BG Manual Leather Splitter & Skiving Bench-top Machine
Working area: 6" inch blade, 1.2cm opening height
Opening height: Adjustable up to 0.5" inches (~1.2cm)
This splitting machine has two adjustable height screws on either side of the machine to adjust blade height. There are also millimeter etchings for depth so that you can ensure accurate thickness on both sides. This gives you the ability to do 'lap skives' (tapered skives) and 'level skives' (same thickness on both sides).
These blades are hand sharpened by hollow grinding making the blades razor sharp. They are then heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of Rc 58-62 which insures that the machine will hold an edge over many hours of use.
The lever handle has a spring action allowing the handle to recoil back after opening and inserting leather.
There is a cam brake on the right hand side of the machine that allows the user to lock the handle in place for using both hands to pull the leather through.
Uses:
- Splitting down leather to lighter weights.
- Lap/Tapered skives - good for turning leather ends for corners, tips, etc.
- Skiving down the tips of leather straps. For example, inserting 2-3 inches of a leather straps and skiving down in order to more easily fold the leather around a belt buckle.
- 4 screw holes for attaching to workbench.
- Portable, so you can bring to fairs and shows.
Blade Sharpening:
- Blade longevity depends a lot on the leather being split and how often the machine is used. If the machine is being used for hours each day then the blade may need to be touched up every few weeks. If it is being used just a few times a week, then the blade may go months without needing to be touched.
- The leather being split also has a big effect on the longevity of the edge on the blade, as vegetable tanned leather tends to dull a blade more than oil or chrome tanned leathers. This is because the tannin forms hard crystals in the cellulose webbing of the hide, which dulls the blade faster.
- The blade can be sharpened many times before it needs to be replaced. Sharpening a splitter blade is not like sharpening a knife blade, so care needs to be taken to be sure that you do not destroy the angle of the blade.
