Leatherbag Report post Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) Hello, After I have now looked for over a year throughout Germany for used Fortuna / Fratelli Alberti and always found only ancient, half rusted machines without knife covers, I had finally decided to buy a new China machine (Global SK111) from a very nice and competent dealer. Just before I was about to buy it, I learned that these machines are now available in a new version: Instead of one servo motor with V-belt, there are now two direct drive servo motors installed directly on the machine head, so that knife and feed can be controlled separately: the transport can be very slow, while the knife turn very fast, but both only turn when you push the pedal. I'll attach a pdf with all information about that machine but I would buy it without aspiratior because it would be too loud for my neighbours and I dont have enough space for it. This machine costs about 700 euros more than the basic version with one v-belt-motor. Thats pretty much, but I would be willing to pay that if there are significant advantages. Here is a video of such a direct drive machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAbOb1N9x88 However, my dealer says he finds the result nicer with the 1-motor machine. He says that if the knife rotates so fast, the skived area would look like polished/burned. He recommends me the 1-motor machine with a good servo motor that you can adjust slowly and to keep the knife very sharp. His youtube videos using this 1-motor machine with slow servo motor look great (he skives very slowly around the curves), but I'm reading all over this and other forums that it's a nicer result to have the knife running at top speed. I am thinking of driving to the dealer to test it myself, but he is over 300km away and Corona makes everything a bit complicated. Does anyone have experience with these direct drive skiving machines? Do you think it's worth the extra cost or should I better take the basic version? Are the direct drive motors harder/ more expensive to repair if there are any issues with it? I'm still not 100% convinced by the china machines, but the dealer is rebuilding a few things to make them safer and better and I would get a detailed briefing from him. Any help would be really appreciated, I am still pretty overwhelmed. Greetings from Germany SW-801E-ENG-ESP.pdf Edited March 23, 2021 by Leatherbag Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
George1520 Report post Posted July 7, 2021 What you want is the knife to rotate fast and the feeding stone to rotate slow. Having the option to slow down the feeding stone it will make skiving corners a lot easier. You can buy a regular skiver and add to servo motors. I slowed down the feeding on my skiver with pulleys and it made a big difference but I still wish that I had a skiver with top feeding roller. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
