A better quality hand splitter/skiver for soft leather

[DrmCa]

I have a couple of cheap hand splitters/skivers like in the attached images. They work all right but slow for hard leather but fail miserably on soft.

As my volume cannot justify the purchase of a crank splitter, I am looking for tips for a better hand tool.

[Hardrada]

This:

https://www.goodsjapan.com/craft-sha-36mm-japanese-traditional-lethercraft-skiver-utility-leather-knife/a-19138

They also have a left-hand version.

 

[DrmCa]

Ah... I know for certain that I do not possess enough fine motoric skill to control such a tool for the same purpose as those above.

Need something that has a limited depth of cut.

Edited January 3, 2022 by DrmCa

[alpha2]

That Japanese one does have a long learning curve for ease of use and precision. That one says high end, and affordable. I'm not sure that's possible. Check out pics of high end ones, and compare to that one. 

The Tandy one that cuts on the draw stroke is the easiest to use while maintaining control. It too uses replaceable blades, for those who are sharpening challenged. Search for Tandy Super Skiver #3025-00. There's a video online too.

Edited January 3, 2022 by alpha2

[Webicons]

Before I got my bell skiver I was using a Japanese curved hand plane such as this one.  I still use it for smaller pieces like wallet pockets and edges. 
The curve is key as you can easily adjust the cut by rocking without adjusting the blade. 

 

[Hardrada]

1 hour ago, DrmCa said:

Ah... I know for certain that I do not possess enough fine motoric skill to control such a tool for the same purpose as those above.

Need something that has a limited depth of cut.

You won't have that outside of a bell skiver, which is gonna be $$$.

Any other manual-operated tool won't give you the results you want. I'm telling you because I've been there. I've skived soft-temper leather with all kinds of tools—skife like yours, Japanese knives, half-moon knife, and Schärffix—and only the Japanese knife and the half-moon knife were successful in not pulling the leather and deforming it. I was hoping that the Schärffix paring machine would be just the thing, but no, it wasn't because you still need to apply mechanical pulling force and that will pull soft-temper and medium-temper leather out of shape.

 

1 hour ago, alpha2 said:

That Japanese one does have a long learning curve for ease of use and precision. That one says high end, and affordable. I'm not sure that's possible. Check out pics of high end ones, and compare to that one. 

The Tandy one that cuts on the draw stroke is the easiest to use while maintaining control. It too uses replaceable blades, for those who are sharpening challenged. Search for Tandy Super Skiver #3025-00. There's a video online too.

It's actually high end AND affordable, however impossible that might seem. I know because I have two of them and they're among my most used tools. Well sharpened, they're unbeatable.

[alpha2]

9 minutes ago, Hardrada said:

It's actually high end AND affordable, however impossible that might seem. I know because I have two of them and they're among my most used tools. Well sharpened, they're unbeatable

I stand corrected! Thanks for the reply. So few things these days meet expectations, or descriptions, I've gotten a little jaded.

Jeff

[Webicons]

When it comes to Japanese-type skiving knives you typically have three choices: unknown or common tool steel, shirogami, and aogami.  Prices go up in that order and quality (edge retention) as well.
When you do a little research on this you find that the rabbit hole goes deep. 

[DrmCa]

Tandy Super Skiver #3025-00 is on order. I want to try it before everything else because it offers some depth control that I can hope to be able to master. I know my limits: the Japanese tool in my hands would ruin too much leather.

[Aven]

The ones on the right are picky in how they are handled.  I always skive on glass. I am right handed, so my right hand is over the leather and the tip is on the glass.  The tool isn't held perpendicular to the edge of leather, but at about 40°, so that means my hand is below the tool tip. Hold the leather in place with your left hand above the tool.  You also have to press down kinda hard on the tool when you pull it towards yourself. 

Lisa Sorrel has a great video on skiving.  She uses a skiving knife, but the principles are the same. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNY1oPbvIAg

Oh, buy your blades by the gross.  Toss the blade when its dull.  Don't try to muscle through.  More often than not, it will go wrong.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Aven

[fredk]

1 hour ago, DrmCa said:

Tandy Super Skiver #3025-00 is on order.

 

47 minutes ago, Aven said:

Oh, buy your blades by the gross.  Toss the blade when its dull.  Don't try to muscle through.  More often than not, it will go wrong.

Be prepared for changing the blade often. I find soft leather, especially my chrome tan stuff blunts the blade very quickly. Much more quickly than any veg tan I have

[zuludog]

I use a David Razor Plane for skiving the fold over at the buckle end when making belts, and I'm happy enough with it. I have also used it to thin down some thick 4,5mm leather when making a knife sheath. It comes with a few blades, and you can buy replacements

Search t'Net, there are other makes, and see what's available in the USA

David Combi Plane with Blades T-DT4 - Nexus Modelling Supplies (nexusmodels.co.uk)

I clamp the leather to the edge of my desk then push the plane away; just move the leather around to expose all of it

I also use a Japanese skiving Knife and a 10mm French Edger for smaller areas

Edited January 4, 2022 by zuludog

[jcuk]

This maybe of some use to you. Just be careful in you decide at sometime to skive heavier leather with a skirt shave (french edger) make sure its sharp and well stropped. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwnN_b01_M8

Hope this helps

JCUK

Edited January 4, 2022 by jcuk

[DrmCa]

Tandy style skiver does exactly what I need, and on soft leather.