A sharp knife and strips cut from a poly bag (bread bag or ziplock type plastic) and a little tape to keep the poly in place- that's about all you really need. Wide, soft rubber bands can be handy. I end up using my pocket knife or a utility knife.

A step up would be to get some parafilm (stretchy and sticky) tape and some grafting rubbers, but you sure can do without them.

Good luck,

Mark

So just as long as the cambium layer has good contact I dont need to do anything but hold them together and keep it sealed up? My exsisting pear tree makes awesome wine and would like to have a bigger crop to make a bigger batch.

A sharp utility knife/boxcutter will suffice - but be sure to get the heaviest/stiffest blades they make, the thinner ones are hard to get a good smooth cut with - they flex/bend too much.
Pears callus so rapidly, you can just wrap the graft union tightly with masking tape, and it'll hold far longer than you usually need to get the pieces knit together - but if you want a little more tension, a wide rubber band works just fine; I'll often wrap with the rubber band and then cover that with masking tape just to slow UV degradation of the band a little more. Or, you could wrap with tape, and then overwrap with the rubber band - the rubber will photo-degrade within 2-3 weeks, and by then, callusing should be well along, and the tape will suffice to hold things together.

Pretty much. You need to protect the scion from drying out until the cambium heals and provides sap to the scion. When that happens the bud(s) should pop and you're on your way.

Keep everything clean, provide cambium contact and mechanical soundness, and prevent drying. Of course, the scion should be dormant and the tree active, or very nearly so. There are lots of details: graft closer to the trunk, higher on the tree, and try to be sure that the scion isn't more vigorous than the rootstock, but basically, just do it!

Am I missing anything?

:-)M

All following tools are quite important if you want to be succeeded in your grafting mission.

KNIFE: A good quality knife, able to hold a sharp edge, is the key to good grafting. Although special grafting and budding knives are desirable, you can use almost any good pocket knife. Keep material to sharpen the knife handy.

GRAFTING TAPE: This is a special tape with a cloth backing that decomposes before girdling can occur. Tapes may be used for binding grafts where there is not enough natural pressure. Rubber Electrician's tape is an excellent material that will bind and protect graft unions.

Plastic electrical and masking tapes are also used. Plastic tape can be a problem because it lasts to long and may constrict the growth of the graft. If used, choose a brand that is elastic and will stick well to itself. Do not stretch this tape too tightly or it may crack or weather. Masking tape is suitable where little pressure is required, as in the whip graft.

ASPHALT WATER EMULSION: Is widely used as a protective coating on graft unions. It is of pasty consistency and can be applied with a brush. It is preferable, however, to smear it on thicker with a small paddle.

BUDDING STRIPS: Budding strips are elastic bands. They look like a wide rubber band that has been cut open.

GRAFTING TOOL: Specially designed tools have been developed for grafting. The most common one is used for cleft grafting. It has a blade used to split the stub and a wedge to hold the split open while the scions are inserted If this tool is unavailable, use a heavy knife and a fairly wide wedge at least 2 inches long for cleft grafting. Use a mallet or hammer to pound the grafting tool or heavy knife into the stub. Split the stub and insert the wedge to open the split.

Wow doesnt sounds as confusing as reading about it seemed to be think ill give it a try. Thanks guys.

agreed...
I tried it for the first time last year and 13 of 14 took and are still going strong. I used a razor blade and electrical tape. I had nothing to lose and thought I'd give it a shot. I was grafting apples and used the whip and tongue graft. I followed instructions using the attached link.

Here is a link that might be useful: whip and tongue grafting

Thomis' link is useful. I've also enjoyed any number of youtube vdos.

My first successful graft (pawpaw) was with a small kitchen knife and scotch tape.

Scotch tape doesn't have the elasticity that is better suited for grafting, but that is what I did in my ignorance.

I use the same very high carbon steel BUCK knife that I have used for thirty years. It HOLDS a razor sharp blade and still looks brand new. Maybe the southerner in me, but I use duct tape cut into strips to seal a whip and tongue, then paint that with the asphalt based sealant that is available almost everywhere in the yellow plastic can. Sometimes, in late summer I will make a vertical incision through the tape to assure that there will be no chance of girdling.

bucky,
Check out our friend Joe Real's bark-grafting tutorial, linked below. It's a simple process - you don't have to worry about trying to get your cuts on scion & rootstock to match all that well, and Joe demonstrates it with a kitchen knife. A sharp knife of any sort is probably adequate, but grafting knives are beveled on one side only, and it's easier to get a good flat straight cut than with the double-beveled edge of most pocket or kitchen knives. I've made serviceable grafting knife blades from pieces of worn-out hacksaw blade, ground down and sharpened with just one bevel - it's actually pretty good quality steel for that purpose.
Parafilm is handy, but not required. I've seen folks recommend the inexpensive wax toilet gasket rings, Elmer's wood glue, latex paint, etc. to 'seal the graft and scion end. I use Parafilm, but it's readily available to me.
I have a friend who operated a major fruit tree nursery in IN for decades, and all he ever used to wrap his apple/pear grafts with was plain old masking tape. If the rootstocks are actively growing when you do the graft, you probably don't have to worry about the scion dessicating before it calluses in.
I've done various different types of grafts over the years, from simple whip to 'banana' grafts, but 90% of the time, I just do a bark graft, whether I'm grafting pears, persimmons, pecans, or oaks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Joe Real's Bark-grafting Tutorial

I second the referral to Joe Real's tutorial. That's what I started with before experimenting with other grafts. I think his method is the easiest for a beginner and can expect very good success.

Lucky- That's funny! I have just been working on a grafting knife (trying to imitate the Tina) and am using a piece of small band-saw blade. (I made the handle out of a piece of old pear.)

And I second everything that's been said about Joe Real's tutorial, and all the comments about grafting.

:-)M

Hello Bucky,
Where in Pa are you? I'm in Bethlehem, pa
We will be having a grafting workshop in March in Lancaster, pa if you're interested to learn grafting.

You can also check out the Tutorial I put on my website of grafting pears using the whip and tongue method.

Bass

Here is a link that might be useful: grafting

Bucky if you E mail your address I'll send you a little
*arafilm (my key to right of O quit].
larrytischler@yahoo.com

Try to find a very thin knife. It has to be shar*
as a razor. Otherwise try to use single blade razor
blades.

Try to get some .oo8" [8mil]x 1/2" streach *lant
ti* ta*e. This is the the heavier stuff and you can
get good *ressure and you wont need rubber stri*s.
A 15o ft roll is about $3.oo. You can cut 1" wide
stuff with a sissor.

Use the wedge graft, it is simle and works.
*ears have a very thick cambium layer and
are the ideal cultivars to start on and not
have failure.

I'll send some more grafting ti*s. I'll even
get on la*to* that works.
Larry