Comb cutter 4 1/8″

01 · THE CONDITION

The comb has to be wireless

This is what decides whether the tool is any use to you, and it has nothing to do with size: the comb cannot carry wire or a plastic base. The steel goes through clean wax effortlessly and stops dead against a wire.

So the question of whether it works on a Dadant super frame has a catch: in size terms yes, a Dadant super gives plenty for 10.5 cm sections; what has to change is how the frame is prepared. For cut comb you build frames unwired and with a starter strip of wax instead of a full sheet, and you set those frames aside for the job.

02 · THE SIZE AND THE BOX

4 1/8″ is 10.48 cm, and there is a box for it

The section comes out at 10.5 × 10.5 cm, the classic imperial size for comb honey. It fits the large clear box of 135 × 110 × 45 mm in our catalogue, as long as the comb is no thicker than 45 mm; the small 90 × 70 mm box falls short for this size.

And a commercial consequence: a piece this size runs to around half a kilo depending on how full the comb is. Comb honey sells by the piece, not by the kilo, so weigh a few before you set a price.

03 · HOW TO CUT

Cold, flat and in one go

Comb cuts far better cold: a while in the fridge gives the wax body and the edge stays square instead of squashing. Rest it on a flat surface, line the cutter up and press in one go, without rocking.

The step nearly everyone skips comes after: let the section drain on a rack for a few hours before boxing it. Go straight into the box and the honey from the cut edges ends up in the bottom of the container and on the customer's hands.

04 · UPKEEP

Stainless steel and hot water

It is food-grade stainless steel with wooden handles that grip even with sticky hands. Clean it with hot water and neutral soap, and dry it straight away: cold wax left on the edge takes part of the next cut with it.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It all depends on how your frames are built: