skiving chrom leather

[the deacon]

I've heard it's tough to skive chromexcel leather. I need to lap skive 5-6 oz leather for bag handles (about 7/8" wide straps). I know Tandy, Cowboy, Randell Campbell, Osborne all have skivers. Are there some that work better than others when it comes to chrome leather? Any tips or tricks? Any personal experience lap skiving chrome leather?

thanks all.

[Trox]

I would recommend the CS Osborne # 84 or Campbell Randall Keystone (8" blade) with lockable handle (U can use two hands to pull material true) lapskiver/splitter. For a cheap option, the Cowboy old Grey/white color 6 inch (CS. Osborne # 83 copy) to only 250 $. They all comes with  ready sharpen blades but would need to be polished (stropped blades). Tandy make a copy of the # 84 to a higher price than the originals from (CSO and CR), I cannot see why anybody want to buy that. They also have the modified (6 inch) model #83 copy with lockable handle, also terrible over priced. Cowboy also make this model, they are both made in China (belive also cheaper priced). All models need to be polished after some work. However, good US made models from CSO and CR will keep an edge longer and have a better second hand value; better tool for the money. Price on the two first models are from 550 to 600 US $. With a sharp/polished machine you will split all firm leather up to about three inches wide with easy, chrome or wegtan. They would skive up to 2 inch wide, because you would need one hand to operate the handle and the other to pull material true. Any wider would be hard to pull true. Blade length length has nothing to do with how wide you can splitting or skive, it just gives you more sharp blade to work with (you have vary, use the hole length on the blade to keep it evently used). For splitting wider pieces you need a motorized/cranked or Bandknife Splitting machine. For skiving wider pieces and soft leather you need a bell knife skiving machine, skive lenght up to two inches and as wide you want. There are also 5 in 1 shoe machines with crank skive/splitting option, blade is about 1 3/4 inch wide (45 mm. on my machine). Means a skiving length of 1 3/4 inch and as wide you want too. Only for firm leather and a bit short skiving length for lap skiving belts/reins over 1 inch wide. You could use such machine, but the two first machine will give you a better skiving result. I would recommend you buy one of the two first mention machines from CR or CSO. Good luck

Tor

  

[the deacon]

Thanks for the detailed response Tor. Have you used the CR or CSO on chrome leather?

[simontuntelder]

6 hours ago, the deacon said:

Thanks for the detailed response Tor. Have you used the CR or CSO on chrome leather?

Chromexcel is a combination tanned leather and not a full chrome tan, meaning it might have enough firmness to be lap skived using one the of aforementioned splitters.

A classic, soft full chrome tan would be near impossible if not completely impossible to split/skive on either of the two splitters.

[the deacon]

I didn't know that, thanks for the info!

[Trox]

Yes I have split all kinds of firm leather on such fixed knife splitters, for soft leather you need a bandknife machine like my old 400 kg Fortuna

Tor