Never used an uncapping fork.

[Cazza]

Another thread has just made me think about uncapping honey.

I have used an uncapping knife for nearly two decades. I've never tried a fork. As I only have a few hives would a fork work as well?
Is it easier to use or should I avoid new tricks?
What do fork users say?

Cazza

 

[PBee]

Another thread has just made me think about uncapping honey.

I have used an uncapping knife for nearly two decades. I've never tried a fork. As I only have a few hives would a fork work as well?
Is it easier to use or should I avoid new tricks?
What do fork users say?

Cazza

If the frame is uneven I find you have less honey in the cappings with a fork as you can follow the contour.

 

[victor meldrew]

After 20 odd years I've used a heat gun for the first time! Can't believe how much mess it saves and how much less honey wasted.
VM

 

[oliver90owner]

Works OK, BUT there will be more cappings in the honey and sieving and straining is more difficult.

There are always compromises to be made. No/less clean white cappings for the best wax exhibits is one.

The conventional uncapping methods are generally well tried and tested and have been proven over time.

Your choice in the end. Suggest you try it and see. Another use for the fork, I suppose, after forking out drone brood to check for varroa.

I have found it less mess, but slower. Frames 'forked' over the extractor is/was my method. Very useful for the very wide combs with might be less even.

RAB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Frames 'forked' over the extractor is/was my method. Very useful for the very wide combs with might be less even.

RAB

Just what I do. Just get into a rhythm.......quite therapeutic really.

 

[BeeMoustashe]

Personally, found the knife hard going. Much easier to go over and almost 'pick' cappings off with the fork.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i use an extra wide uncapping fork and it does a super frame in one push

but less cappings for show wax

 

[REDWOOD]

Serrated bread knife is what I use do problem with a bit of practice

 

[Hombre]

Serrated bread knife is what I use do problem with a bit of practice

Long sharp serrated knife. As RAB has effectively said, too much in the way of wax fragments in the extracted product with a fork. For uneven combs, a bit of deft work with the sharp end does just fine. The result is somewhat easier to strain into the bucket.

 

[Luminos]

I used a knife until I saw how quickly and neatly OH used an uncapping fork...

 

[Bee View Farm]

Another thread has just made me think about uncapping honey.

I have used an uncapping knife for nearly two decades. I've never tried a fork. As I only have a few hives would a fork work as well?
Is it easier to use or should I avoid new tricks?
What do fork users say?

Cazza

I use a old steam knife for uncapping my honey, but for uneven combs or new foundstion i use this capping scratcher. Some beekeepers use this scratcher to uncap all of the frame. It works but, you get a lot of wax in the honey and it makes a mess in the extractor.

 

[QueenMaster]

fork is for heather and some other difficult honey I think.

 

[enrico]

Heat gun ,heat gun ,heat gun, all the time. Quick easy, no mess no cappings, max amount of honey in spinner, no brainier, started using it last year after thirty years and will never go back. Have tried every other method including putting the lot in a modified spin dryer!!!
E

 

[Mike a]

After 20 odd years I've used a heat gun for the first time! Can't believe how much mess it saves and how much less honey wasted.
VM

Tried the heat gun method two years ago and couldn't believe how much quicker and easier it was with nothing more than some melted wax at the bottom of the uncapping tray. No wasted honey and minimal cleaning up afterwards.

See the Video here

 

[Finman]

Heat gun ,heat gun ,heat gun, all the time.
E

But it burns surface and give an awfull aroma to combs.Just awfull! When I tried it, I bought two electrict knives.

 

[Mike a]

But it burns surface and give an awfull aroma to combs.Just awfull! When I tried it, I bought two electrict knives.

Burns the surface?

Not sure what you were doing Finman but I don't get an awful aroma, as you can see in the video the heat is applied just long enough to melt back the cappings and that it.. as for the honey the heat isn't there long enough to make any difference to its temperature.

 

[Finman]

.
Aroma of melted wax is not nice in the honey.

 

[QueenMaster]

nice idea, will try heat gun this summer !

 

[Finman]

nice idea, will try heat gun this summer !

Taste the honey before you continue much

.

 

[djg]

I use a B&D heat gun with a temperature control knob.

Set at the correct temperature level, the wax cappings retreat neatly to the cell walls and stay there, with just the odd bead of wax running down the comb.

Honey extracted in this way has won prizes at the National and London shows over the last two years - and not in an obscure "honey on toast (no toast)" category !