Hain manual honey loosener Swienty

01 · IT PRICKS, IT DOES NOT CUT

And that is why it yields no cappings wax

An uncapper removes the layer of wax and drops it into the tub: that is where cappings wax comes from, the first-quality wax. A pricker removes nothing: it perforates. The consequence has to be said plainly: with this method you get no cappings wax.

In exchange the comb stays practically intact and the bees have far less to rebuild when it goes back. It is a real trade, not a free advantage: you give up the wax to gain in comb preservation and in being able to extract what otherwise will not come out.

02 · 1,500 PINS A PLATE, ON SPRINGS

The spring is what prevents the damage

Each plate carries over 1,500 pins mounted on springs. That suspension is the heart of the design: it lets a pin that meets a hard cell, hardened pollen or the frame's timber give way instead of bending.

It is what protects the comb and the machine at the same time. Without the spring, every irregularity in the frame would be a bent pin.

03 · TWO OR THREE FRAMES A MINUTE

A manual pace, for what will not come out otherwise

Output is 2 to 3 frames a minute, some 120 to 180 an hour. Compared with an automatic uncapper — around 200 — it is slower, and that is worth knowing: this machine does not replace an uncapping line, it solves the specific case of honey that will not flow.

It takes frames up to 442 × 270 mm, measured over the lugs, which covers Dadant and Langstroth. Measure the comb and you will get considerably less: same part, measured differently.

04 · STAINLESS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

A floor-standing machine, not a benchtop one

Construction is entirely stainless steel, which in an extraction room is the only sensible option: it stands up to the acidity of honey and to hot-water washing without pitting.

It is a standing machine, around 66 cm long and 30 kg, that stays in its place beside the extractor. Built by the Danish firm Swienty.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

A tool for honey that will not flow.