Hello all. I'm deciding on whether to get the victorinox budding knife which has the bark-lifter on the same blade vs. one with a separate folding bark-lifter.
"2-in-1"
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Model-V-9040-Budding-Knife/dp/B00481QTDE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1301364796&sr=1-3

"separate bark lifter"
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Model-V-9110-Budding-Knife/dp/B004GKZTI8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1301365030&sr=1-5

On one hand, the "2-in-1" which has the barklifter on the blade itself would be convenient since there's only one thing to clean in between jobs. On the other hand, the type with a separate barklifter appears it could go "deeper" into the bark if needed.

Does anyone have any actual experience on either of both of these types of budding knives?


Feedback appreciated.

I have and use both, it mostly depends on the size of stock I'm budding, 90% of the time I use my knife that has a separate lifter, but that's because I use it to graft other stock besides citrus (peaches, apples, ect.ect) allot of the time when I'm budding seedling citrus the separate blade is a hassle to turn around to pull the bark off so I just use my fingernail instead.. "If your bark is slipping well like it should you don't really need a bark lifter" Young seedlings don't have any real bark in the first place. Production budder's seem to use the lifter on the blade type. You'll find no matter what one you get, you'll get use to using it.. "you will adapt to the blade"
If your not doing small stock all day and will end up grafting other material the better knife for all purpose would be a separate bark lifter..

Victorinox has another model with both types of bark lifter on the one knife
Both are useful at times, sometimes the blade tip lifter seems a bit "sharp" and rips the flap. Sometimes the brass lifter can open some thick bark when the tip lifter wont work. With the blade closed, the brass bark lifter can be used hold graft cuts open if they tend to close before the graft is correctly placed.
Otherwise I agree with all Turtleman says, esp turning the knife around to use the brass lifter.
I tend to like the knife with the shorter blade with rounded tip, seems easier to move around the stock, than long pointy blades ?
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.victorinoxstores.com/victorinox/assets/product_images/PAAAAAGLNOPJMHOFt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.victorinoxstores.com/victorinox/dept.asp%3Fdept_id%3D3449%26&usg=__GRiA0u0ji0Q657ArNEnDQw6zjmk=&h=150&w=150&sz=5&hl=en&start=20&sig2=GO8BW7BG3WLoxlD8hgdaMw&zoom=0&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=2V1nnnPxGzvXCM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvictorinox%2Bbudding%2Bknives%26start%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D18%26tbm%3Disch&ei=0c6RTZnlPIT0cdG1hYsH