Field or bench grafting. Stan.
It doesn’t take much pressure to make the cuts, guys. It’s all very smooth action.
Dax
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Dax,
One thing I’m wondering about is how well the grafts stay together in high wind? I notice (sort of like the omega tool) there isn’t much long contact where the scion/rootstock meet. When I make grafts, I depend on the “longness” of the graft union to offer some stability in wind. Any thoughts?
Also can you share what kind of success rates you’ve had with the top grafter? And whether these rates would be inside vs. outside field grafts?
Thanks.
Wind won’t be much of a problem if you use electrical tape and add a bird perch. I hear you though. Wind will take more of these grafts than bark grafts.
Success rates are super if you do the aftercare right for bench grafting. We’re easily talking 80% on the low end but 90% is more towards the correct #.
Field grafting more about 75% I would guess. Now I’m grafting trees near 1" caliper with my tool many-many times. So I’m accounting for that. My tool isn’t made to handle that caliper of pecan/hickory - really dense wood’s. If I was using it solely for 1/2" or 3/8" I’d believe I’m back to 85-95%.
Dax
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I don’t know if I agree that this graft would be any weaker. No graft is physically strong. Difference in graft strength, if any, would be minimal at best and of no material difference (imo )
It’s the wrapping and any supporting “splint” that we choose to use that gives any strength to the graft.
The clean precise cut and the fit we get with the tool should more than make up for any weakness.
The cut is straighter and cleaner than most of us can get using a grafting knife . The angle of the cuts on both scion and wood it’s being grafted onto are a perfect match.
Also, the tool’s perfectly clean cut makes for much better cambium contact than we get when we cut manually. I’ve become a better whittler as I’ve learned to graft.
So… I would not let fear of graft weakness keep me from using this tool.
Mike
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I can’t say I know for sure my percentages outdoors. I’m always grafting at peoples farms/forestry projects where my friend and I are turning their seedling trees into cultivars of pecans/hickory mainly and a few persimmons along the way.
At a lake that’s open/subject to extreme winds, grafts of all kinds have blown out. When you’re messing around with big scions and doing 3-flap or 4-flap or bark grafts… I would say the strongest grafts up high are going to be bark grafts before 3 and 4 flaps.
For sure electrical tape helps. Grafts wrapped with heavy duty budding strips will blow out more frequently. Mike makes a lot of valid points about this cutting instrument. It’s quite excellent…
Furthermore, If I was going to start an orchard with 1/2" caliper stock or less of densely wooded species, I would use this tool, solely except where I could do a quick whip and tongue on more thin stock. I really like to use whip and tongue on pencil or less pecans. It’s fast, efficient, and actually faster than using that tool to me.
A guy from South Africa wrote to me years ago and was in the process of beginning a Macadamia orchard. He had all his seedlings in place and asked if I recommended either the Fieldcraft Topgrafter or those scissor tools I like to call them from Scionon. I told him to get a Fieldcraft Topgrafter. He had I think somewhere near 1000 trees to graft. All must of went well. He had never grafted a single tree in his lifetime. Somehow he found me and I believe it was thru youtube.
It’s a great tool. I can’t say more good about it.
Dax
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One more modification and this tool will be at it’s best.
If you cut thicker than 1/2" wood the square opening above the blades will crush the top of the scion/bang it up good. I’m posting a photo how to remedy this. A Dremmel or some other grinding tool to make a rounded arch just less than 1/4" will do it.
@danchappell @MES111 @Stan
@ltilton @txpanhandle1 @Olpea
@at120 @markalbob
Dax
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Great tip.
Thanx
Mike
That’s a nice looking tool, I may have to invest…since my grafting didn’t go so well this year.
Even my buddy who’s been grafting for 40-years uses it. We were grafting pawpaws a couple days ago… some remnant scions I had leftover and some so skinny it was humorous… and that tool could shave off two sides on these 1/8" scions nearly 1/2" long. It’s really remarkable…
He commented that he thought he wouldn’t like it or get any use from it initially, but that his thoughts have changed 100%.
Not much more I can say is there?
Dax
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I never bothered with trying a tool, mostly because of the price and sized matched scion and rootstock is not a high percentage of my grafting. However, for this price, I couldn’t resist adding a new tool to my grafting bag. Based on some of the risk stated in the original post, I bought through Amazon. Shipping prediction had it arriving between June 2nd and 23rd. Just received it today. Haven’t had a chance to use it yet. Looks pretty much as described in this thread.
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My friend lost his in the forest we think. 
I thought I lost my knife today and after pulling weeds for 20 minutes and scouring the ground with both my eyes and my feet, I later found it in my nail belt under my bud strips… I never put it there! Okay, usually never… I couldn’t find it again after I found it and it was back in the same compartment, LOL. And I thought my friend was absent minded all day prior!!!
Do remember that the bark is slipping really hard this late and to get the best results the rootstocks or trees in the field shouldn’t be anywhere this far along. I finally put my 450$ tool away today after numerous gouges in bark.
Have fun.
Dax
Awesome, Dax!
Does the cut work even for differing sized scion vs stock?
Assuming you line up the “clean” side, that is.
Which side of the cut is the “clean” side? From what I have read about most of these tools, one side of the cut is very nice and clean, and the other side is a bit jagged.
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This tool makes pretty clean cuts on both sides vs. my 450$ tool.
Just line up one side carefully with varied sized pieces precisely and tie it together, B.
Dax
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Good question.
@BambooMan @BG1977
You buy replacement blades for either. For the less expensive tool they’re like 10 or 12 bucks. For mine they’re like 80$.
Dax
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Looks like you could sharpen inside the curve with extra fine wet dry sandpaper wrapped around a dowel. just mark the bevel with a sharpie and work towards the edge gradually so you don’t round it over.
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My blades eventually get chips in them so I use them until they can’t go anymore. Just saying that’s all.
You may be a much better sharpener than I @hoosierbanana
Dax
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If you touch them up every now and again that should help with the chipping. What happens on very sharp edges is little bits of soil (rock hard particles) end up actually embedded in the edge, each time you use it after that the hard bits get driven deeper and dings form and then cracks and chips. But just a light sharpening can remove those hard particles as long as it is done before they get deep and cause visible dings.
I have gotten lots of practice on curved blades from owning a few spoon knives like this.
It does take some practice, and marking the edge is critical at first to know exactly where you are hitting. Those knives are cheaper than the replacement blades though! Maybe try it out on some old ones if you still have any.
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I do have old blades. I’ll give it a shot. Thanks a lot, Brent. Dax