Reddit mentions: The best bonsai cutters

> 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.

There are lots of options, so it's tough to make recommendations beyond price points to look at.

I've found that decent shears tend to start around $30-35, and good concave cutters are rarely under $50. The home depot wire cutters will obviously cut wire, but the nice japanese ones let you get right up to the bark without making a mark on the tree, which is really important when you are removing the wire later. Here's an example of what I mean:
http://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Boys-Heavy-Duty-Cutters/dp/B002C6BOQY/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1368845322&sr=1-5&keywords=bonsai+wire+cutter

This is probably about the cheapest I would personally go for this type of wire cutters, but you may be able to get something similar for less.

The important thing is to get the nicest tools you can afford without blowing your budget on any one item. For $100, you should be able to get a pretty decent set that will last you a while. The first couple years I did bonsai I only had a $15 pair of shears and a cheap radio shack wire cutter, so you're already way ahead of the game. ;-)

Or you could just get the $48 ThinkBamboo set and get one of everything - I'd just want to hear from someone else who has it first. It just seems way too cheap for that many tools.

I personally tend to slightly overspend on tools, because I've learned that the money you save sometimes gets paid back in frustration from using crappy tools.

EDIT: Don't forget to save some money for trees!

For working with jade, you really just need a decent pair of shears. I like this style. I don't spend a lot of time wiring my jades, but it's good to have some on hand for when you occasionally do. If you want to get some wire, maybe some small roles of 2.0mm and 3.0mm aluminum wire. Probably no need for a bigger kit than that to start.

Go find a jade at a greenhouse or garden center in the tropical section. If you get a big bushy one and let it grow, you'll have a whole bunch of little experiment trees to play around with after you prune it.

Mini-jade (p. afra) is a little more bonsai tree scale that crasula ovata if you happen to see one of those.

EDIT: btw, looks like you have a decent bonsai shop in your town.

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.

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 :)

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

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.

I’ve hear good things about this one!

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

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?

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.

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

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

We use these at my company.

Bonsai tools

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

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

LAST ONE GO GO GO

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.

OH! I just found this

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

Its not just the temper its also the amount of carbon and impurities in the steel. the manufacturing will play a role as well, china tools are stamped causing a lager gran size that is prone to cracking. the sets are the worst and a wast of money, we should not recommend them. i made that mistake and there all broken. something like this for the same price will last and is all you need that you cant find in the hardware store.