Craftool Pro Splitter

[joelpete]

Who has extensive experience with the Craftool Pro Splitter? 

I want to try my hand at a couple rolled edge wallets but I do not want bulk.  I have some Old World Bellies that are about 1.1-1.2mm thick and I'd like to take them down to a fairly consistent 0.8mm (which is still thicker than some of the leather in my Bosca wallets).

My Splitter is inbound so I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.  So my real questions are, how thin have you been able to go?  And, how little have you been able to successfully peel from your stock?  Half of a millimeter?

Obviously the blade edge matters and milage may vary, I just want to know if anyone has been successful in this area.

Thanks,

Joel

Edited September 2, 2018 by joelpete

[alpha2]

I was able to shave a piece of Horween CXL really thin for a wallet, and that stuff stretches! The piece started at 9oz and I split a 3oz piece off. With something more sturdy, I would think I could get a piece a lot thinner than that. What you don't wan't to do, is get almost right, but need to shave just a bit more off. They don't seem to be able to handle that too well. Take some scrap, pull it through, measure it, and adjust if needed. Also, make sure you have enough length so you have something to pull on! You have some distance between where the cut starts, and where you can actually grip the piece. You'll see what I mean when you get the splitter.

Jeff

 

[bikermutt07]

I split some Horween horse butt one time on my heritage splitter. I had to turn the leather upside down so the flesh was under tension and the grain side shaved off the topside. It worked out well. The grain side wound up at 1-2 but I'm sure could have went thinner at the beginning.

Edited September 2, 2018 by bikermutt07

[joelpete]

2 hours ago, alpha2 said:

I was able to shave a piece of Horween CXL really thin for a wallet, and that stuff stretches! The piece started at 9oz and I split a 3oz piece off. With something more sturdy, I would think I could get a piece a lot thinner than that. What you don't wan't to do, is get almost right, but need to shave just a bit more off. They don't seem to be able to handle that too well. Take some scrap, pull it through, measure it, and adjust if needed. Also, make sure you have enough length so you have something to pull on! You have some distance between where the cut starts, and where you can actually grip the piece. You'll see what I mean when you get the splitter.

Jeff

 

I'm glad to hear it was successful.  And I understand what you mean about getting it "almost right."  I've run into exactly that same problem with some copper plumbing projects. 

1 hour ago, bikermutt07 said:

I split some Horween horse butt one time on my heritage splitter. I had to turn the leather upside down so the flesh was under tension and the grain side shaved off the topside. It worked out well. The grain side wound up at 1-2 but I'm sure could have went thinner at the beginning.

Ah, I hadn't thought about that!  Did you find the resulting stock to have consistent thickness?

[bikermutt07]

Yeah, you just have to play with some scrap of the same stuff and get your off cut thickness dialed in. 

 

[garypl]

Just received a Tandy Black Friday flyer advertising their Craftool Deluxe 6” splitter for $200.  SRP is listed at $550.  Any comments on whether this is worth the price?

Gary

[ScoobyNewbie]

I have used, and have watched it being used at my tandy. I have noticed that the shavings off the top of the blade seem to be VERY much thinner than the bottom portion that is pulled under the blade. I have actually glommed onto them and made very light, soft bracelets. Since they are usually suede side up, it makes for a lovely suede band.

[alpha2]

Scooby, you do know there's an adjustment for that, right? 

Jeff

 

[alpha2]

12 hours ago, garypl said:

Just received a Tandy Black Friday flyer advertising their Craftool Deluxe 6” splitter for $200.  SRP is listed at $550.  Any comments on whether this is worth the price?

Gary

I've got the "non-deluxe" one, and use it regularly, I like it. The deluxe has a lever that allows you to vary the depth of cut to get a nice taper to the piece, I would definately like to have that one, but it was too expensive at the time. I'd say go for it! If I didn't already have the other one, I'd pick one up too.

[blue duck]

Gary, was that price under their Elite, Gold or regular pricing? Thanks.

[YinTx]

If you search on this site you will find a lot of posts with the question "Tandy has their splitter on sale, is it worth the price?"

If you read them, you will find a mixed bag.  They are not top notch splitters, the blades seem to need regular stropping, and others just opt to find a good splitter.  That being said, if you really need one and don't have the money, they do function.  Often times you can find a used one for a decent price.  That is what I did, and mine works pretty well.  

I still have upgrade-itis,  and may eventually sell mine to get a better version some day.  But if I never do, this one does the job!

YinTx

[garypl]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!  The $200 price is for anyone on Black Friday - limited to quantity of stock at the store.

I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a splitter because I don’t see myself using it that often, but I am curious about them and once I try one I may find more uses for it.  As YinTx mentioned, there are a few posts on the subject - some l8e it and other not so much.  If I get one next Friday I will post my comments on it!

Gary

[ScoobyNewbie]

Yeah, but I like it, so it’s a “feature”. Lol

Black Friday! Just sayin...

[catskin]

I got a deluxe on the black Friday a couple years ago and it seems worth the price to me although I only use it to skive ends on straps since I have 4 other pull splitters. And recently got a American crank that looks like it has done very little.  Based on the fact that the blade has barely been moved from new setting ( all of the slot is still behind the bolt that sets it )  and it splits to paper thin.

[garypl]

After hearing all of the comments I’m torn between buying or not.  

Think I will go over to the store tomorrow and ask them to try it out - seem to remember one setup on their machine table.  If it doesn’t work as well as I expect I will pass and look for an older unit.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our USA members!

Gary

[JLSleather]

I nearly caused a tandy manager a coronary event a few years back.  Couldn't find an awl that ACTUALLY CUTS without standing on the back of it. 

New gal SAID these awls were great stuff, but I'd seen enough junk that I wanted to SEE it work.  So I went over to a stack of 9/10 dbl shoulders, picked up a corner and went to PIERCE it.. without a winch or a maul. 

By the way teh manager came flying over, I guess he could use some new shorts.  I could have let it go, I guess, but instead I told him I'll TAKE the leather, and IF the awl is worth anything I'll take that too.  But I didn't care for the way he tried to make it that young gal's "fault", so that got a bit ugly.  I paid for the leather, gave 'em back yet another crap awl, and never shopped there again (though I did offer that kid free lunch and a recommendation to tell that idiot what to do with his "position").

If they won't show you it works, they either don't believe it works, or they don't want to sell it.

[garypl]

Well, I went to the Tandy store this morning and while the masses were rummaging through the stacks of $29.95 veg tan sides, I asked for a demo of the skiver.  I have to say, I was impressed how it skived a strap that was about 2” wide.  Tandy rep did tell me that you really have to keep the blade honed for good results.

I bought one of the last 2 they had left for the sale.  Also picked up a 3-4 oz side for $30 that I will use for lining.

Bad news - my wife told me to turn the skiver over to her so she could give it to me for Christmas!  I don’t mind because my shop is in the middle of a reorganization and I haven’t touched a piece of leather for the past 3-4 weeks.  I’ll send my comments after I have a chance to unpack and test it after Christmas 

Gary

[Mark842]

I've has one for a few years. Don't remember why but mine came with a spare blade. I set it up with the blade it came with and remember it being dull as shit. I stropped it and it worked much better. Took the spare blade to my local blade guru to have it sharpened as I suck at sharpening. According to him it is actually a decent quality metal but wasn't sharpened worth a shit. He got it good and sharp and I've been using it for a few years with the occasional stropping. I use it for 1-1/2 straps down to 3/8" wide latigo and veg. I can get it down to paper thin although once you get that thin the leather will start stretching on you pulling it through.

 If you can't sharpen good, find someone who can and it will work great for what you need I think.

[JLSleather]

Sides for $30, maybe I shoulda went and checked it out?@!  Worst kin happen, I gotta have lunch with that little cutie girl (or both of em) works at the store...

 

[garypl]

48 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

Sides for $30, maybe I shoulda went and checked it out?@!  Worst kin happen, I gotta have lunch with that little cutie girl (or both of em) works at the store...

 

Quality not the best, but I can cut around the one small hole and a couple of bug bites.  Back also is a bit grainy, but for $30 how can you go wrong for lining leather!  

 

[DONAG]

I have a Tandy splitter, but don't pull anything wider than 28 mm through it.  Too much of a struggle.  I wrap a folded piece of leather at the end and clamp it with a vice grip to pull leather through.

I hone the blade on my water stone and then strop a sharper edge on the tip.  I've thinned leather down to .5 mm with it.

Leather has a grain (sort of) like wood.  It might stretch one way, but not the other.  I pull along the edge to see if it stretches.  If it doesn't.  I cut the leather that way.  If it does.  I cut across.  This prevents leather from stretching out which I try to avoid on leathers with patterns or it pulls the pattern out of the surface.

Leathers that are too soft will stretch regardless of direction pulled when they reach a certain manual splitting thickness, so best to have the leather split if ordering from a tannery

DON

[garypl]

I bought the Tandy Deluxe splitter on sale for $200 and my wife held onto it until Christmas.  I clamped it to my workbench and it splits leather perfectly out of the box!  I am very impressed with how easy it is to use.

Dont know how often I will have to hone the blade, but so far it has done nice clean cuts.  Widest leather I have put through it is @1.5” and pulls through with very little resistance.

I haven’t been working on any projects for the past month due to work and family activities and now I am preparing to go on a 2 week business trip, so hope to get back to working on projects in February!

Very happy with this tool.

Gary