Uncapping Knives

[Creamhorses]

Thanks for all the good info about this method.

Not sure what I'll do next year.  Maybe I'll win the lottery and pony up for the popular planer.left handed of course.

 

[Apple Farmer]

I picked up a serrated Chicago Cutlery bread knife on sale for $12.00. Used a slight sawing motion to uncap both medium and deep frames used a cappings scratcher for anything the knife missed.
The knife didn't damage any comb but the scratcher pulled some loose from the foundation.
Pulled a little better than 1200lbs off 21 hives with no hot water or electricity!

[Hethen57]

The sawing motion must be the key...I tried the searing motion and it didn't work at all  :?

If you were going hi-tech, JP's planer look hard to beat in his video, I may need to pick one of those up next year instead of a hot knife.

[Mackayboi]

I have recently purchased an electric uncapping knife.
However I may not be using it properly, as it is definitely not as smooth as I expected it to be.
The blade seems to tear into the comb and literally destroy most of the structure.
The blade sits flush along both edges of the frame when using a sawing motion downwards when uncapping.

Is it possible that the blade is too hot, that it actually melts the wax and melts into the comb?

[GSF]

disclaimer; No experience with uncapping knives.  8-)

I saw a you tube video where someone used a seriated bread knife instead. It seemed to do the trick.

[Moots]

It's always good to see a 3 plus year old thread reborn...  :-D

For whatever it's worth, I got the cold knife from Kelley Bees as part of a extracting kit whenever I bought my extractor.  Figured I'd give it a try on my first extraction and see how it went.

I extracted about 260 pounds with it in August and another 69 pounds in October and couldn't have been more pleased with how it performed.  As a solo item, it sells for $17.00  on the Kelley's site...as bailey pointed out, I think the sawing motion is the key with a serrated knife.