Need a grafting knife

[yoderjac]

Very nice! Mine was more a temporary tool to help train my muscle memory for grafting with a knife. Yours look more like a commercial tool. The problem I see with this kind of tool is that you still have to go back and cut the tongue by hand. For a high volume tool, you might think about a V or wedge type graft. I ended up buying a cheap Chinese knock-off hand grafting tool: https://growingfruit.org/t/zenport-generic-labled-grafting-tool/10511

The quality is poor, but it is fast and works pretty well with scions in the right diameter range. It can damage the cambium layer in softer wood if you are not careful. Two quick snips and you are done. The V is deep enough for the scion to hold well in place for taping. I use it when I have a good rootstock/scion diameter match now rather than W&T. For mismatched diameter situations, I've been doing the Z-graft by hand: https://www.fruitmentor.com/grafting-fruit-trees-step-by-step

You might want to take a look at the tool design in the thread I posted for the Chinese knockoff and see if it gives you any ideas.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[williams111]

One of the mods not pictured is a razor blade suspended off of the base board with 3 washers in order to cut the tongues. I'm not sure how effective it will be but I will certainly give it a shot and see how it performs. I have been looking at those cheap grafting tools for a while, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. How has your success been with the z graft? You must prefer that over a regular cleft graft with mismatched diameter situations?

 

[yoderjac]

One of the mods not pictured is a razor blade suspended off of the base board with 3 washers in order to cut the tongues. I'm not sure how effective it will be but I will certainly give it a shot and see how it performs. I have been looking at those cheap grafting tools for a while, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. How has your success been with the z graft? You must prefer that over a regular cleft graft with mismatched diameter situations?

I think you misunderstood my post. The z-grafts I'm doing are by hand. The tool only works with well match diameters. It has performed pretty will with good success rates. It is junky and parts fall off and I've needed to replace some rivets with machine screws and such. I'd give it a solid B rating for function but a D rating for tool quality. The nice thing about the hand held tool is that you can use it in the field.

 

[williams111]

I think you misunderstood my post. The z-grafts I'm doing are by hand. The tool only works with well match diameters. It has performed pretty will with good success rates. It is junky and parts fall off and I've needed to replace some rivets with machine screws and such. I'd give it a solid B rating for function but a D rating for tool quality. The nice thing about the hand held tool is that you can use it in the field.

I knew you meant you were doing the z grafts by hand, just curious why you chose that over the traditional cleft graft with mismatched scion/rootstock sizes? I haven’t heard much mentioned here regarding the z graft.

 

[yoderjac]

I had not heard much about it before I started trying it. I chose it because there is much more cambium contact increasing graft success.