i am going to purchase a grafting tool. does anyone have an opinion on model or price.
does the $20 model do a good job ?

There is an old Russian saying (our Russian forum members can clean up the translation) to the effect that "you can't afford to buy cheap"... I am sure you could acquire a well made grafting knife from forum members who build such things... I know that Hershell on the OurFigs forum makes them and they are a hot commodity... if you are talking about a grafting tool as in a punch type tool, I have seen many such on Amazon; usually made in a far off land and imported here on the cheap. Don't know how well they work or which might best suite you. have you looked at grafting video's to see the different types of grafts used? For many of those, a punch type grafting tool in unnecessary....

I bought one of those grafting tools from "a far off land." For me it worked best on the softer wood. My most perfect looking graft was made using the omega cut, I think that's the right name. But, you are right, it's not necessary especially if you are playing around. You can get the job done with a razor blade.

Knives are dangerous if you don't already have experience.

A utility cutter will make the flat cuts needed for cleft and splice grafts, the cleft is the easiest. I haven't used them but some very experienced fruit growers do.
http://growingfruit.org/t/cleft-graft/4215/31

Found that the so called 'omega' grafter is very limited and fail to produce clean cuts consistently on the average fig scions from the previous year... may be working soft, more herbaceous scions but, even so, for my taste the resulting job is very poor.
Bought one for trial , used it 3 or 4 times.. and gave it away.

Ideal tool is a dedicated grafting   knife with a razor sharp carbon steel 80 or 90 mm blade prepared for right or left handed grafters -   the knife I use is 6 years old,  still in very good shape and costed approx $5 .

same model as this one..
https://commerciol.com/Navalhas-e-Canivetes/Canivete-de-Enxertia-CIOL-1901

Francisco
Portugal

Thanks, Francisco! I think Saint Nick is bringing me a grafting knife for Christmas otherwise I would be looking very closely at these. Perhaps I should investigate Kevlar cutting gloves to make sure my gift grafting knife stays on a purely vegetative diet....   :-) Merry Christmas!

Five bucks. That's s great buy.

Thank you again, Francisco... I am definitely hoping to avoid picking up the moniker "9 fingered Tony".... 

Wow! That video is awesome... the gentleman can handle a knife!

I agree- the gentlemen in the grafting video is really good.  But you don't get the angle cuts perfect on the first try until you done it many, many  times before.  For a novice grafter ( like me) I would recommend the Victorinox grafting knife ( about $30).  Well balanced and sized and easy to keep very sharp.  And you will probably nick yourself like I have, and I was very careful and have a history of working with sharp instruments. I think of it as battle scars while you get up the learning curve.

Victorinox makes quality knives.

Remember, if it will cut wood, it will have no trouble cutting you. Always know where the knife will go when it slips and stay our of the line of fire.

I looked at the Victorinox and was going to pick one up before Santa dropped a hint that he was dropping one under the Christmas tree for me....

You don't need fancy expensive tools to graft. Just buy a cheap utility knife and some replacement blades. This is all I use and my success rate is pretty high.

Glad to see  Omega style tool grafters happy with it.

BTW - the protruding tab on most of the grafting knives is meant to be used to ease bark lifting when performing all sorts of budding, patching, bark grafting,  etc..

Francisco

I've had rather good success with the Omega, but it is really seldom used, as the range of branch thickness that it works on is very very narrow, and both the scion and the branch that is being grafted to must be identical in diameter.

Hello Guys,
If you choose to use a box cutter be very very careful. I close friend was an expert grafter for many years but one day he nearly bled to death on the way to the hospital when he cut himself while demoing a graft for a visitor.
Merry Christmas to All.
Travis in South Louisiana