blades for grafting

[Hagakure]

what blades are people using for delicate seedlings?

i have been using regular razor blades but remember someone mentioning the blades you buy for use in shavers etc.

[tonic]

For most small cacti work and things like that I use my Victorinox budding/grafting knife. I think it cost me about $30. I don't remember where I got it, I think someone got it for me. A good investment if you can get your hands on one.

[occidentalis]

Double sided razor blades are good, if unavailable single sided are OK.

[Evil Genius]

Hi Hagakure, I´m using a scalpel, razorblades or a Carpet Cutter! bye Eg

[Fugushi]

what blades are people using for delicate seedlings?

i have been using regular razor blades but remember someone mentioning the blades you buy for use in shavers etc.

I've just been using the single edged razors, double sided wilkins swords or for larger grafts I have a razor sharp paring knife. Been pondering buying a cheap cut throat razor and strop for grafts as it'd last a lifetime and cost about the same as 2 packs of wilkins swords.

By blades for use in shavers you mean the wilkins ? or buying disposable razors and breaking them open ?

I don't like the thinner blades as sometimes they bend slightly and the cut isn't all that straight.

[AndyAmine.]

I find the double edge blades are good for seedlings but for anything larger they can be a bit tricky because they have a gap in the middle where the handle attatches and it gets stuck in the flesh.,

[Dodie]

Got this blade from an old place I worked at.. twas brought over from japan, neat knife it is, great for just about any size cut.

[kadakuda]

i use my thin kitchen knife cleaned with alcohol. big? yes. clumsy? yes. work? yes. 100% so far

[Hagakure]

By blades for use in shavers you mean the wilkins ? or buying disposable razors and breaking them open ?

no idea. saw it in someones pic in an old post i think.

wasnt ripped out of a shaver by the looks of it so it could be these "wilkins swords" you refer to

will go to supermarket soon and grab some to try out.

im also wondering what shape blade is theoretically best for grafts. does a curved, crescent like blade give a straighter cut?

BTW dodie - the japs know how to make blades. your knife looks pretty cool. what was it originally for? never seen anything like it before.

[planthelper]

or buying disposable razors and breaking them open ?

I don't like the thinner blades as sometimes they bend slightly and the cut isn't all that straight.

haga asked what we use for "delicate seedlings"...

well, i do rip (bang a chisle in between the blade and the plastic) the blades out of throw away shavers and use them for grafting young seedlings. i like them because they are very thin, which sort of aids the job we do with them. and you get two out of a double blade razor, so one always uses a new one once they get a bit blunt. aswell using a new one avoids any contamination problems.

next up for bigger graft's, i use the box cutter.

for very big grafts, like gafting back the top section on a pedro stump, one would have to use a sharp knive with and evenly beveled edge.

i use methylated spirit to wipe down the blades before use.

during grafting, i use a mister to spray the blade "clean" once in a while.

[teonanacatl]

these are what i use, look on ebay.

[SaBReT00tH]

Hakure --> Go to woolworths in the city. Got some nice gentlemans Wilkinsons sword blades there. Cost a small fortune but they last for ages cause u can reuse them.

[GingaNinja]

probably a stupid question but where about can i find these double sided razor blades. Havent spotted them at woolies. maybe just not looking good enough??

[rahli]

probably a stupid question but where about can i find these double sided razor blades. Havent spotted them at woolies. maybe just not looking good enough??

I have found them at both woolies and coles in the shaver section

They come in a little white plastic case with a lable marked "10 Wilkinson sword"

They cost around $11.50 where I am, so around $1.15 each.

If you use them more then once make sure you clean it up good or you could comtaminate your graft.

Good luck.

[gamma.goblin]

by comparison sterile scalpel blades are about 20 cents from a pharmacist, is there a reason why razors are favoured?

[teonanacatl]

thinner and sharper.

[blangschpeer]

when I cut my seedlings I use a razor from a shaver, for larger lophs I was using a scalpel but that somehow disappeared after a foaf commented about how cool it looked...

For cutting through trichs I always use my "ninja" sword, it's thin, razor sharp, does virtually no damage to the vascular bundle, and just plain looks cool when you decapitate said cactus

[trucha]

Sterile surgical scalpels are ideal but should be changed often.

Get one with a beefy handle and changeable blades.

If they keep growing legs drill a hole in the handle and wire it to your work table. If that does not work connect the base of the wire to a livestock fence charger when not in use.

Lots of blade sizes are available. For tiny seedlings a #11 is great.

For large columns a heavy butcher knife works nice for a precut.

Trim the sides down making a high domed projected center and then let it heal some.

Once it is healed and the vascular tissues sticking out like stakes, then recut off the top half or so of the dome and graft onto it.

This looks nicer, cuts down on traspirational losses and prevents the vascular bundle from causing problems when the top heals.

Another useful trick is to make your slice on the stock but leave it in place while you prep the scion. That way you can make a fresh cut scion and immediately stick it on as fast as you can slip off the slice.

The latter is called the Bach Double-Cut technique.

The first part is called Yarrow's modification.

Both are named for the people who introduced them.

[Hagakure]

crushed the top of a disposable razor and bent the blade out. used it for a graft and it was really good. very thin flexible blade that cut without damaging the cells along side of the cut. the graft was successfull.

picked up some wilkinson swords and just tried another graft with those. felt pretty good. nice blades. fingers crossed another graft added to the collection.

cheers for the great advice all.