This is some great info, thank you. While these machines seem essential for any serious leather worker, I’m just a little put off by how much tweaking it might require to get them to work efficiently. I was also surprised at how expensive they were, considering they are manually driven machines.
My splitter is 4 1/3 inches or 10.3 centimeters wide. I hand strope it with 12,000 grit diamond compound and I can hand split 10 centimeters easily for wallets. It isn't a roller, you have to pull through a roller, but for wallets or belts it works just fine. The trick is to keep it mirror polished which 12,000 grit does. Just an inexpensive Tandy splitter, just strope the thing. I made hardness scratchers and the blade that comes with it is at least 59 HRC so my 59 won't scratch it, but my 60.3 does. Plenty hard enough. My scratchers go from 55 to 56.5 to 57.6 to 59, 60.3 and 62. FYI; HRC 59 is 10X harder than HRC 58, it is exponential like the seismic scale. I started leatherworking by knife making and I needed to make sheaths and found I like leather work even more than knife making. LOL
I like the way you can resplit the leather to get the size/weight you want. With my none crank C.S Osborne 84 it is not that simple, as you need a tab to pull the leather through which reduces the length of the leather on every split.
So helpful , just purchased a similar splitter..arriving within the hour and this was such a coincidence. Could I get my blade to you? I am in Cape Town.
One of the things you can use it is to create raised effect on belts or watchstraps. You sandwich a narrower piece of leather like this between two wider grain leather pieces and stitch it together. Or you can create a leather dust from it, combine it with glue and do essentialy the same thing when doing embossed carvings.
Hi Terrick! Great info in your video as always. Did you have to change the blade angle as well? What angles did you use? Did you put a facet on the blade's edge as per your drawing? Thanks a ton!
the hollow grind reminds me of my shaving knive. realy nice explanation. i had similar issues with my first hand plane and it took about 10 hours of work to get it performing. by the way. do leatherworkers use things like a hand plane to thin down leather? like you do with your scarving (?) knive?
"Do you even need such a machine?" "Let me talk about the blade and how ridiculously sharp I made it... cause you know - I'm Terrick and I can sharpen a napkin to cut a train rail" Damn you, Terrick and your superhuman abilities. Now I need one of these.
Great video! I’m in the market for a machine like this but I need it to split my Leather very thin. I’m willing to make the upgrade with the blade. Can you grind a blade down for me, if I send one to you?
If you are able to work through the machine adjustments they can be very useful. After a while changing the spring tensions and bottom roller height for different leathers becomes quite easy.
Hello Terrick, Philip here. I've got an Osborne splitter and find it near impossible to pull through leathers much wider than about three inches because of the amount of force necessary. Put too much effort into pulling and you can easily stretch the leather to the point where it can't be used. Short of resorting to hand skiving do you have any thoughts or advice on how to get around this problem? Thanks!
Hi Philip, this machine of mine has a 6" blade and to use the full blade length I have to get it razor sharp or it will buckle the leather. My general wide cut on this machine is 4 1/2 " and I don't like going much wider than that. Im not sure how possible it would be to get more than a 3" split on a pull through splitter even if you had a custom blade. If I remember those machines were used a lot by the old saddlery makers and would spilt very thick harness leather into "still thick" straps etc.
Thanks Terrick. Yes I guess I knew I was pretty much at the limit. I had to completely reprofile the blade to be able to split the widths I do now so unless someone comes up with a very clever way to drag the leather through mechanically... Thanks for the video, really interesting to see a hand cranked machine and how you've had to customise it to get the best results.
@@kawonnowak I have an 84 and I suppose the following would be would be true for an 86a yet not an 86; as the 84 and 86a are skivers as well as splitters. As I am sure you already know the blade has to be super sharp, the selection of the hide part I also find important. For example I would not try a wide split with belly or shoulder but rather back or butt; due to the nature of those parts of the hide. I start a wide split essentially as a tappered skive(only turned the other way), so that the blade is just entering the grain of the leather. Once the blade is into the leather I then move the blade while advancing the leather to give the size/weight of the split I want. It does take a good amount of force and when learning the operation of the machine I wasted a lot of leather. I have found this as the only way to split larger widths and the part of the hide that I am pulling is actually the off cut split so I don't worry about it stretching. Although to get a thin split
@@dmail00 Thanks - interesting to hear your approach, I'm still relatively new to my 84 so finding my way... What I have done though is completely reprofile the blade to remove the secondary bevel. The result is an extremely sharp but - inevitably - less robust edge but I don't mind re-touching it on the waterstones if I get a chip. Reprofiling it has gained me maybe 3/4 to 1 inch extra width (that can be pulled through with minimal effort) but it did take about 5 hours on the waterstones to take the secondary bevel out. I do know a long-time professional leather worker who rigged up a kind of mangle (two closely aligned rollers with a hand crank) immediately behind his splitter to pull through wider sections of leather evenly, but I'm not ready to start experimenting like that. Thanks again.
I have one of these for sale that I have no idea where to find a buyer for... Landis, videos will be uploaded on my page of the splitters movements to show it isn't locked up.. would like a grand but will take appx 5-600 if someone purchases this week
@@nigelbaboolal5072, the Cowboy 8116 is a splitter, not a skiver. I don't know much about machines, but between a splitter and a skiver, get the one that you need.
This style of splitter was really made for thick veg, I can split chrome on mine after all the changes I made but the blade needs to be razor sharp. A bell skiver works much better on chrome. Not sure what double tan is
Hi Terick, Thank you for this, came exactly at the right time. Also in the market for one of these, but also for splitting wallet pieces. Is customising the blade a service you would offer? Thank you.
Nice video............but to tweak the blade as showed here in this video, you will need a proper beltgrinder AND some considerable skill as a sharpener/knifemaker. Still great content, especially for us tinkerers, artists or otherwise creative people........
Getting good at sharpening these blades is key. I'm still working on it. The best video I've seen on the topic for these particular blades is made by Nigel Armitage.
Hello camera operator, please pay more attention to keeping the object of attention (part of machine, leather item etc.) in the picture. - Also, mind showing (!) the things he speaks about, e.g. when he speaks about checking rollers to be parallel at about 10:30 where he nicely explains things, but we would like to see (!) it.
The hand pull splitters are great until you lose concentration for 2 seconds....then you skive your thumbnail off and separate the nail and nail bed from the bone and thumb print and surrounding meat. Why, ‘Yes!’ It is in fact exactly as painful as it sounds! I’ve moved on to the hand crank splitter!
This is some great info, thank you. While these machines seem essential for any serious leather worker, I’m just a little put off by how much tweaking it might require to get them to work efficiently. I was also surprised at how expensive they were, considering they are manually driven machines.
My splitter is 4 1/3 inches or 10.3 centimeters wide. I hand strope it with 12,000 grit diamond compound and I can hand split 10 centimeters easily for wallets. It isn't a roller, you have to pull through a roller, but for wallets or belts it works just fine. The trick is to keep it mirror polished which 12,000 grit does. Just an inexpensive Tandy splitter, just strope the thing. I made hardness scratchers and the blade that comes with it is at least 59 HRC so my 59 won't scratch it, but my 60.3 does. Plenty hard enough.
My scratchers go from 55 to 56.5 to 57.6 to 59, 60.3 and 62.
FYI; HRC 59 is 10X harder than HRC 58, it is exponential like the seismic scale.
I started leatherworking by knife making and I needed to make sheaths and found I like leather work even more than knife making. LOL
Thank you Terrick, for the video! I am looking for such a machine for long time.
Hey Jun, you are welcome.
Leathertoolz did you ever find one? And how much do these run? AKA price
This is the best information that I have seen on working, adjusting and how to fix problems with my hand crank splitter. THANK YOU!
I also very much appreciated the information on what a hollow ground blade is and how it works.
glad it was helpful for you. thanks for letting us know.
The secret is to be an expert in sharpening the blade to
My respect 👍🏼
I have been wanting to see how well this Chinese splitter works. Thank you.
Thanks for the video! I will apply the adjustments I just learnt.
Absolutely fantastic video. Thank you for sharing your experience and recommendations!
I've decided to go with a bell knife skiver, even for larger panels.
As always, your videos are so informative. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment, much appreciated
Hello from Canada! Thanks for the great info.
Thank you for the information.
Did you reprofile the original blade, or make a new one ? :)
Do you manufacture enhanced lining blades? I'll buy one! ..just need a splitter machine first 😅
Can this be used for chrome tanned finished leather
I like the way you can resplit the leather to get the size/weight you want. With my none crank C.S Osborne 84 it is not that simple, as you need a tab to pull the leather through which reduces the length of the leather on every split.
Nice and clear, thank you!
Thanks for your comment, appreciate it.
Hi, thank you for the video! Does it work for soft leather?
Do you hollow grind blade for customers?
So helpful , just purchased a similar splitter..arriving within the hour and this was such a coincidence. Could I get my blade to you? I am in Cape Town.
Hi. good to hear from you. can you send me an email chartermade@gmail.com and we can chat :)
Tapering can be done ?
Is this tool used to thin the pull up leather?
If a blade is sent to you do you do the service of hollow grinding?
GENIAL, DE ARGENTINA
Just by curiosity, what do you do with the side of leather that comes out at the bottom? Is it usable or just waste?
One of the things you can use it is to create raised effect on belts or watchstraps. You sandwich a narrower piece of leather like this between two wider grain leather pieces and stitch it together. Or you can create a leather dust from it, combine it with glue and do essentialy the same thing when doing embossed carvings.
Hi Terrick! Great info in your video as always. Did you have to change the blade angle as well? What angles did you use? Did you put a facet on the blade's edge as per your drawing? Thanks a ton!
the hollow grind reminds me of my shaving knive.
realy nice explanation.
i had similar issues with my first hand plane and it took about 10 hours of work to get it performing.
by the way. do leatherworkers use things like a hand plane to thin down leather? like you do with your scarving (?) knive?
Can you use it for rawhide?
Thank you for sharing...
Great vid.
Hello were can I but one of those spitter machine
"Do you even need such a machine?" "Let me talk about the blade and how ridiculously sharp I made it... cause you know - I'm Terrick and I can sharpen a napkin to cut a train rail"
Damn you, Terrick and your superhuman abilities.
Now I need one of these.
Lol, I enjoyed reading your comment. I appreciate it. Happy crafting
Great video! I’m in the market for a machine like this but I need it to split my Leather very thin. I’m willing to make the upgrade with the blade. Can you grind a blade down for me, if I send one to you?
Do you have a video on a hollow blade sharpening
I want to buy one how much
I want to buy one.please help
I need this machine how much price?
I definitely need and will get one ( just if someone can confirm with me that it split Chromexcel??)
Yes lm looking for a machine what's the price
how can I buy this??
И сколько стоит такой инструмент ?
This one still has me questioning if I should get one. I have plenty of off cuts, and I have been manually skiving but that only does so much.
If you are able to work through the machine adjustments they can be very useful. After a while changing the spring tensions and bottom roller height for different leathers becomes quite easy.
Where can I purchase one
Is this able work on softer leather, like lamb skin leather?
Where I can buy it
Cudos, man, you know what you‘re doing!
Can you use softer chrome tan leather for splitting ?
Hello! Can you tell me the maximum width of leather that can be split not the thickness but width I am looking for something for about 5inches wide.
Hello Terrick, Philip here. I've got an Osborne splitter and find it near impossible to pull through leathers much wider than about three inches because of the amount of force necessary. Put too much effort into pulling and you can easily stretch the leather to the point where it can't be used. Short of resorting to hand skiving do you have any thoughts or advice on how to get around this problem? Thanks!
Hi Philip, this machine of mine has a 6" blade and to use the full blade length I have to get it razor sharp or it will buckle the leather. My general wide cut on this machine is 4 1/2 " and I don't like going much wider than that. Im not sure how possible it would be to get more than a 3" split on a pull through splitter even if you had a custom blade. If I remember those machines were used a lot by the old saddlery makers and would spilt very thick harness leather into "still thick" straps etc.
Thanks Terrick. Yes I guess I knew I was pretty much at the limit. I had to completely reprofile the blade to be able to split the widths I do now so unless someone comes up with a very clever way to drag the leather through mechanically... Thanks for the video, really interesting to see a hand cranked machine and how you've had to customise it to get the best results.
@@kawonnowak I have an 84 and I suppose the following would be would be true for an 86a yet not an 86; as the 84 and 86a are skivers as well as splitters. As I am sure you already know the blade has to be super sharp, the selection of the hide part I also find important. For example I would not try a wide split with belly or shoulder but rather back or butt; due to the nature of those parts of the hide. I start a wide split essentially as a tappered skive(only turned the other way), so that the blade is just entering the grain of the leather. Once the blade is into the leather I then move the blade while advancing the leather to give the size/weight of the split I want.
It does take a good amount of force and when learning the operation of the machine I wasted a lot of leather. I have found this as the only way to split larger widths and the part of the hide that I am pulling is actually the off cut split so I don't worry about it stretching. Although to get a thin split
@@dmail00 Thanks - interesting to hear your approach, I'm still relatively new to my 84 so finding my way... What I have done though is completely reprofile the blade to remove the secondary bevel. The result is an extremely sharp but - inevitably - less robust edge but I don't mind re-touching it on the waterstones if I get a chip. Reprofiling it has gained me maybe 3/4 to 1 inch extra width (that can be pulled through with minimal effort) but it did take about 5 hours on the waterstones to take the secondary bevel out. I do know a long-time professional leather worker who rigged up a kind of mangle (two closely aligned rollers with a hand crank) immediately behind his splitter to pull through wider sections of leather evenly, but I'm not ready to start experimenting like that. Thanks again.
Thank you for this video. I'm from Georgia (caucasus) wen I can bay this skiwing machin.
Where do get the customized blades for these things?
Hello, Could you please tell me what is the size of your blade? I think you didn't mention it.
Cuanto me ciesta una de esas
I have one of these for sale that I have no idea where to find a buyer for... Landis, videos will be uploaded on my page of the splitters movements to show it isn't locked up.. would like a grand but will take appx 5-600 if someone purchases this week
One question, how much would that splitter be?
No idea, I bought it many years ago. You will have to check with your local suppliers.
The version marketed in USA is the Cowboy 8116, so you're looking at about $1400 or so.
@@wmcrash at 1400 dollars is there a reason to get this over a bell skiver?
@@nigelbaboolal5072, the Cowboy 8116 is a splitter, not a skiver. I don't know much about machines, but between a splitter and a skiver, get the one that you need.
Bom dia bom por quanto que você vende uma máquina dessa daí
Hello from France, It's possible to split chrome or double tan leather with this kind of splitter ? Thanks
This style of splitter was really made for thick veg, I can split chrome on mine after all the changes I made but the blade needs to be razor sharp. A bell skiver works much better on chrome. Not sure what double tan is
@@CHARTERMADE Thanks a lot for your answer. Double tan is chrome tan leather who is veg retanned.
@@jeremieben4170 Double tan is another term for retan. Higher end chrome tanned hides are sometimes sent on to a veg tan finish.
Name of the machine
Leather work
DOVE SI COMPRA E QUANTO COSTA?
Hi Terrick
Where you from?
Hi terrick, I would like to buy these kind of tools from online pls help me with any particular websites
Thank. Need sees that. 👍😉
which thickness of leather do you use for wallet?
Same question? Also what is the thinnest weight harness leather comes in? I get why you like it for wallets. Nice colour and buttery feel.
I use my bench belt sander lol
Hi Terick,
Thank you for this, came exactly at the right time. Also in the market for one of these, but also for splitting wallet pieces. Is customising the blade a service you would offer? Thank you.
Are you in South Africa? If you are, drop me an email with your number: chartermade@gmail.com
No, I don't need one....I want one.
👏😊
Nice video............but to tweak the blade as showed here in this video, you will need a
proper beltgrinder AND some considerable skill as a sharpener/knifemaker.
Still great content, especially for us tinkerers, artists or otherwise creative people........
if you have the equipment but not the skill you could use a jig to help yourself getting the grinding correct.
@@psycholocke4090 Good advice!
You can always take the blade to a local knife maker, this is more what I was suggesting
Getting good at sharpening these blades is key. I'm still working on it. The best video I've seen on the topic for these particular blades is made by Nigel Armitage.
@@pequodexpress Is that on his paid channel on Vimeo? Or do you have a link to the sharpening vid please?
South African accent?
Hello camera operator, please pay more attention to keeping the object of attention (part of machine, leather item etc.) in the picture. - Also, mind showing (!) the things he speaks about, e.g. when he speaks about checking rollers to be parallel at about 10:30 where he nicely explains things, but we would like to see (!) it.
Thanks for replying and letting us know the original intention of the original comment was misled.
The hand pull splitters are great until you lose concentration for 2 seconds....then you skive your thumbnail off and separate the nail and nail bed from the bone and thumb print and surrounding meat. Why, ‘Yes!’ It is in fact exactly as painful as it sounds! I’ve moved on to the hand crank splitter!
boys, this is a pasta machine... first it was the knives then the oven now the pasta machine ? wth makers, get out of my kitchen
More than tree minutes of blabla before discovering the machine...