Grafting Knife

[CTMIAMI]

CT where do you get the Schick refills? Are they firm enough to use and hold an edge on things other than avocado?

I usually buy them on line or in a drugstore, some carry them.  http://www.drugstore.com/schick-injector-blades/qxp27404?catid=183778
I think they are appropriate for soft green wood. Specially in veneer grafting that you want a controlled slice off your root stock. On top working on water shoots,  they are very soft and this will slice very nicely.  Also on the terminal bud wood that is used in top working. its also soft   Also they hold the edge better and longer that even surgical blades. I agree is not good for everything but has its place in the arsenal.

[Patrick]

CT where do you get the Schick refills? Are they firm enough to use and hold an edge on things other than avocado?

I usually buy them on line or in a drugstore, some carry them.  http://www.drugstore.com/schick-injector-blades/qxp27404?catid=183778
I think they are appropriate for soft green wood. Specially in veneer grafting that you want a controlled slice off your root stock. On top working on water shoots,  they are very soft and this will slice very nicely.  Also on the terminal bud wood that is used in top working. its also soft   Also they hold the edge better and longer that even surgical blades. I agree is not good for everything but has its place in the arsenal.

I honestly bought an Xacto #2 handle per your recommendation months ago, just hadnt found the blades other than online!

[CTMIAMI]

CT where do you get the Schick refills? Are they firm enough to use and hold an edge on things other than avocado?

I usually buy them on line or in a drugstore, some carry them.  http://www.drugstore.com/schick-injector-blades/qxp27404?catid=183778
I think they are appropriate for soft green wood. Specially in veneer grafting that you want a controlled slice off your root stock. On top working on water shoots,  they are very soft and this will slice very nicely.  Also on the terminal bud wood that is used in top working. its also soft   Also they hold the edge better and longer that even surgical blades. I agree is not good for everything but has its place in the arsenal.

I honestly bought  an Xacto #2 handle per your recommendation months ago, just hadnt found the blades other than online!

I like the Excell brand  handle better. There are some drug stores in my area that have them but they a cheaper on line

[FlyingFoxFruits]

got a new knife from my buddy Wayne Clifton....it's a lot nicer than my other ones!

http://www.italpro.com/duebuoi/

the company that makes the knife is from Italy, and they're called Due Buoi (two bulls).  I'm really impressed...the knife has an Ox horn handle, and five rivets...I feel like I'm ready to slice and dice, and price.
 

[CTMIAMI]

I got two knifes from Ebay recently.
One is a Victorinox with two blades and a brass bark lifter. Nice price $18.95. Shipping included.  I this tool can be used for most grafting situations.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Victorinox-Swiss-Army-grafting-knife-w-2-blades-Brass-Grafting-Implement-/200887081468?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item2ec5cd99fc

The other is a hand made knife that is great for heavier bark grafting. The bark lifter alone is worth the cost $15.00. The knife came very sharp but after a few minutes with the fine diamond sharpener and  a while on the leather strop I can shave with it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200880491170?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[FlyingFoxFruits]

ctmiami,

I like your knives

carbon steel not stainless?  so is mine.

Wayne told me to force a patina on to the blade, by sticking it into a potato for a night.

he said it will help keep it from rusting badly and dulling out as quickly.

have u heard of such a trick??

[CTMIAMI]

No I have not heard. I would not worry about the carbon steel. I'm very clean with my knives I use alcohol all the time to keep them clean and disinfected. When I finish I clean them real well, dry them and use the leather strop with the super fine compound, that keeps them very clean.

[fyliu]

I use a duebuoi knife too. There was a group order for them and I had no knife so I joined in. It's not stainless but it stayed pretty sharp even though I haven't been treating it very well. I seem to micro-cut myself every time I do grafting.

How do you guys keep the knife handy while you're doing other things with both your hands? I normally stand next to the tree and it's a hassle to put the knife on the ground and then have to pick it up.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

fyliu,

to keep my hands free, I use my mouth as a hand.
Your mouth is generally cleaner than your hands, in terms of grafting cleanliness.

[Mr. Clean]

fyliu,

to keep my hands free, I use my mouth as a hand.
Your mouth is generally cleaner than your hands, in terms of grafting cleanliness.

I hope you are not grafting anything with poisonous sap.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

There is a way to hold scions with your mouth, without getting any sap on yourself.

Good point though Mr. Clean...of course the cleanliness guy would chime in on this subject. 

You can really mess yourself up with certain plants...mango being an obvious one, but even figs, and jaks can be bad.

[CTMIAMI]

Keep it simple.
I tie a loop on my roll of plastic tape and put it on my belt. I have several of the Home Depot small cloth apron used by carpenters  99 cents. There I Hold the knife and the bud wood with the tip already wrapped in parafilm and I move along the pots or trees.  I make the cut in the root stock first, them cut the bud wood so there is no need to put it in the mouth,  a very useful multi-use device. But if for some reason I need more than two hands I hold the bud wood on my mouth in the area wrapped in parafilm.

[fyliu]

Good method with stringing up the tape rolls. I was wondering what people do to keep everything close at hand. Maybe I should use a fanny pack or have a piece of Styrofoam to stick the knife into so I don't have to put it on the ground with the blade facing up.

Here's my process:
0. find matching rootstock branch and scion piece and cut both with pruner
1. wrap scion with parafilm
2. cut rootstock wedge and mist the cut with a spray bottle
3. cut scion wedge and fit it into rootstock
4. wrap with grafting tape and write a label on the tape

So the tools I need to keep handy are:
- pruner
- knife
- parafilm and tape rolls
- marker -- in pant pocket
- spray bottle -- hanging from a pant pocket

Maybe I should've started a new thread for this.

[CTMIAMI]

What do you spray? Water
Why do you need to spray water on the root stock after is cut? I would imagine you want undiluted sap to begin the healing process, can you share the benefits?  Open to learn something new.

Some times I wipe the root stock with alcohol before I cut it. I wipe my blade also after every use with alcohol, it keeps it clean and disinfected.

[fyliu]

It's just to keep it from drying out. It gets windy and dry here sometimes and I take my time whittling the scion to fit. I use filtered water just because it "feels" like it's better for the plant than tap water.

I have seen a very successful grafter moisten both sides of all his grafts with saliva and it worked really well for him. Or it could just be that he's perfected his cutting skills after 40 years and it had nothing to do with the spit.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I only clean my knife a few times, during the course of grafting 10 plants.  As long as they're the same species.

I keep an alcohol bottle and a paper towel...dumping some alcohol on the towel and wiping the blade and my hands as needed.

I'm careful to never touch rootstocks or scions open wounds with alcohol (as it can burn cambium).

[CTMIAMI]

Agree no alcohol on the open would.
Like you said a few post back. Timing on the bud wood, strength and vigor on the root stock are the two most important factors to take into consideration.  And even when you do every thing right the tree varieties some times don't like each other.  I'm having a very low rate grafting Lamb Hass on West Indies Root stocks. 

[FlyingFoxFruits]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-England-WS-Skelton-Sheffield-SILVER-FRUIT-KNIFE-JYC-Grafting-Knife-/381089597444?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58bab5c804

[Patrick]

That's funny Adam, Im always checking ebay for buys on grafting knives.  I have accumulated a number I am embarrassed to post.  The antiques have piqued my interest lately, nothing in this severe a price range though..

[FlyingFoxFruits]

That's funny Adam, Im always checking ebay for buys on grafting knives.  I have accumulated a number I am embarrassed to post.  The antiques have piqued my interest lately, nothing in this severe a price range though..

haha...we both browse the same sick stuff...

but i'm actually looking for the best deal on a decent knife...

i'm torn between a victorianox knife out of Taiwan (for about $20 with free shipping)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221463770842?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

or just one of the AM Leonard generic orange plastic handle knives, for $20 (with shipping)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301382737299?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


if the victorianox was out of the usa, i'd be less hesitant to purchase it.

i've had the am leonard knife before, and really liked it...

[ricshaw]

i'm torn between a victorianox knife out of Taiwan (for about $20 with free shipping)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221463770842?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I bought the Victorianox knife and like it.

Warning to people new to grafting: The right-hand knife is meant to "cut" towards you.  If right-handed and want to cut away from body, like whittling, buy a lefty.

I bought mine from a U.S. vendor.

[Mr. Clean]

Victorinox Grafting knife on Amazon for $17. 

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Florist-Grafting-Knife/dp/B0007LL4SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423971628&sr=8-1&keywords=victorinox+knife+grafting

Why not buy in the US and save $$$?

[fyliu]

I just found out the Victorinox "grafting" knives don't lock the blade while "better" grafting knives do. The AM Leonard one looks like it locks. Is that true?

[kh0110]

I just found out the Victorinox "grafting" knives don't lock the blade while "better" grafting knives do. The AM Leonard one looks like it locks. Is that true?

Which ones fyliu? Even Tina knives don't lock. Apparently, gardening knives makers don't think knife locking is useful. I know of only one that locks, and yet only manually, is Opinel knives.

[Patrick]

Nothing compares in quality to Tina knives.  The more expensive the better T605 and T640-10 are my favorites. They sharpen to a razors edge and feel awesome in use. I use a schick injector for budding and those for everything else.