By Bonsai Master Lloyd Noall from Bonsai Direct
Choosing good value bonsai tools is not an easy thing to do. There are literally hundreds of them at every price point. To say the least, Bonsai tools are not easy to compare. Top quality Japanese Stainless Steel Bonsai tools are obviously the ultimate choice, but unless you are doing a huge amount of styling it is very hard to justify the price. To make it even more complicated there are a lot of ‘knock offs’ on the market. The price of the Japanese Stainless tools has quadrupled over the past few years. Furthermore, at £100 a pair, we cannot afford to supply every member of the Bonsai Direct team with a full Japanese Stainless steel tool kit. Especially when some of them end up in the compost bin (accidentally of course).
Over the years I have tried budget options, but the blades and general quality of the tools, are very poor. This results in poor quality cuts which will not heal properly. This is not the standard I expect from my team, so I set on a journey to find affordable options with quality at the forefront of design. Bonsai tools need to be sharp in order to give a clean cut which will heal nicely. Additionally, they need to be durable, comfortable to use and affordable. The tools we have selected below, in our opinion, offer the best combination – Good quality and affordable.
Basic Range of Tools for a Bonsai Tool Kit
My basic value bonsai tools kit contains the following items:
| Bonsai Tool | Use |
| Long handled bonsai pruning scissors (210mm) | For general bonsai pruning – the most valuable bonsai tool. Long reach for reaching into the centre of the bonsai tree to remove criss-crossing twigs and branches. |
| Long handled bonsai pruning scissors (180mm) | Shorter and finer for smaller branches and smaller bonsai trees. Really good for general tipping of long shoots. |
| Knob cutters | For cleanly removing ‘knobs’, lumps and bumps from trunks and large branches. |
| Branch cutters/ Concave cutters | Bonsai branch cutters, also known as concave cutters, are specifically designed to cleanly remove branches from bonsai trees while creating a concave cut. The clean concave cuts heals quickly without leaving ugly scars and lumps on the bark. |
| Root shears | For root pruning. Usually heavy duty so they are not blunted by grit and sand in the soil. |
| Jin Pliers | Bonsai jin pliers are used to create natural-looking deadwood features, known as jins, on bonsai trees by stripping bark and shaping wood. We use them often for holding and tightening bonsai wire. |
| Chopstick (or two as I am always losing it) | For teasing out roots and arranging soil. We also use a chopstick for making the clips to secure the mesh in the base of the bonsai pot. |
| Coir Brush | For arranging the soil and cleaning the pot. |
| Wire Cutters | For cutting wire and removing wire from a bonsai tree. Blunt ended to avoid damage to the bark. |
| Soil Scoops | Our set of 3 Soil Scoops offers precision and convenience for efficient bonsai care. With flat bases for stable workbench support, these scoops allow easy handling of bonsai soil, minimising disturbance to the root system. The nest-able design ensures easy storage and a clutter-free workspace. |
| Root rake/Spatula | The perfect tool for re-potting bonsai. The bonsai root rake is ideal for combing through the soiled untangling the fibrous roots during repotting. The spatula is designed to help remove the top layer of the old soil and to firm down new soil after re-potting. |
We offer fast FREE delivery on all our bonsai tools. Simply choose your delivery date at the checkout and let our team sort the rest out for you. If you would prefer weekend delivery there is a small delivery charge but we do deliver on both Saturdays and Sundays.
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