What is this?

[bricol]

Any ideas what this is for? The tag on it says it is a Mill-Ward's Product, Mansfield. Possibly something to do with shoe making?

Adjustable in all sorts of directions - or it would be if it wasn't seized. Top disc is driven and seems to be rotary knife into the two rollers set close together.

Lower serrated roller is driven and is adjustable down onto the free running plain roller underneath it.

 

[rtbcomp]

From here

http://www.stickssn.org/site/media/Effective Collections/Master_Catalogue_Cobblers_Tools.pdf

Skiving machine Skiving machine – (also known as a ‘splitting machine’), cobbler’s, a power-driven machine which is used for splitting a hide into two separate layers . Made by ‘Fortuna’, 1930. From Archibald, cobbler’s shop, Byers Road, Glasgow, via the City Estates Department. COTSL:92:048:12; 92:048:13 Skiving machine – (splitting machine), cobbler’s, a hand-operated small metal-framed machine with wooden handle and geared rollers, one ridged, one plain, made by Mill-Ward, Mansfield. Length:352mm x width:290mm x depth:205mm. Used for splitting a hide into two separate layers or for thinning down a piece of leather. Inscribed: ’A Mill-Ward’s Product, Registered Office, 54 Nottingham Road, Mansfield, Notts’. NLC 2000/700

https://marketlavingtonmuseum.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/a-skiving-machine/

 

[gordon stephenson]

Saw something very similar, It was used as rtbcomp says, Mainly used i believe to skive (thin) the leather at the edges where two or more pieces were going to be stiched or glued together, Nice find it will look great cleaned up and everything free'd off.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

The depth of knowledge on here never ceases to amaze me.

 

[bricol]

Fantastic. Many thanks!

 

[octo0072000]

so the operator was a known skiver