Leather splitter advice

[viktor]

Hello everyone, I know all the major brands of leather splitters but they are out of my money reach right now. I found a video on YouTube of a guy in Germany making his own splitter and it looks good. I even contacted him and the price is reasonable, about 200 EUR depending on the model. I am not advertising anything, just want to know if anyone knows this guy or has maybe purchased a splitter made by him. His YouTube channel is Alexander Majura.

[Matt S]

I'd call that a pull skiver rather than a splitter myself but I know not everyone would agree with me (some manufacturers included!). That one by Alexander Majura looks fine and certainly cheaper than an Osborne but it's not suited to all jobs. It won't, for instance, be much use on stretchy or thin leathers. It won't be very consistent over a long piece and it will be very difficult to pull though a piece of leather any wider than 4" (100mm). It would be great for splitting down lace/thong and for skiving turnbacks and laps. What do you want to use it for Viktor?

[viktor]

Skiving belt ends and card slots for wallets.

[Matt S]

17 minutes ago, viktor said:

Skiving belt ends and card slots for wallets.

Skiving belt ends is an ideal job for this sort of machine. It makes a neat, even skive much easier and faster to achieve than just about any type of hand tool.

It's very difficult to use such a machine to neatly skive small pieces of leather -- you'll need to grip it somehow, and something as small as a card slot will have to have half done in each direction which can leave a mark on the surface. Much better to skive a piece of leather wider and longer than the piece you want, and then to cut out the desired shape once it's at the proper thickness.

[viktor]

Thank you Matt S!