Cold Uncapping Knife

[splitrock]

I just have to say that I am impressed with the cold uncapping knife I recently received. It worked incredibly well for me, much more so than I had expected.

So long, hot knives.

[flyboy]

Picture(s)

[GSF]

tell more. Where'd you get it, ect. One of the beeks in the association mentioned using one, said he loved it. From brushy mountains I think.

[troyin17331]

i am going to start using a heat gun

[GSF]

Troy, welcome to the forum.

I used one my last/first harvest. It changed the flavor a little bit. At first I was disappointed but then I grew to like it. I have some I used with and without a heat gun.

Suggestion- update your profile and put your general location in. A lot of beekeeping questions are location specific.

[splitrock]

Picture(s)

Couldn't take a picture while using it, but the comb looks like it was done with a hot knife. It actually handled and worked the same as the hot knife for me, as I always used a sawing motion while uncapping. Just takes a few frames to get the angle right so you are not shaving your frames a bit. It will bite into the wood if the angle is to steep.

Brand name is Jaro

[rober]

the last couple of years some stores have been selling watermelon slicing knives. they are similar to de-capping knives. when they were marked down to $3.00 I bought 3. I keep a pot of water on a hot plate & put all 3 knives in the pot. while de-capping I rotate knives so I always have a warm one ready. I've used cold knives but this works better & it's a lot cheaper than the heated knives which from the people I've talked to only have a average lifespan of 3 years.

[splitrock]

Hmmm. So you think they work better warmed up? I thought mine worked fine all day without so much as wiping it off, let alone warming it.

Maybe I should try it warmed too.

[Parksguyy]

I also purchased a cold knife ... last summer was my first experience with it.  Purchased it for under $30 compared to +$120 (Cdn prices).  Very impressed with it, just keep a container of hot water nearby and it makes small work of uncapping.  I can not see spending the money on a hot knife!  I purchased mine from Propolis in Carleton Place, ON ... the parent company is based in Montreal, QC

[rober]

these are similar to what I'm using. at $3.00 per knife you can't go wrong. the price at Aldi's right now is $6.00. heating them makes the job easier.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=watermelon+knives

[Hotburn76]

I have some of the watermelon knifes you are talking about, I plan on trying it.  Also, this is my 30th post! I can post a pic now, I hope!

[sc-bee]

Ok dumb question as I have never used an uncapping knife except one electric years ago. My freind has a chain uncapped. You talk about putting the knife in warm water .... here is the dumb question. Then wipe it off I guess? If not would the extra moisture not get in the honey? What a pain....

[rickvv]

I bought a cold knife from MannLake when I first got started 4 years ago. Over the past two harvests, we extracted with a friend at a small-commercial honey house, where she used a hot plane device...
This year I extracted our own (with our new extractor, yay!), and used the cold knife.
Got it hot in a pan of hot water, wiped it dry with a quick swipe on a towel, and then drew it down across the and along the frame with a sawing motion.
I agree that it took a frame to get the angle right, and I did mess up one or two frames, when the comb came up off of the foundation.
But for $20 or $100...this one seemed to do me fine. Maybe when I grow over 20 hives, I'll go electric (like Dylan in '65) and it will save some time.
rickvv
Minnesota

[jayj200]

We bought our extractor too

we used the capping fork this year. this is so much easier than using a knife. the reason we chose the fork is.

this makes small pieces of wax that will not hold much honey. the knife takes a lot of honey.

last year we did cut off the caps this was way messier than small caps.

I plan on making a  screen basket to put in the extractor and then spin the capping more.

any cappings that get down into the extractor flush out with the honey larger pieces get stuck in

 the bottom.

the capping melt down to clean wax

[splitrock]

I bought a cold knife from MannLake when I first got started 4 years ago. Over the past two harvests, we extracted with a friend at a small-commercial honey house, where she used a hot plane device...
This year I extracted our own (with our new extractor, yay!), and used the cold knife.
Got it hot in a pan of hot water, wiped it dry with a quick swipe on a towel, and then drew it down across the and along the frame with a sawing motion.
I agree that it took a frame to get the angle right, and I did mess up one or two frames, when the comb came up off of the foundation.
But for $20 or $100...this one seemed to do me fine. Maybe when I grow over 20 hives, I'll go electric (like Dylan in '65) and it will save some time.
rickvv
Minnesota

I run just under 100 hives, and there is no more speed with a hot knife, in fact from what I ave seen I was slower with the hot knife. Mine is hooked up to an old foot operated automobile light dimmer switch for easy off and on, every it is turned off it takes a little time to let it warm again.

[BeeMaster2]

I tried the electric knife the first time I extracted at an experienced beeks place. It did not work that well and it caramelized the honey. We use a cold knife without the water, no problems. I would not want to use water, you could constantly be adding water to the honey.
After reading this thread I was wondering if one of those new counter top induction stoves with the variable controls would work to heat up the knife to the right temperature. If anyone has one and tries it, let us know.
Jim