Time for a debate ? I've settled on a good straight-edge paring knife for
my grafting. Partly because I've lost every pocket- & utility-knife I've
ever owned, and partly because kitchen knives are what I use for everything
else-- hence, I know how their edges will cut. But note I make just one
long cut on the scion and another matching (well, mostly matching) cut on
the rootstock. No back-cuts down the middles.
And I advise the newbies to go out and practice grafting on neutrally
desireable things, just to practice technique and get the feel of the tools.
And have fun.
tc
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
Reply-To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] grafting safety
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 09:35:38 -0700
A good grafting knife has an edge that is beveled on one side only. If you
re-grind the edge with the bevel on the other side, you should be able to
use it easily with much less danger of cutting yourself. Having the bevel
facing the right way makes cutting much smoother and safer. I can get
decent, wooden handled grafting knives for about $5.00, cheap enough to risk
muffing it in the regrinding.
-Lon Rombough
To answer those who cannot understand why anyone cuts themselves while
grafting......
I'm left handed. The world and all its instructions are backwards to me.