A new season of grafting begins - and the blood flows

[cavey]

I kid you not, this is how I start my grafting season, thee first cut... and I have a 100 more to do when I get home. I thought I would warm up with some field grafting. Well my little Tina bites.... So......You ever notice how all those guys orchard grafting have duct tape wrapped around certain fingers...arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg Happens once a year whether I need it or not. Brought back memories on my first attempt a few years back, two back to back thumb cuts... same deal, first couple cuts drew blood.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Ouch... I am such a weenie when it come to clean cuts, especially on my fingers. that pic gives me goose bumps!!! That said, I'll be grafting tomorrow - probably with that a duct taped thumb. Yeeech...

 

[Prof.Kent]

I don't mean to brag.... but I have grafted 100's of trees and never cut myself. I'm just careful ... or a big sissy.
I did once jam a 6" fillet knife into my shine bone and bend the tip over at 45 degrees. But it was dark. A freak accident. Good thing it hit the bone too or it would have gone right through my leg. Maybe I'm knife proof?

 

[cavey]

Maybe I'm knife proof?

Lets hope so; lol I hope you didnt just jinks yourself! Oh it happens fast; I was just careless and wasn't thinking about how sharp I have my knife and where my thumb was - I have a pretty good technique (when I use it) and have done hundreds between getting cut. The post is really just a reminder to think about the first few cuts, not so much the scion but more on how your holding the knife and your stop point and not having your thumb up. I have my Tina honed to a surgical razor kind of sharp and I passed through the wood like butter.. I got cocky and forgot how wicked the knife was. It could have been worse - Really its just a tiny cut, and a little blood letting is good right?... but its going to suck with having wet dirty hands doing the rest of the grafts. I wouldn't have cared if it was on my last graft, but it had to be on one of the first.

I honestly think I would rather have a 2" gash with a dull knife than a 3/4" cut with a sharp knife...

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Hey Cavey look at the bright side you still have 10 fingers lol