A sheet item feeder comprising: at least three surfaces consisting of: - at least one circulatable feeding surface (6; 106; 206) of which at least a portion (7; 207) faces in a first direction transverse to a support plane (3; 203) for frictionally engaging a sheet item (23; 223) from a stack (4; 204) and is movable in a feeding direction (28; 228) transverse to said first direction in the course of the circulation for exerting traction to that sheet item (23; 223); and - at least one separation surface (19, 20; 119; 219) of which at least a portion faces in a second direction opposite to the first direction for frictionally engaging the sheet item (23; 223) or an entrained next sheet item from the stack (4; 204); - wherein, in a lateral direction transverse to the feeding direction (28; 228) and to the first and second directions (8, 22), at least the at least one feeding surface (6; 106) is located between two of the separation surfaces (19; 119) or the at least one separating surface (20; 119) is located between two of the feeding surfaces (6; 106) for engaging the sheet item (23; 223) and the entrained next sheet item between the feeding surface (6; 106; 206) and the separating surface (19, 20; 119; 219) in laterally staggered positions; characterized in that, - at least the separating surface (19, 20; 119) has a resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135) laterally adjacent to the feeding surface or at least one of the feeding surfaces (6; 106), the resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135) being more resilient than a stiff zone (31, 32; 131, 136) of the separating surface (19; 119) more remote from the laterally adjacent feeding surface or surfaces (6; 106) than the resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135). at least three surfaces consisting of: - at least one circulatable feeding surface (6; 106; 206) of which at least a portion (7; 207) faces in a first direction transverse to a support plane (3; 203) for frictionally engaging a sheet item (23; 223) from a stack (4; 204) and is movable in a feeding direction (28; 228) transverse to said first direction in the course of the circulation for exerting traction to that sheet item (23; 223); and - at least one separation surface (19, 20; 119; 219) of which at least a portion faces in a second direction opposite to the first direction for frictionally engaging the sheet item (23; 223) or an entrained next sheet item from the stack (4; 204); - wherein, in a lateral direction transverse to the feeding direction (28; 228) and to the first and second directions (8, 22), at least the at least one feeding surface (6; 106) is located between two of the separation surfaces (19; 119) or the at least one separating surface (20; 119) is located between two of the feeding surfaces (6; 106) for engaging the sheet item (23; 223) and the entrained next sheet item between the feeding surface (6; 106; 206) and the separating surface (19, 20; 119; 219) in laterally staggered positions; characterized in that, - at least the separating surface (19, 20; 119) has a resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135) laterally adjacent to the feeding surface or at least one of the feeding surfaces (6; 106), the resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135) being more resilient than a stiff zone (31, 32; 131, 136) of the separating surface (19; 119) more remote from the laterally adjacent feeding surface or surfaces (6; 106) than the resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135). - at least one circulatable feeding surface (6; 106; 206) of which at least a portion (7; 207) faces in a first direction transverse to a support plane (3; 203) for frictionally engaging a sheet item (23; 223) from a stack (4; 204) and is movable in a feeding direction (28; 228) transverse to said first direction in the course of the circulation for exerting traction to that sheet item (23; 223); and - at least one separation surface (19, 20; 119; 219) of which at least a portion faces in a second direction opposite to the first direction for frictionally engaging the sheet item (23; 223) or an entrained next sheet item from the stack (4; 204); - wherein, in a lateral direction transverse to the feeding direction (28; 228) and to the first and second directions (8, 22), at least the at least one feeding surface (6; 106) is located between two of the separation surfaces (19; 119) or the at least one separating surface (20; 119) is located between two of the feeding surfaces (6; 106) for engaging the sheet item (23; 223) and the entrained next sheet item between the feeding surface (6; 106; 206) and the separating surface (19, 20; 119; 219) in laterally staggered positions; characterized in that, - at least the separating surface (19, 20; 119) has a resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135) laterally adjacent to the feeding surface or at least one of the feeding surfaces (6; 106), the resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135) being more resilient than a stiff zone (31, 32; 131, 136) of the separating surface (19; 119) more remote from the laterally adjacent feeding surface or surfaces (6; 106) than the resilient zone (29, 30; 129, 135).