My New Experimental Grafting Knife

13 years ago

I just on a whim bought a very nicely made, sturdy, stainless steel wooden-handle knife with a blade like a grafting knife (straight blade, curved back). It is slightly larger, maybe a 2-inch blade. It was labeled "onion knife" at a very well stocked Korean grocery store. It cost $2.99!!

I have a couple decent grafting knives but this looked useful for the harder cuts. Given the very nice quality and bare minimal price, it will be proudly used on onions if it doesn't work out well for grafting, though I don't see why that would be.

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Comments (6)

Scott F Smith
13 years ago
Is it sharpened to a bevel? You need a beveled knife for grafting. That means one side of the knife you sharpen completely flat and the other side has an angle on it. You need the completely flat side to make clean cuts. If its beveled thats a good deal!

Scott
gonebananas_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
I had thought of that, and no it does not, yet.

Given that everything from box cutter knives to pocket knives are minimally suitable, this attracted me by its sturdiness and appropriate blade shape, even if the edge shape is not the best. I'll try it as it is first, but then bevel it to one side myself. The edge does not extend back far at all (not even a full 1/16th inch by the look of it) so this task should not be too extensive.
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I wrap them with parafilm first. Parafilm stretches, starting at the base and work your way up. Stretch and wrap, stretch and wrap. Next you need a really sharp knife when you make your two wedges. You don't need much width of cambium on your wedge, so that you don't leave a wide space. If the space is too wide your graft might dry-out. After your sion is in place i wrap the rootstock with clear film, try to wrap it as tight as you can so that the gap is almost gone, after that i use parafilm starting down and cover the whole graft so that no moisture can seep-in. You don't need more than 2 buds on the sion. When successful and have two buds growing you don't need the bottom one. You want only one going straight-up then trim it the following spring to start your lateral branches.
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marc5
13 years ago
Scott,
Help me understand grafting knives. They are beveled on only one side, apparently to aid in making a clean cut. However, I have watched experienced grafters use such a knife, but use BOTH sides of the knife....ie cutting toward them and then away from them. This seems to complete defeat the purpose of the single bevel system.

I would consider myself only a "budding" grafter--sorry for the pun. Also a cheapskate, I rely on a utility knife with a disposable razor blade. It seems to work for me.

Marc
Scott F Smith
13 years ago
Marc, if someone is using it to cut away from them, they must be very experienced since the knife is working strongly against them. If you are cutting toward yourself with a grafting knife the flat part of the blade faces the wood, and as the cut gets longer the flat blade rests perfectly flat along the wood and helps guide the progress of the cut by the alignment with the already-cut flat surface. Basically, it makes it super easy to make a very flat cut and if you have two flat cuts you get great stock/scion alignment. If you are cutting away you only have the short bevel area against the wood and unless your hands are very good the knife will wobble up and down and you will get a jagged cut.

Scott
marc5
13 years ago
Scott, OK I see how the bevel would be a help cutting toward you, flat side against the wood. But what if you are standing over a small rootstock doing chip budding? I'm not sure how you could avoid making the cut down toward the ground to create the chip. In that case wouldn't the bevel be against the wood?
Scott F Smith
13 years ago
I sit on the ground to do mine. This is probably one reason why T budding is far more common than chip budding.

Scott

My New Experimental Grafting Knife

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Scott F Smith

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My New Experimental Grafting Knife

Comments (6)

Scott F Smith

gonebananas_gwOriginal Author

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Scott F Smith

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