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The bonsai tool can be considered anything that helps us to shape, design, transport, and otherwise care for our bonsai
-- of whatever plant materials(s) we use -- and their home containers or pots. All of the tools can be placed in the following six categories. 1) SINGLE-BLADED : Knife; Saw; Grafting knife; 2) DOUBLE-BLADED : Leaf trimmers/Defoliating shears/Finger snips (similar to an ancient Roman design), to remove individual leaves; Bud shears; Trimming and thinning shears, to remove or shorten smaller branches or twigs; Shears, to remove individual leaves or shorten smaller branches or twigs; Satsuki shears; Scissors, to remove or shorten smaller branches or twigs; Concave cutters (1920s Japan), to remove branches leaving a small indent which could then heal flush with the surface of the larger branch or trunk; Knob cutters, to remove larger stumps or burls; Root cutters; Needle tweezers, to remove conifer needles individually; Angled tweezers with spade; Jin pliers, to remove bark from a living branch to turn it into a deadwood stub; Trunk splitters (resemble small version of some farrier tools, cross-over?) to debark and remove larger sections of a trunk to represent naturally damaged or weathered deadwood; Pruning shears, to remove larger branches; Branch loppers, to remove larger branches. 3) MECHANICAL-SHAPING : Spacers/shims, to slightly separate smaller branches when wire cannot be safely used; Miniature bamboo or stick scaffolding; Lead strips or steel bars (both, late 1700s China) or string or bound rope; Wire, to bending branches and trunks, anodized aluminum (by 1970s from Japan) or annealed copper (early 1900s Japan) or steel (early 1800s China) or zinc-galvanized steel (late 1800s Japan) or brass (early 1800s China); Wire cutters, to remove excesss lengths of end metal after wiring or to clip wire into shorter length when removing wire so that branches are not accidentally broken during unwinding; Pliers, to bend wire or just the ends thereof with more precision than one can do with one's fingers; Guy wires/Tie downs, to fasten a branch by anchoring it to the rim or bottom of a pot; Clamps; Bender lever; Rubber or foam protective strips, to prevent bark from being cut into by wires; Raffia/Paper tape, to prevent bark from being cut into by wires; Wire gauge card. 4) CARVING : Mini-router (Dremel™, etc.), to either rough or smooth a debarked section of branch or trunk to represent naturally damaged or weathered deadwood; Mini-chain saw, to remove or sculpt larger sections of branches or deadwood; Circle jin carving tool; Double-ended carving tool; Carving gouges; Brass brush; Lime sulfur/Wood preservative, to dry and strengthen deadwood; Cut paste or foil wrap, to assist in the healing of larger cuts or wounds, while smaller cuts or wounds on non-resinous non-conifers can be covered with a little cut paste or even petroleum jelly. 5) WATERING : Watering can, to enable smaller amounts of water to be conveyed certain distances; Hose, to enable larger amounts of water to be conveyed certain distance; Nozzle, to control and vary spray/stream of water onto plants and pots; Watering wand, to control and extend reach of a water stream, usually with several spray patterns available; Mister spray bottle, to humidify foliage up-close or break up a new soil mix's initial surface tension; Water barrel, to hold extra water for later use. 6) OTHER : Chop stick, to work soil particles into air pockets in the soil mix in the container; Soil rake; Root rake, to untangle parts of a root ball or tease out longer roots; Root hook; Root pick; Soft toothbrush, to remove dirt, moss, etc. from tree bark; Small broom or brush, to smooth the surface of the soil mix; Soil tamper; Soil scoops, to transfer small amounts of soil mix from its container to the pot; Trowel, to transfer larger amounts of soil mix from its container to the pot; Soil sieves, to remove smaller and/or larger particles than what are needed; Shade cloth, to provide shade to prevent damage from intense sun; Hail cloth, to prevent damage from hail; Insect cloth, to prevent damage from insects; Turntable, to be able to work on a tree from all sides by rotating it in its pot; Apron, to prevent cloths from getting dirty or wet, also to hold at least some tools nearby; Tool belt, to hold at least some tools nearby; Tool box, to hold at least some tools between uses; Tool oil (including WD-40), to keep metal and joints in good working condition; Rust eraser/Sandpaper, to remove early rust or corrosion from metal; Sharpening stone, to renew or increase the cutting edge of a tool; Small oil container and cloth/paper towel, to clean wipe or put a light sheen on exterior of pots, usually pre-show; Drop cloth/newspaper/tarp, to keep soil and trimmings in a restricted area on the ground or floor or table; Broom and dust-pan, to gather up dry or scattered dirt and debris; Burlap bag/large plastic trash bag, to hold a dug-up rootball or be able to dispose of wet or dry refuse; 2 or 4-wheel dolly/wagon/wheel barrel, to move potted trees a certain distance without additional human assistance or injury to one's back and limbs; * And, technically, your car/truck/lorry, etc. would be included here as well. |
| This page is a work in progress. Anyone who knows of additional information regarding bonsai tools is asked to please contact rjb@magiminiland.org. Contributor acknowledgment will be posted. Please include as many details as possible. Thank you! |