I’m new to leather and bag making. I purchased a Cobra NP-4. Currently I use the 50 mm foot, it covers most of the bell protecting my fingers,until I get more proficient using the machine. Appreciate the great video.
What a fantastically comprehensive and beginner friendly introduction! This is going to be my go to reference for many years to come. Thank you so very much for this. New loyal subscriber!
Thank you so much Garth.... that vacuum cleaner hack is a life saver and now I know what those little handles in my kit is for... to turn the bell knife and the tiny silver one at the back left . Cool! Greetings from Germany. 🤩
This was the most comprehensive video I've found on how to set up my new bell skiving machine. The machine comes with very limited in instructions. I'm saving this as a reference. Thank you so much for your videos.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! My machine arrived completely out of adjustment. Found this video and got it dialed right in. I understand my machine really well now. I'll be referring others to this post.
You’re very welcome! Just remember, when your skiver starts acting up out of nowhere… it’s probably because the knife isn’t sharp enough. We sharpen 2-3 times per project or as needed.
dude I really wanted to thank you. I have a brand new machine which is so similar to yours. I couldnt use it properly until now . I made up all settings like yours. Now its like master of skiver. Thanks a lot mate
I’ve been able to get a handle on this machine with the help of your video. A lifesaver! I have a question though if you don’t mind… I’m getting a scalloped pattern on my skive, which is otherwise perfect.. any chance you know what is causing that?
@@c.g.burnes3435 your knife is dull. You need to be sharpening it for every project. I will sharpen mine a couple times. After awhile, you’ll get the feel for it. It’ll start dragging and sound rough…
I just watched the best skiving video on you tube. Thanks very much for this 101 class on set up and operation. I'm putting together a Consew right now that has the worse directions that I've seen in my 74 years. I'm now a subscriber too. Happy New Year and I'm looking forward to more videos next year.
This is now my favorite reference video for my new Fortuna knockoff skiver. The printed instructions lack a legible typeface and have archaic arrows connecting parts and their names. Lol.
Hi Garth. I just bought a skiver. I don't know anything about it. I'm a little scared, but just watching you, I'm learning so far. Thanks for your video. Shoot, there is so much to it. I hope I can get it. I live in Bakersfield, Calif. I'm not sure if anyone is close to me. I'll find out. But in the meantime, I'm watching you. Maybe over and over to hopefully get it. I just pulled the head out of the box 30 minutes ago. I have a sewing machine table and servo motor
@@MythLeatherCo Thank you so much. I'm putting a 15"x20" piece of wood on top of the table for the skiver to sit on. I'll make the opening 8"x12." I'm looking at three to four days to make the table work and get the correct size belt for the motor. In the meantime, I'll be glued on your video to get a grip, hopefully. Will a thickness gauge with only millimeters work? Your explanations are constructive. I'm so glad I found you because I didn't know anything. I'll be looking at some of your other videos as well.
Love this video!! I’m still having trouble with the skiver eating my leather. Even after sharpening it pulls inward/back, not just across. I’ll keep twisting knobs. This only happens with thinner softer leathers but I can’t totally solve the problem. I’ll keep trying.
Make sure the gap between the bell-knife and the drive stone is minimal. Like you can only slide a piece of paper in between them minimal. Also, the knife needs to be razor sharp! 9 times out of 10, problems are due to a dull knife.
I also used to use the leather guide oriented the way you have it. It works if you never work with leather thinner than 1mm. I realized that the guide works better with the point resting on the plate.
Thanks for posting this video, I've been considering a bell skiver for about a year now and your video definitely helps make that decision. On a side note, I was waiting for you to mention the sharpie technique 😉
Glad you got some value from my video! Being a machinist, you may notice the same issue I had with the stone bushing. Crappy manufacturing that was solved with a machined, concentric bushing! These Chinese made machines are OK at best...
@@MythLeatherCo it's always my gripe with these off shore machines, knowing first of all it's not exactly cheap to buy and then having to modify or tweak areas so it works the way I expect due to poor quality components.
@@rollingstockco8223 the alternative, pay 5x for the real McCoy that is made in Japan. It’s a trade off with this machine. Mine gets daily use, but not enough use to justify the expense... until it there is. 🙌🏼 gods luck, man! Assuming you’re lookin at the TechSew branded machine?
@@MythLeatherCo either techsew or 'global' from a company only an hour down the road. The machines are nearly identical other than of course the table and motor. This company also carries a brand called FAV, those machines are about double the price. It's funny, I ended up selling my techsew cylinder arm as I didn't love the machine.
@@rollingstockco8223 Go with the global from the local guys! All of these machines are made in the same Chinese factory, cloned after the Japanese made Nippy. TechSew has done a great job with marketing. A lot of artisans buy these machines because of this exposure with ‘big name’ leather crafters. I never understood importing a machine when you can find the exact same thing down the street for less... the only difference is a badge and a silly laser light... 🤣👍🏼
Thank You! I got lucky and found on ebay someone selling a cobra skiver an hour from my house so I grabbed it for $800. I had an idea of how the skiver worked but I wasn't happy with the results...watched your video and one thing, I had the tension spring too taught and as I would start a long skive the tension wasn't letting the feed stone move and I would get halfway through a skive and the flesk wough get caught and stop the blade from spinning...put it on the first notch and all of the sudden my skives got a little better.
Garth, I have to say that I've watched lots of videos on the bell skiver. This one has provided me with all the info I was missing. My machine is running better than it ever has, thanks to you. I have recommended it to my sewing machine guy. I have one question: when do you use the lever on the right...something about releasing the clutch?
Hi Eileen! Thank you so much! I’m glad you got some some value from our videos. 👍🏼 the lever on the far right engages, and disengages a the clutch that drives the sharpening stone wheel.
Hey Garth, I know its been awhile. My skiver arrives tomorrow from Techsew and I truly LOVED this videi, Skivera 101, so wheres 102? lol Thanks for all the educating you do!
Thank you for this video it is the only video I’ve found that show’s a person how to skive different ounces of leathers and dial the machine in to do what you need it to do. I do have a question, I have the Cobra NP4 and the person that helped me had me put a double bevel on the blade which I had a single bevel to start with from the factory I think. When I sharpen my blade in between jobs or when it gets dull can I sharpen it like you are showing here, this seems a lot easier than going through the long process to sharpen the blade. The help I’ve received the person had me put a double bevel on the blade and it just confused me if I needed to do this step every time to keep my blade sharpened or could I use the steps you’ve shown here to keep my blade sharp? I’m still learning my machine and it gets very frustrating when you have a bag to finish and you can’t get the bell skiver to work properly. After watching your video I feel like I understand a lot more about this machine than I did before. Any advice on the double bevel issue would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much Garth
@@tammyaltic2254 they must have backed off the blade to achieve the double bevel. Not quite sure why that was done. As long as you have the blade positioned horizontally close to the back side of the presser foot, you’ll be good. Sometimes you need to sharpen the blade several times during a large project. You’ll know when it gets dull by sound and the way the leather drags that you need to sharpen. If the machine starts to act funny, sharpen the blade and that normally fixes most of your issues. I wouldn’t be too concerned about the double bevel (I’d like to see a picture somehow)
Love your video, just got a Techsew SK-4 skiver basically identical to yours. Everything makes so much more sense now. Can I ask where you purchased your leather gauge please. Everything I find here is in mm rather that ounce. Thanks
thanks so much for posting this video. I've had my skiving machine for 7 years and have to mess with the settings every time I change the leather. the leather always gets stuck on the bell blade, which causes the drive belt to slip when i try and pull the leather through. I'm going to go right back and follow all your steps and see if i can get it right. I'm very grateful for the time you have put into this video
@@MythLeatherCo i now know that I wasn't sharpening my bell knife enough. So thank you for the tip...I still have the leather collecting up inside the bell knife and i'm not sure how to set the scrap ejector and where it should sit. Is it possible for you to take a photo of this and send it to me please. I would be so very greatful. I live in Western Australia and there is simply nobody that is an expert on skiving machine here. I hope to hear from you
Man, this was a lifesaver! Thanks for doing what the distributors didn't take time to do. My only question: where'd you get that sweet gauge? I've been looking for one for a while!
A lot of industrial sewing machine distributors don’t know anything about these machines. Send yours the link to my video. 🤣👍 • Thanks for watching. 💯 • buckleguy.com for the gauge. 👍
Thank you so much Garth for this video. I bought a skiver a year ago and I don't know much about it. I'm a little scared, but just watching you, I'm learning so far. I have a problem that the grinding wheel keep spinning when i am trying to skive the leather, Please can you tell me if that's normal or how can I adjust it?
Make sure the lever on the far right is in the UP position when you’re not sharpening the knife. It won’t hurt anything if it doesn’t disengage. Just back the wheel off to the stone isn’t touching the blade. I know makers that sharpen while they’re using the machine, and that’s fine as long as you don’t stop while the stone is touching the blade. This will cause a dull spot on your sharp edge. 👍
Hello, how are you, brother. I'm a buyer, the machine is now, and frankly, I've benefited a lot from you. You have already mastered his work, but I have a small question. Can you shoot a video of how to install the table and the motor?
Thanks, Mike. Yes, it’ll skive Veg. The setup needs a little tinkering l, but it will do it. Most of You’re talking really thick tooling leather or belt blanks... forget it.
Good evening, tell me, I may have a problem, the sharpening stone always spins, no matter what position the lever is in (top or bottom), what could be the problem?) If you know)
An amazing video which allowed me to fix my skiving machine - I battle a bit with feeding the leather through - it’s thinner so I use 2 hands. What about oiling/greasing the machine? My distributor is 1000kms away!! Thanks, Inge from EL in South Africa
Thank you for this video! I just found a brand new bell skiver identical to yours at a "bargain bin" store for a significant discount. What I purchased did not come with the motor or foot pedal. Are you able to do a video showing how to setup and assemble the unit to the table and the motor, or can you point me to somewhere I can find this information? Thank you!
You can mount it to any table and just provide a hole underneath for the flesh to eject from the knife area, and a slot for the belt. Another option - You might contact sunny sewing to see if they have a table ready to go.
Thank you so much! I bought a very nice two year old skiver from an upholstery shop. He gave me BAD instructions. Lol. All clear now, thank you! One question, I know all machines need oil. Do you have any vids on where to oil these?
Have you ever had a problem with the presser bar lifter popping up? Suddenly mine won’t stay down and I’ve taken it apart and can’t find anything wrong with the spring or anything else. The only way I can skive is by manually holding down the bar. Help!!
You can use these for full veg. Not that hard as a rock tooling leather, but your everyday high quality stuff is no problem. The difficulty comes into play when you want to flip back and forth between tanages. In this case, but another skiver 🤣👍
Hi Katrina! This is Shelby from Myth! We have successfully skived HOH leather and it skived really nicely. The only downside to HOH are the loose hairs that inevitably get everywhere, but that is mostly from cutting it. Hope that helps! ☺️
I have the consew bell skiver, your video is invaluable! thank you VERY much. I love it and have watched it at least 7 times. I even sent it forward to the distributor so they could distribute it to other buyer, like me, that have limited access to experts in my area. the one they sent me was significantly inferior. I have a few questions for you. as i run my leather thru the skiver, it's tripping up, getting stuck or bunching up on the lip (which follows) on the dark skiver cover. Do you have any advice for me? 2nd question: is there a trick to keep the top of the leather from being marked up by the foot?
Lisa LaManna you can buy a roller type foot that will help mitigate most of the marks. As far as the leather getting stuck, I’d have to see what you’re talking about. Can you send me a video? 😊
@@MythLeatherCo I can definitely try a roller foot. my consew came with the 50mm & 30mm foot. i have the video ready, i'm not sure how to upload it. my email is l_lamanna@msn.com. if you shoot me an email i can give you my cell and i can send it to you that way. Is there a better way?
Great video, thank you. In this video you mention that some day you would like to own a skiving machine made in Japan or Germany. What are the manufacturers of these machines? Are they less complicated to adjust? Michael from Canada
Hi, I will like to know where can I buy parts for my econosew skiving machine. I been researching and I can’t find anything.please help me with some info.
One other thing, can you please tell me where I can get the Metal Measurement Guide you were using in this video. I am sure it would be very helpful in my projects. Regards Ray
@@MythLeatherCo thanks so much. I'm having roller issues and the leather is not being pulled through. I originally thought i wasnt sharpening the blade correct, but after watching your video, im confident im doing that part correct! ;)
@@jayjohnson1440 you’re the second maker in two days that I’ve heard from with the exact same problem. What ‘brand’ skiver do you have? Is this a new problem? Change the setup recently?
Hello, can I ask what brand of bell knife do you use, my leather flow smooth through the blade., it pulls the leather towards the back and wants to eat it. So I was wondering if its some type of teflon coated blade or very good type of HSS steel or something. Thanks!!
@@antslife1089 I prefer the German Fortuna bell knives. However, don’t be afraid to sharpen the knife. I will sharpen 2-3 times per project. Some leathers are more abrasive than others.
Thank you for the quick response. I apologize, I mean the football shaped roller turns away from the blade. It turns counterclockwise instead of towards the blade. Is the coo?
I need a mechanical powered skiving machine. Is this the best bang for you buck? How much are these models and do you suggest a good place to purchase one?
All of these 801 style skivers are all the same. Chinese built clones that are imported and rebranded for various machine companies. Consew, TechSew, Cobra, Cowboy, Thor. The list is endless. For the majority of makers, yes. These machines are invaluable. As to where to buy one? Call around to your local industrial sewing machine companies and ask if they have bell skivers. (Save that shipping money) Often times they will carry them, but they don’t know diddly squat about them.. 🤣👍
On VegTan? If so, try taking a mallet and tapping the stitch line. That minimizes the marks. Truth is, there’s not much you can do about it. Once your project is done, you’ll never notice. Either that or hand stitch… but who has time for that nonsense….
@@mickhulme3768 not much you can do about it. Sometimes the marks will sort of rub out once you bring the oils back up. You might make sure that the foot is highly polished especially on the leading edge.
I've just received my Highlead and can't get this thing dialed in at all. I will have one successful skive, turn the adjustment for the presser foot 1/16th of a turn and then the machine proceeds to cut through the material. I've tried repeatedly to sneak up on it but there seems to be zero consistency with the adjustments. A successful skive, then I'll try again, making no adjustments and it won't even feed the leather through. I'm losing my mind lol.
@@MythLeatherCo Thanks for the reply, I never got a reply notification. I got it figured out. Apparently, the blade was super dull right out of the box. Sharpened and everything works great. Your video was extremely helpful, thank you.
@@StrokedTac ya, that’s typical for these things. The distributor should be tuning these machines before shipping them out. Truth is, most of them have zero clues about them. They just have the opportunity to sell another companion machine to standard industrial sewing machines.
I have a problem, the grinder is sharpening the blade but in the wrong place. It does so far inside, and not on the edge where it is supposed to do it. I Try to move the blade to the right, so that the grinder can do it at a better angle. But that is not enough yet. I want to know what I can do, if there is a way to move the grinder so that it can sharpen in the right place. Please if someone can help me 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Yes, if you look from under the machine, you’ll see one bolt that secures the grinding stone holder. Just loosen the bolt, slide the holder out a bit and tighten the bolt.