Costanza
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Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada....eh?

Which Bonsai Tool Sets Should I Consider ???

4 months of owning my first juniper bonsai, and happy to say I have not killed it....yet :-)

I'm looking around for a tool set which I hope will last me for many years to come...anyone have any pointers for what to look for?? I've been looking at a number of suppliers online as well as eBay that have anything from the single tools up to 20 piece sets with every price point you can imagine (some that made my jaw drop a few times :-)

Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, chrome plated steel they've got them all....what kind of oil should I use and not harm anything I cut?

Anyone with some pointers of what to look at and what to steer clear of would be very much appreciated.

Costanza

ynot
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Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am
Location: USDA Z:5a Sunset Z. 41 IL

Costanza,

Glad to see it's still alive, Did you repot it yet?
Could you share a bit more about your styling plans, Have they changed? What tools do you feel you require at the moment?

As far as tools go, this being a Juniper, [Which requires pinching as opposed to trimming with scissors which will cause browning at the points trimmed.] There are not many tools required for you yet IMO. [Aside from the best one: Knowledge :)]

Perhaps concave cutters, But buying a tool that is more expensive than your tree makes little sense to me when in the interim you can easily substitute tools that will fulfill many of your needs.
Specialized [and Expen$ive :!:] bonsai tools are most likely not a requirement for you at this point.

For the moment I will just say this about tools:
Buying the cheapest tools available gets you exactly that, They won't last long.
It will end up being an investment that you have to repeat.

ynot

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Costanza,

Here is a thread from a while back that discusses some of these issues.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3842

Bottom line, get a good pair of concave cutters, about $40.00. A few other items would be a set of sieves, especially if you mix your own soil, and really even you don't. And a watering can with a fine rosette. The rest can come as you need them, many can even be improvised.

Norm

ynot
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Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am
Location: USDA Z:5a Sunset Z. 41 IL

Gnome wrote:A few other items would be a set of sieves, especially if you mix your own soil, and really even you don't. And a watering can with a fine rosette. The rest can come as you need them, many can even be improvised.
That is great advice Gnome.

I was just raving enthusiastically about my sieves the other day to someone in a PM...:lol:.

Costanza, Please do post some new pics of your tree [Simply continue your old thread for continuity if you like.]

ynot

MagicDan
Full Member
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:55 pm
Location: Hilton, NY

I ended up getting a decent set of tools on eBay. Watched the auctions for quite some time and got a set of 12 pieces for about $50.

I completely agree with ynot...
For the moment I will just say this about tools:
Buying the cheapest tools available gets you exactly that, They won't last long.
It will end up being an investment that you have to repeat.
The tools I bought are "cheap" and I already bent my scissors by trying to cut through a branch that was too thick for them. However, it did get me a decent set of tools to get me started and as time goes by and I find which ones I use the most, I'll replace them with better quality tools.

When I took my bonsai class, our instructor echoed the same thoughts. There are many tools out there made in China. Marginal quality but reasonably priced. The better quality tools come from Japan.

If I remember correctly, he sold a set of Japanese made tools (8 pieces) for about $120.

Good luck with your tree! :D

MD



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