

39 minutes ago, Runzeigrun said:

I actually bought one that came in this lot of tools however they left out the rollers that the leather rolls on under the blade so as of right now I cannot try it and I cant seem to find that part. only option is buying another one and I have heard mixed reviews about it.  

It's just a roller with a shoulder at each end that sits in a trough. If you don't know anyone with a lathe it wouldn't be hard to dowith a drill and a small grinder and a file.

I can provide the measurements.

Edited March 31, 2021 by toxo

[Runzeigrun]

On 3/31/2021 at 4:53 PM, toxo said:

It's just a roller with a shoulder at each end that sits in a trough. If you don't know anyone with a lathe it wouldn't be hard to dowith a drill and a small grinder and a file.

I can provide the measurements.

Sorry for the delay. Yes I would love to have the measurements! Thank you in advance. 

On 3/31/2021 at 4:51 PM, Northmount said:

Find a friend with a lathe, or go to a machine shop and see what they can do for you.  You should be able to figure out the diameter, length, and support pins dimensions from you skiver.  You can look at different pictures and scale them to match your skiver to help with the measurements.

Thank you very much!