Excalibur hive tool

[xen]

Saw a new hive tool in one of the bee mags and was wondering if anyone knew of where to get one . The excalibur hive tool it is called.Checked most os the big suppliers with no luck.

[Jim Fischer]

They are still messing around with the tooling at the factory.

It is amazingly difficult to make something out of tool steel, when
one must use one type of tool steel to cut the other type of tool steel.

Hang in there, we've got too many advance orders to not be
pushing hard on this little project.

[JC]

They are still messing around with the tooling at the factory.

It is amazingly difficult to make something out of tool steel, when
one must use one type of tool steel to cut the other type of tool steel.

Hang in there, we've got too many advance orders to not be
pushing hard on this little project.

How difficult would it be to make the hive tool out of stainless steel? The best hive tool that I have is a stainless hive tool from Bee Works.

http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/inde...&products_id=9

[Jim Fischer]

Excalibur is stainless steel.

A very nice grade of stainless - less "soft" than the one sold by BeeWorks
(who buy theirs from Thorne, who have them made in Red China).
I can bend one of those with my bare hands, and likely so can you if
you put your mind to it.

Excalibur ain't gonna bend.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/inde...&products_id=8

I like this one better. I had one, but I lost it. I like the Italian ones from Brushy Mt. the best.

http://www.beeequipment.com/products.asp?pcode=591

[JC]

http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/inde...&products_id=8

I like this one better. I had one, but I lost it. I like the Italian ones from Brushy Mt. the best.

http://www.beeequipment.com/products.asp?pcode=591

I like the Italian hive tool for separating the supers since the Italian hive tool is thinner than other hive tools. Howver, I do not use it for anything else. Do you use the Italian hive tool for all your manipulations? Please explain.

[Michael Bush]

>Do you use the Italian hive tool for all your manipulations? Please explain.

Yes. You have to learn how to use it effectively since it is different. You can use the flat end as you do any hive tool, except you get more leverage. You use the hook any of several ways. You can hook it under the end of the frames (and being a smaller hook it goes in much easier than the Maxant version) and then you can actually pry against the rabbet as the force is in a downward direction unlike a regular hive tool which will break out the rabbet. Or you can pry against the frame next to it, if you prefer. The hook is small enough to get into tight places.

The one from beeworks is the Thorne version of the Maxant type. But it has a smaller hook (though not as small as the Italian) and it's stainless steel (unlike the Italian or the Maxant).

[Barry]

http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/inde...&products_id=8

I agree Mike. I've had mine a long time. What it would take to bend it from use would be enormous, beyond any of my hive management practices.

Although, mine is from Maxant and if I understand you correctly, it's not stainless but steel? Hard for me to imagine the need for stainless as mine always has a thin coating of wax from use so rust isn't an issue.

[JC]

I agree Mike. I've had mine a long time. What it would take to bend it from use would be enormous, beyond any of my hive management practices.

Although, mine is from Maxant and if I understand you correctly, it's not stainless but steel? Hard for me to imagine the need for stainless as mine always has a thin coating of wax from use so rust isn't an issue.

The stainless steel hive tool from Bee Works is thinner and a joy to use!

[blkcloud]

They are still messing around with the tooling at the factory.

It is amazingly difficult to make something out of tool steel, when
one must use one type of tool steel to cut the other type of tool steel.

Hang in there, we've got too many advance orders to not be
pushing hard on this little project.

Actually most people cut tool steel with carbide, and in the case where you do need to use a cutter made of tool steel it usually has some type of Titanium coating on it. also, when cutting tool steel the part has not been through the hardening process like the cutter has and is pretty easy to cut..
Now if this tool is actually made of stainless we have said all of this for nothing..stainless steel and tool steel are 2 different things..

[Ross]

Or they cut it, then harden it, then finish grind it.

[trapperbob]

I couple of regular hive tools but they set in my smoker box most of the time since I bought the 14 inch hive tool from Betterbee I really like this tool it has a lot of leverage can be used as a frame lifter and scraper the only thing that I did was dull it a little it was sharp enough to be used as wood plane and i just don't seem to leave it laying around so I don't forget it after I'm done