Inverted uncapping peeler

01 · THE STOP

The triangle decides how deep the teeth bite

The frame rests on the face of the comb and the inner triangle limits how far the teeth go in. That is the whole idea, and it solves the classic mistake of uncapping by hand: go in too deep and you tear comb, loading the cappings with wax and honey you then have to recover; go in too shallow and cells stay closed and come out of the extractor still full.

The two wing nuts hold the setting on either side. Tighten them evenly: if the head sits crooked, one end of the pass bites deeper than the other.

02 · THE PULL

You drag it, you do not push it

A pronged fork is slid under the cappings and lifted. This one works the other way round: it rests and is dragged towards your body, like a peeler, and the wax comes away in a continuous ribbon. It takes less force and gives more control over uneven cappings, which is where a mis-measured push takes half a cell too much. Keep your other hand out of the line of travel.

03 · MAINTENANCE

Built-up wax changes your setting

After a few frames there is wax packed between the triangle and the teeth, and the real stop is no longer the one you set. Check the wing nuts halfway through the day: they work loose on their own. When you finish, clean it with very hot water while the wax still runs.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It is a surface tool: it rests on the plane of the comb, so it does not reach the bottom of a sunken patch.