Hi folks,
Just thought I'd pass on some info.  I had an Amazon.com gift certificate that was to expire soon, and found a two-bladed Swiss Army budding and grafting knife made by Victorinox.

Victorinox 53561  [sometimes shown as 39045 but I can't see any differences]

It arrived yesterday and is indeed sharp as a razor, and has a bark lifter. I think it will work very well....maybe I'll wear a woodcarving glove so I don't slice myself.

Good picture but no real description:
http://www.victorinox.com/product/1/100/1006/1105/3.9045

Here's what I ordered:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Army-Grafter-Garden/dp/B000687AUY
$21.95 + Free Shipping  [ordered through Amazon shipped from Swiss Knife Shop]
[currently shows as out of stock...it said 3 available when I made the purchase late last week]

There's another Amazon listing that shows what looks like the same exact knife, lower quality picture]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007LTPNK
$23.49 + $8.35 shipping


This store has them in stock
http://www.swissknivesexpress.com/grafswisarkn.html
$20.25 + [what says to be] Free Shipping

Great find! I just ordered one for $20.25. The shipping is first class. Thanks!

Nice knives. Here's a pic of my single blade. I got this one back in about '98 while living in S. FL. I was 'trying' to learn to bud graft mangos & avacados at the time. I've never sharpened my blade and it's still as sharp as the day I got it. I've never used it on anything but sciowood either though.

The blade on these knives sharpen in only one direction and hold an edge very well. The shape of the tip of the blade makes it nice for that fine work of cutting the bud out of your scionwood.

As you can see from the picture, the brass brads that hold the handle on tend to tarnish over time. Doesn't effect the performance of the knife in any way though.

I hear that Opinel carries some very nice specialty gardening knives too. With them you have the option of both stainless as well as carbon steel blades. Each have their advantages.

picture?

Okay, here we go with that picture posting problem again. Only this time I no longer see the option to "go advanced" in the attachement management link.
That was the only way I knew to correct the problem.

Hey gorgi; you were the one who figured that out the first time around. Have you had a problem with it lately and subsequently resolved it?

Jon; any suggestions?

Victorinox are really nice knives. I have had a single bladed one I have used for years. Just remember, when grafting, to be thinking about where the blade will go when it slips, and don't have body parts in its path.

Maybe I"m not rembering correctly on how I solved the pic problem before. Any help on that is appreciated. Thanks.

Jon: I'll have to check out Victorinox as well.
I've always carried pocket knives ever since I was a kid. So, I suppose I have a small fascination with them. It's made security check points alot more fun in recent years :-) !

I'll try again here with the pic I was trying to post.
There it is...... As long as it stays there now. Sit! Stay pic! Good boy.

I thought someone had just posted in between my two posts? Did that post magically disappear like my image in post # 5???
Gremlins, I'm sure of it!!! 

This grafting/budding knife's blade is beveled on just one side, as I believe [because it's not here with me to confirm] is the edge.

I have a question for people more familiar with cutting tool design than I am. Considering that most people are right handed, I figure this knife is designed with them in mind.....would a left handed person's use of this knife make it perform differently...with the bevel and edge facing down instead of up? 
 [I am right handed, my wife is left handed]

Ruben, I think you'll like it. Nice knife, Bill! Victorinox definitely makes nice stuff.....sadly I tend to lose them before they would ever get dull. [heck, most of them are probably just misplaced somewhere at home] Luckily I have not yet lost one to the TSA either.....knock on wood. I plan to guard this one with my life.

I had never seen a grafting knife with the sharp edge curved up outside the way shown in paulandirene post. I had seen ones with sharp edge straight or curved inside. However, I do not have much experience in grafting (2 successful grafts in 3 years) so I have not seen all kind of knives.

I always wanted a Swiss Army knife.

I think I will buy one.

Thanks!

The first grafting knife I got, I cut my finger really bad that I had to go to the ER, a chopped off a piece of my finger.
Be really careful grafting for the first time.
I did get the same knife and works great, it's even sharper than the previous one.
So all I'm saying is be careful when you are trying to graft for the first time especially with a sharp knife like this one. It has a budidng and grafting knife.

Rafed, I think you'll enjoy it. However, I would reserve that one just for horticulture. There are a gazillion models that would serve you well on the road and elsewhere. :-)
Just a few: 
http://www.victorinox.com/category/1/100/1000/1103
http://www.victorinox.com/category/1/100/1004



Ottowan, the raised portion isn't sharpened, it is the "bark lifter", which is beveled so it can fit more easily beneath a slice in the bark so you can gently lift it up . Check this out, you can see the variety of bark lifters on such knives.  http://www.victorinox.com/category/1/100/1006/1105


Bass, good advice about safety.

I might buy some gloves like this:
http://www.amazon.com/BladeX5-Classic-Resistant-Gloves-Approved/dp/B003DZ02MU/

Oh you're just spoiling me.

Go simple.Here is a good combo to order; a budding/grafting knife, polyfilm grafting tape and etc etcs  (I like economy type):

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Buddng-Graftng-Knife-Barklifter/dp/B000AYIYKO/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1297217636&sr=1-2

I am trying a few (multiple) grafts this summer and hoping that at least one of each variety will succeed.

And to be more simple, here is excerpt from another expert quote "I used an Xecto knife for a long time on small twigs. Not good for thick or very hard wood.. ".  How simple can you be.

Ottowan I had thought of a knife like that [and I do like the bark lifter better] but I didn't like the shape of the blade tip, which is why I chose the double blade model.

This is Amazon.com response to my order checkout.
Great!! That saves me some money.
- So, I will search for my two old grafting knives that I could not find before.
- I will cut clear plastic bag to make my own poly strip/tape for grafting.
- I would use wood glue for covering Clef grafting (on sour cherry that no one eats). I use it on fig cuttings end in place of wax now.

Important Message
The following items cannot be shipped to the addresses you selected. (Learn more.) You may either change the shipping addresses or remove the items by clicking Delete.

• Clear Budding "Tie-It" Tape - 1/2"x300' CLEAR BUDDING "TIE-IT"TAPE cannot be shipped to the selected address.
• Poly Budding Tape - White cannot be shipped to the selected address.
• Grafting Wax - Half Pound cannot be shipped to the selected address.
• Victorinox Buddng & Graftng Knife - 2-1/4" -W/ Barklifter - SWISS BUDDNG & GRAFTNG KNIFE - 2-1/4" cannot be shipped to the selected address.

And one will think that our only problem is the deep freeze temperatures in the cold True North.

I checked amazon.ca and couldn't find the same model, or any Victorinox. Dang, you'd think Victorinox and Amazon would want the business.

Thanks paulandirene.
I will search the link from Niagra Fall area.