BONSAI TOOLS - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

If you have ever looked at purchasing bonsai tools anywhere - the web, hardware stores, specialist bonsai shops or ebay, you would have noticed that there is a massive range of prices between tools. This guide is designed to tell you what to look out for when buying bonsai tools.There is a huge range of tools for bonsai, which have mainly been developed by the Japanese and the Chinese over the centuries they have been practicing the art of bonsai. These tools are specifically for the various tasked involved in forming and maintaining miniaturized trees. Due to the delicacy of such trees, these tools must be of high quality, otherwise damage to the tree may occur.Types of tools:There are several main types of tools available for bonsai:Concave cutters: Used to remove branches and create as little scaring to the tree as possible. They do this by removing a little of the inner trunk cells of the tree, and in doing so, prevent a large bulging scar from developing when the bark heals.Trimming shears: There are two main types of trimming shears, the traditional shear and the long handled shear. Both are used to trim the ends of branches and leaves. The long handled shear allows you easier access to the inner branches of the tree.Tweezers: used to pull off leaves, needles or shoots.Rake: Used to comb the roots during repotting.Broom: Used to brush away trimmed leaves and needles, and generally to keep things tidy.Wire cutters: Used to remove wire on a tree that has been trained, without damaging the bark of the tree.There are also many other tools used for specific tasks, such as bending a trunk.Quality:The quality of bonsai tools that are for sale is highly debatable. 'Japanese quality' is the term often used to describe the higher quality tools. These are usually crafted in Japan by people who have been making the tools for hundreds of years. If genuine, these tools fetch prices of around AU$60 to AU$200 a tool. 'Chinese quality' is the subtle term used to describe cheap tools of lower quality. These are made in China, often very cheaplyin factories. These range from AU$5 to AU$40. 'Good value for beginners' is also often used to describe cheap low quality tools, and rage from AU$5 to AU$20. There is also a grading system, but this is quite confusing, and often misleading. To find out more about the grading system, search for it - there are plenty of sites explaining it.Overall when buying bonsai tools you get what you pay for. An important thing to remember is that a high quality (Japanese quality) set of tools will often last you a lifetime, if not more, if cared for properly, whereas a cheap set of tools will often have to be replaced every 3 years. Another thing to remember is that if it sounds too good to be true (ie. a Japanese quality tool for AU$10) - it almost certainly is.By Sam Axford