Best bonsai tools according to redditors

Bonsai tools

https://www.amazon.com/BambooMN-Bonsai-Tool-11pc-Advanced/dp/B005HEIAJC

Oh yea. I got a couple packs of these, drilled a hole in the bottom, and attached them to these badge holders, everybody keeps one clipped to their apron. Screw using your Shun to cut tape or plastic wrap etc.

And if you break them, fuck it, they're a buck each.

Bonsai Starter Kit! You get the seeds, soil, and instructions on how to grow your own Bonsai tree. Pretty cool.

Jin pliers are pretty useful for things that aren't immediately obvious. Need to make tie downs for your pot screens? Jin pliers. Need to twist a guy wire? Jin pliers. Need to open a beer? Jin pliers. An 8" set of jin pliers is even fairly cheap: https://www.amazon.com/Beginner-Bonsai-Tools-Standard-Level/dp/B078WR8FBF/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1525125527&sr=8-11&keywords=jin+pliers+tian

Copper and aluminum of EVERY gauge is something that all bonsai folks should have available at all times.

No, more like this. Anything that looks like a bonsai pot is going to keep it growing very slowly.

> I've heard cactus or succulent soil is what I need.

You can do the experiment yourself. For one of them, up-pot each year for the next few years. Leave the other one in a bonsai pot. The results will speak for themselves.

A 50/50 mix of succulent soil and bonsai soil works well, as does straight bonsai soil. Hint: if it's in a bag labeled "bonsai soil" at a regular nursery or garden center, it's almost certainly not. Read the wiki for soil recommendations.

> By top heavy do you mean falling over?

Crasula is very apically dominant, meaning the top grows faster than the bottom. This becomes undesirable because they will quickly kill off the bottom branches and leaves if left too long. When it happens, it will be obvious. The top will have very strong growth with lots of branches and strong leaves, and the bottom will look weaker. In short, it will be out of balance. At that point, prune it back so that it all looks in balance again. With material like yours, this usually just involves cutting back the top of the trunk. I usually cut just above a healthy leaf pair for predictability, but it is possible to just hard prune with no leaves left behind. Just know that if you don't leave any leaves behind, it's possible the branch will die back to the trunk.

> So if a branch is getting too long just break it in half? Cut with a sharp knife?

No, don't ever break it. Too unpredictable. You'll want shears - something like these. Prune just above a node (those lines you see along the trunk). You'll usually get two new branches in its place within a few weeks.

No I got this set [here] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IEH6IW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) along with this because I'm a cook and I like my blades sharp.

Edit: The broom is the most useless thing in existence but everything else is really nice.

That's really thoughtful of you <3 But I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling.

I have anxiety, and self care for me would be with a good book or movie, or taking care of plants :)

http://www.amazon.com/Stanwood-Bonsai-Tool-14-Piece-Carbon/dp/B000IEH6IW

LAST ONE GO GO GO

I’ve hear good things about this one!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072DTXSZL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0RjRCbR99S5GC

I got it from a kit I bought on amazon. Here is a link to that kit.

https://www.amazon.com/Yescom-Carbon-Steel-Bonsai-Shear/dp/B014W9UFE0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1521462625&sr=8-9&keywords=bonsai+tool+kit

ZELAR MADE Bonsai Training Wire Set... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PVSTMP?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

All the sizes seemed appropriate for my wiring needs!

> I see a lot of YouTubers using their shears to clip thin wire and I just cringe every time.

Bonsai shears are typical carbon steel and typical can stand up to aluminum wire with no issues. Sure it dulls them faster but if you cut on the back part of the blade, which rarely gets used anyway, it isn't a big deal. The problem is when you start using the tips on heavier wire like I did plus it dulls the tip down no matter the wire size and you want the tips to be super sharp.

> Would you recommend beginners start with the cheap Amazon pair

Within reason this is probably a good idea. The problem is I wouldn't recommend the $9 pair I got as the tips are too rounded over which makes all the detail work very hard. Here are the long handle ones I now own. Zoom in and look at the tips of each. Note how the left pair has the tip broken on the right blade and the middle pair look like both tips are broken.

• The left pair are the first ones I got given as a present. They where $50 on Amazon at the time. They were awesome. Comfortable, the tips meet perfectly and they were easy to use for hours.
  
  
• The middle pair where $9 and I got as punishment for being dumb and breaking the tip off my nice pair. I would not recommend them because unlike what the picture looks like on Amazon, the tips are very much rounded and look like they are both broken off instead of coming to a point. This is by design but it makes them much harder to use for detailed trimming. While they will work and are better than anything you will find at a home center, only get them if you are extremely budget constrained.
  
  
• The far right pair were $25 and are very nice. They aren't quite as ergonomic as my first pair, but for 50% of the price I can't easily live with that. They are a bit longer which is nice since I work with a lot of sharp needle junipers and the tips are sharp and come together nicely. I would recommend these as the entry level pair.

Nice! I was gifted a kit like the one in your link and the tool quality looks identical to the cutters in yours. At a local bonsai meet we discussed the benefits of harder steel and stainless steel tools; made a difference in my cuts. Just a heads up to observe that the cutting edges line up flush. I used the angled cutters (5th up from the bottom) a lot and the blades have begun to spread. Probably will replace with this.

Here is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002EQAY0Y

It cuts fast and effortlessly. I've actually been using it to quickly cut up 2x4s lately. The blade is only 4 inches long but it can handle a lot.

When I started to buy "real bonsai tools" [this was my first set] (http://www.amazon.com/Stanwood-Bonsai-Tool-10-Piece-Carbon/dp/B000IEJ4A0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382618173&sr=8-2&keywords=bonsai+tools).

Some of them still works. Just clean them after your work, and use WD-40 to keep them lubricated.

After a few months or a year you can start buying stainless Joshua Roth tools.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XH3CFB2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Try this , is very malleable --> https://www.amazon.com/Anodized-Aluminum-Resistant-Beginners-Professionals/dp/B07VM9SWFP

How about this one? I've been looking for one myself as well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH3CFB2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_cppRCbYKMV9WA

GUZON Bonsai Pruners Pruning Shears for Bud&Leaves Trimmer 12PCS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LC01GZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rGHNybTTRWK82 I use these, because you can pinch them with your fingers, I have better control with them, plus there cheap as dirt and come with a lot more then a single pair, once a pair gets gumed up just you can freeze them, or simple wash them with alcohol.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XH2ZDTM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

:) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH2ZDTM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dI3WCbD09WVQE

These?

Shear Perfection Bonsai Scissors, 2" Non-stick Angled Blades - Senshi Series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FG894BG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mk7EDbAW4XG57

Hi I just bought a Bougainvillea from Lowes. Should I just prune and let it grow in the black plastic bucket thing I bought it in for the rest of the year until spring time? I would like it to grow the trunk a bit so I figured doing that would be best.

Is there anything I should do other than pruning to prep till next spring? Should I switch out the soil? If so regular soil like miracle grow or bonsai soil even though I plan on keeping it in the black bucket?

As for tools I plan to buy Fiskars scissors and this wire set. Anything else a scrub like me should get? If I do enjoy this enough I have no problem spending $500+ on really nice tools, just not right away.

I live in a desert where 115 degrees is the norm for summer days and the sun really tough. I read on the wiki "A covered porch or a covered apartment balcony generally has insufficient light unless it’s right up against the rail." so should I just let it sit in direct sunlight all day or should I place it under another tree where it can get rays of sunlight but still in the shade?

Tool advice

I'm new to bonsai but I want to invest in a proper set of tools. Looking for advice on the following set.

Yescom Set of 14 Pcs Carbon Steel Bonsai Tool Kit Shear Brush Roll Wire https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B014W9UCSE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5pY9Bb3EBN89R

The same set is sold by a bonsai store near me for $225. Thanks in advance for any help.

Are any of these more reputable than the other?

http://www.amazon.com/Ryuga-Ashinaga-Professional-Bonsai-Shear/dp/B00AB3WBXK/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1420746591&sr=8-27&keywords=bonsai+shear

http://www.amazon.com/Stanwood-Bonsai-Tool-Professional-Japanese/dp/B00CVUZZ2U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1420745910&sr=8-5&keywords=bonsai+shear


http://www.amazon.com/JAPAN-Bonsai-Tool-TinyGreen-Professional/dp/B00MGESBMM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420746745&sr=8-2&keywords=tinygreen+shear

OH! I just found this

I think this is a better idea than just the shears and cutters alone

I've gotten a dozen or so blood blisters from pinching my fingers in my butterfly shears. Maybe I'm an idiot, I don't know, but I much prefer the long shears for that reason. They also reach between branches easier. Honestly, I do a lot of pruning with my ARS bypass pruners (regular gardening shears), but bonsai shears come in handy when defoliating trees.

> It seems like you want a concave cut when you snip off most branches, but the knob cutter can be used to finely trim down a larger branch nub.

Yep, that's the biggest difference. When I first started someone told me it's better to get a pair of concave cutters and a pair of knob cutters, but to ignore the rounded concave cutters. I've not yet run into a situation where I wished I had rounded concave cutters.

Kaneshin makes some very nice, but very expensive bonsai tools. I can't afford them, but this page has some interesting info. Specifically the part where it says what size branches you can cut with concave cutters. That a branch can only be maximum half the length of the blade. If you cut something 3/4 the size of the cutter's blade, you stand a good chance of ruining the tool. I ruined several bonsai tools when I first started, because I was always trying to cut branches too big for the tools I had. For large branches, I now use a small folding saw.

Looking for a decent tool set of some kind for my wedding registry.

My question is do I go for a couple small stainless pieces?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E1CJJA

Or should I go for one of the larger sets of carbon steel?

http://www.amazon.com/Stanwood-Bonsai-Tool-10-Piece-Carbon/dp/B000IEJ4A0/


Or should I just say screw it and just put down 1 nice set of shears?