Hey peeps,
I would like to get your thoughts on an issue I have, namely: having too thick leather.
I'm mostly making watch straps for the time being, and usually use a maximum thickness of about 2-2.5mm in total without padding. A lot of leather is too thick, and I've tried using a cheap-ass manual splitter, but it just stretches the leather and damages it all over the front surface.
For example: I really like Zermatt by Haas as a liner, but that's about 1.6mm thick I believe (without splitting). Which only leaves about 0.9 for the top part. And I'm not even talking about the keepers, which must be even thinner.
Let me also say: this is a hobby and even though I don't mind spending money on it, there is a limit, haha!
What would you suggest to me?
- Getting a bell skiver (probably most versatile, but also costly and takes a lot of space. And how well does this work if I'm going to make a bit larger items?)
- Just buying the leather pre-split (disadvantage is that I know that RM does it, but I'm from Europe and I'd rather buy directly from for example Tanneries Haas, than buy all the way from the US)
- Just buy leathers that have the exact max. thickness I want. Disadvantage is that it limits my options quite a lot. Zermatt won't really be an option for example.
- Any other ideas?
Thanks a million!
Thin splits on manual splitters.
To get a really thin split (watch straps n keepers) with softer leathers: why not glue the softer piece to a firmer veg tan then pull this through the splitter with the firm bulk under the blade and the desired grain face (and desired thickness) above the blade. This will stop the thin split from stretching as the tension from the pull is taken by the veg tan laminated base under the blade. Hope this is helps.
John
Hi Ramon,
As someone who’d also like to one day add a bell skiver to the workshop, I’ve found a way to really maximize my very inexpensive manual splitter in the meantime. Especially if you are splitting narrow strips like watch straps, this may go a long way to stopping the leather from stretching -
First, take the blade from your splitter to a professional sharpener - there seams to be at least one in every town specializing in industrial saw maintenance. I had them grind a secondary bevel into my blade and I think that helped.
Second, I have an inexpensive buffing wheel from the hardware store - less than $50. I bought this to retrofit as a sanding/burnishing machine, but get a lot of use from its original purpose with the cloth buffer - a little polishing compound on that and a touch up on the splitting blade before every project makes the splitter an entirely different machine. There are leathers I couldn’t even pull through it when it was new that I can split down to 2oz now without sweating.
@Ramon Snellink There are splitting services dotted around Europe that split for a reasonable price. I would start checking google for something in your home country to keep costs down.
UK example: http://www.leatherthinning.co.uk/index.htm
Keep your eyes peeled for second hand bell skivers that come up on Ebay and other such websites.
Hi!
Do you buy Zermatt direct from Tanneries Haas? Don’t they offer spliting service (even if hey may charge you a bit for that)?
I have much of your same concern. I still keep leatherworking pretty much as a hobby, I don’t have place for a big bell skiving machine and the japanese Nippy is quite expensive DDP Spain. At list at this moment. I guess your case is more extreme since you only make watch straps. With handbags, I can still sort some things out...