Got one for $38 off eBay. Not rock bottom, but good enough. We’ll see.
I’ve purchased from the other two large Chinese sites, (Deal Extreme and Bang Good) without any issues. They have a more traditional buying experience. But I agree, I’m not giving any of those companies my personal credit card number.
For those that are queezy about purchasing from the china sites you can get the tool through Amazon with free shipping for $29.99
https://www.amazon.com/Sokey-Oversize-Grafting-Exercent-Branches/dp/B06XMZHMC9/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1512472518&sr=8-6&keywords=grafting+tools
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Prepaid credit cards are a great way to purchase from places where trust is an issue. Just load whatever amount you like without worries.
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I used the Aliexpress link Dax provided to get some extra blades. I went ahead and used my credit card. I have a designated credit card for sites I think might be a higher security risk. About once every year or two, I have to get a new card because someone is trying to make fraudulent purchases with the card.
Since I have no scheduled reoccurring payments on that card, it’s no big deal if I have to get a new card. I’ve never had to pay for any fraudulent charges (yet) but I monitor the charges on that card pretty closely.
I ordered this one too from Amazon. Like Jesse, I will compare the two and return 1 eventually.
I completely agree with the whole conversation I missed while being out of town.
I bought the blades using paypal from the same link. I can’t comment any further.
Looks like there’s plenty of options for the tool especially… but the blades are pricier if not ordered directly from China.
Regards,
Dax
I bought a couple extra sets of blades and wonder how hard they would be to sharpen them up. Have you used yours enough to have them need sharpening?
I’ve been buying replacements for my Topgrafter (the expensive version of this tool.)
For Christmas I’m getting the Ken Onion Edition Work Sharp Sharpener. It’s versitle enough to sharpen curved edges and sharpens just about anything.
https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-Repeatable-Sharpening-Multi-Positioning/dp/B00EJ9CQKA
Dax
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Jem,
Using a prepaid card offers a little protection in that your personal card number is not provided but they are a pain for small amounts. Also, they are not really credit cards and don’t offer the same levels of protection. The reason I like Paypal is that the first line of dealing with an issue is with AliExpress. If that doesn’t work, Paypal can reverse the transaction. If that doesn’t work, the credit card tied to paypal can be disputed if not product was delivered. Some credit cards also extend the manufacturers warranty as well.
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All good points.
Received mine today and did some test cuts in fig wood.
No calibration done. Straight out of the box.
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Nothing not to like there. Looks great.
Dax
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I shop Aliexpress a lot. I mean a lot a lot. Way to much. Seeds are always a crap shot but honestly the only problem I have had with any vendor are the ones in Malaysia, on a few occasions they mislabeled the product and it got confiscated by customs. So I just avoid Malaysian vendors.
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I also received the aliexpress Generic Grafting tool.
It looks nearly identical to the Amazon grafting tool but somehow it seemed a bit lighter. Also the anvil seemed to be a bit crooked. (calibration needed to be done)
I put both of them on the kitchen scale and it was confirmed: The Amazon version was 660g and the Aliexpress version was around 500g.
I think the functionality is nearly identical, I was able to make equally good cuts with both. (I had to calibrate the Aliexpress version first) So I think you can shop safely by price. The Amazon version just seems a bit better made. But I am splitting hairs here.
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Very Interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised if another one bought from either Amazon or Aliexpress had different weights.
Just sayin’
Dax
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The two versions. The one with reddish tint has steel anvils which is why it is heavier. Otherwise
identical.
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I’ll be damned.
Thank you,
Dax
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I looked at the tools more carefully. I am now convinced that there are more differences that can make a small difference in the quality of cut.
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The blade is more precisely aligned to the anvil in the red tool. It is almost as precise as a scissor cut. With soft wood materials (say fig wood), this means less flexure of the wood. The aluminum anvil is somewhat rough cast and less precisely aligned to the angle of the blade. This can cause the wood to flex slightly as the blade cuts through the wood. This means less precise cut. This might be what @Austro_PawPaw was seeing.
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The blade appears a bit thinner. Yes, surprising, there appears to be a manufacturing difference between blades on the two products.
There are other superficial differences in the packaging and the handle pattern etc.
If interested I can post photos. I am a first class nitpicker 
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I like being a nitpicker.
Thanks a lot,
Dax
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