uncapping comb

[GRIZZLY]

Which is best ? Large knife or uncapping fork.?. for uncapping. I've used both and find I get less "siickied - up" using a fork.

[fatshark]

I've used a knife but abandoned it for a hot air gun. A quick pass melts the caps and no major stickiness issues. Also great on uneven comb. Of course, if you want the cappings for high quality candles you can ignore all this. An additional advantage of a hot air gun is there is less wax to clog the filter(s).

[mbc]

Depends what the goals are, if your goal is to quickly harvest the honey and also leave the supers ideally set up for using again then a knife followed by a fork for depressions is best IMHO

[Trog]

I use a serrated bread knife (for some odd reason it has a couple of prongs on the end so may have been intended as a carving knife but the prongs are handy for any cappings I miss as I cut) as I need good quality cappings fork handles.

[lindsay s]

as I need good quality cappings fork handles.
Trog I think that you've been watching that Two Ronnies sketch again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz2-ukrd2VQ

[The Drone Ranger]

I've used a knife but abandoned it for a hot air gun. A quick pass melts the caps and no major stickiness issues. Also great on uneven comb. Of course, if you want the cappings for high quality candles you can ignore all this. An additional advantage of a hot air gun is there is less wax to clog the filter(s).



I recently proved I am a danger to myself and anyone else when cut loose with a hot air gun
The ham slicing knife worked well when kept warm
I use an electric uncapping knife these days
It was a bit dear though

[GRIZZLY]

I recon the ham carving knife is the best -but I still get clagged up.

[Trog]

Trog I think that you've been watching that Two Ronnies sketch again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz2-ukrd2VQ

Any excuse - I knew someone would post the link ;)

[The Drone Ranger]

I recon the ham carving knife is the best -but I still get clagged up.

You can fill a flask with boiling water and stand the knife in it between operations
A little dry off on kitchen paper then its a hot knife through butter :)

[drumgerry]

That right there is what I do DR! Works a treat. Could really use an electric uncapping knife though.

[Neils]

I use a serrated bread knife (for some odd reason it has a couple of prongs on the end so may have been intended as a carving knife but the prongs are handy for any cappings I miss as I cut) as I need good quality cappings fork handles.
I use a "flat" bread knife dumped in a jug of hot water in between cappings. given the prongs, I think we use the same thing, the serrated bread knife I have would decimate combs.

[GRIZZLY]

Thornes supply a really good flat uncapping knife which normally costs about 10.00 pounds but which they sell for a fiver during their periodic sales, The blade is scalloped along its length which helps it to glide just under the cappings. Its also quite long. I've got an expensive electric thermostatically controlled heated knife which I find clumsy to use so have retired it to a cupboard. The double edged "kitchen devil" is an ok knife but rather short. My all time favourite was a long ham knife which has now worn out over 40 years and for which I can't find a replacement.

[Trog]

I should have described my knife as scalloped rather than serrated, sorry. I use it cold, with the frame at a slight angle, propped on a piece of wood across a roasting tin. Works fine; I just scrape it on the side of the roasting tin to clear any adhering cappings, or run a table knife along it once I've handed my 3 uncapped frames to the chief handle-turner.