Fruit Tree Grafting? Which Knife?

[JD Spydo]

There is a radio show I've been listening to on the internet on Republic Broadcasting and it's a show about rural survival and they cover many interesting topics. Well today they were discussing "Fruit Tree Grafting" along with some other food production subjects. There was a really wise old man I used to work for and he was constantly grafting his apple trees and he got some really delicious results. I never really watched him do it because most of the time I was really busy when I was working for him.

At this time I own two Victorinox Grafting knives that I got about 10 years ago but I'm wondering if that is the best option? Just looking at the job at hand it seems to me that a plain edged wharncliffe type blade would be ideal for "Fruit Tree Grafting". I'm just wondering if any of you guys & girls who live in the country and have fruit trees as to what type of knife you all would use for that type of cutting job?

One of my Victorinox Grafting folders has a plain edged sheepsfoot blade. It seems to me like the cleaner the cut you make the better results you would have. But that's the reason I'm putting it up for discussion because I know little about fruit trees and their maintenance. So which type of knife ( and you can include manufacturer's names) do you all like to use for that type of job? Or is this a job that a Spyderedged blade might do well?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

JD, what if you use a Spyderco Chaparral for this?

[JD Spydo]

JD, what if you use a Spyderco Chaparral for this?

That's an interesting choice for a lot of reasons. Two Spyderco models that I feel would be ideal for Fruit Tree Grafting are the fixed blade SWICK model and the plain edged MARINER or RESCUE models in the folder.

Based on the design that Victorinox has for their grafting knives I would also suggest one of the Calypso models as well. It looks to me that a full flat grind knife blade might have some key advantages in that type of cutting job IMO.

[xceptnl]

I would think a small pruning style blade (wharncliffe) in PE or a similar hawkbill would be the best.

Superhawk
USN Ladyhawk
PE Tasman hawkbill.
Wharncliffe Delica.

[Mako109]

I know little about it but always had an interest. Watched a few vids and looks like the Victorinox is the most popular for home use and smaller jobs. You might like to check out the video of this guy who does this sort of thing for a living on a commercial scale for some insight...

https://youtu.be/DofiAivDmVw

[Bloke]

I’d be inclined to think the little Roadie would make a handy little grafting knife. :)

[ChrisinHove]

Victorinox do loads!

I would imagine any French makers as well - the French knife shops always seem to have loads, unsurprisingly.

[The Deacon]

If I were going to do it, I'd reach for my Tom Krein reground FFG jigged bone Kiwi. Thin blade, fine tip, and VG-10 steel which was originally formulated especially for budding and grafting.

[awa54]

My co-worker grafted several scions on to two of my crab apple trees, he used a ZDP-189 Manbug.

[spyderg]

[JD Spydo]

If I were going to do it, I'd reach for my Tom Krein reground FFG jigged bone Kiwi. Thin blade, fine tip, and VG-10 steel which was originally formulated especially for budding and grafting.

That's interesting that you mention the "KIWI" model. It's a bit of a smaller blade than I personally would prefer but I bet you could do 85% of all grafting jobs with that model. I was just thinking the other day that the KOPA model which was also popular about the same time that the KIWI was would also be a nice pick for that blade size.

BLOKE's pick of the "ROADIE" is also an interesting pick. DEACON I'm surprised you didn't mention the PE MARINER or one of the other older stainless sheepsfoot, plain edged model Spyders that you have so many of. I had a MARINER in SE for quite some time but I was never ever able to locate a PE version of the MARINER and I still think that could have been about perfect.

I'm also still wondering if any of the Spyderedged models might be good for a job like that? Because some of those fruit trees have really hard wood>> especially cherry trees.

[Crux]

I really gave this a lot of thought and I think the Para 3 would work best.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Would you all suggest the use of plain and serrated-edged H1 stainless steel knives such as the Salt 2 Wharncliffe, Tasman and Pacific and even Atlantic Salts and DragonFly Salt for people to use for these tasks?

[JD Spydo]

Would you all suggest the use of plain and serrated-edged H1 stainless steel knives such as the Salt 2 Wharncliffe, Tasman and Pacific and even Atlantic Salts and DragonFly Salt for people to use for these tasks?

Glad you brought that up SEF because that's kind of one of the main reasons I put this thread up. Because I'm convinced that some of Spyderco's SE models would truly be great for a grafting/budding job on fruit trees and possibly ornamental trees as well.

Not sure if they do grafting or budding on fruit vines or not but if someone knows for sure I wish they would give us the scoop on that one.

For most jobs that I encounter anymore I'm finding that longer blades seem to suit my needs the best. Which is why I'm looking at blades in the size range of the RESCUE and the old Mariner models for possible choices for this type of job?

[Tdog]

K09 for me.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

What would you say to someone who uses a tanto knife for fruit tree grafting and pruning ?