New toys

Spdyracer

Spdyracer

Shohin
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Location
Cincinnati oh
USDA Zone
6
Ordered from American bonsai a few days ago and today got this in the mail. Got standard issue concave cutters and series 11 scissors. Now being new and only having a pair of tiny root scissors to compare to not going to give a lengthy review on these. What I can say is they seem to be of high quality and feel good in my hands. Both are very sharp especially the concave cutters. Made a few small cuts on a ficus I have to try them out and both made really nice cuts. Looking forward to getting more tools from them as my collection grows.

image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
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Look nice!

Are you still sniffing at them?

I would be!

Sorce
 
Nice!
Curious as to there is much of a difference in using stainless tools as apposed to the high carbon tools (other then price) or is it a traditional thing?
Other then my concave cutters... most of my tools come out of my garage. o_O
 
Spdyracer said:
I'm really trying to not make the next picture I post all my trees with no leaves or branches. Had to step away from them before I attacked all my trees.
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I made a vow to not use my concave cutters....my only "bonsai" tool....
It has worked!

Take a walk thru the neighborhood!
Trim someone else's trees!
Lol!

Sorce
 
sorce said:
I made a vow to not use my concave cutters....my only "bonsai" tool....
It has worked!

Take a walk thru the neighborhood!
Trim someone else's trees!
Lol!

Sorce
Click to expand...
That's the first thing I'm gonna do Sorce. Not take a walk, take a picture of my new set of tools and post it when they get here.
 
Spdyracer said:
Ordered from American bonsai a few days ago and today got this in the mail.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I never heard of the Company before and when needed will be doing business with them. Nice find ;)

Grimmy
 
GrimLore said:
If that is the guy from Florida I think it is and he uses them they must be well made. Perhaps will even hold up to my grip :p

Grimmy
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The same guy. They look like great tools. He doesn't exactly baby his stuff so they have to be tough.
 
M. Frary said:
Just quit being a brute and that won't happen.
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It keeps my Wife thinking and also gives her something to talk about at work :rolleyes: In addition she always has an idea what I could use as a gift :p I had her shaking her head a few days back but she did not comment. She mixed in with another tree order a 4 foot tall Red Maple whip for me to plant out back. She went to the Office and I reduced it to 4 inches, put away the 5 gallon container she got to start it and reduced the roots enough to jam in a 1/2 gallon pot ;) She only said - "I bet you are going to photo that". I said no that was far to small to make a fuss over...

Grimmy
 
M. Frary said:
You do got it bad don't you? Can't trust you around any trees can she?
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Well, we have an understanding... If she orders her self a tree or I buy her one I will and do water it and fertilize it. I won't cut, trim, prune, pot, or plant it. My trees are my trees and I do as I please with them :oops: The only rule she is VERY serious about is I am not to buy a chainsaw and is why I borrow those two big Carbides instead of buying my own :p That however is more related to a small scar on my arm while using one, one handed with a beer in the other in New York some years ago :rolleyes:

Grimmy
 
I don't know if I would even use them. Put them away and use your old stuff. Don't want to mess them up!
 
I own every tool they make - they are pretty decent. I work A LOT of trees. I prefer stainless bc I am in Florida and rust is like a joke i mean with our humidity my other tools rusted while I watched. And as they are in FL I like supporting a biz in the state. I also recycle wire with them. I'll go take a pic of my table right now :0
 
AaronThomas said:
Nice!
Curious as to there is much of a difference in using stainless tools as apposed to the high carbon tools (other then price) or is it a traditional thing?
Other then my concave cutters... most of my tools come out of my garage. o_O
Click to expand...
Typically high carbon steels will have better edge retention and wear resistance. The trade off is of course they're a "carbon steel" and more easily risk corrosion. Stainless steels have the addition of chromium and other components that give it the "stainless" quality. Depending on the user some might not be comfortable with tool maintenance or may be inclined to forget their tools outside in which case stainless would be better to own. Stainless tends to be more expensive than carbon steels though because of a more complex production process but more so being harder to machine and work. To put this into perspective try sharpening an old slip joint on a simple whetstone or Arkansas stone. Then try sharpening one of those modern budget kitchen knives you can find at walmart or what have you. The kitchen knife should be substantially harder to sharpen. Because of this for a carbon steel and stainless steel at the same price point, the carbon steel will almost always performs better. That's how the conception arose that using carbon steels are superior or better. Don't get me wrong though. You can get stainless tools far outperforming many of the carbon steel tools commonly used but the production cost and consequently sale price would be too high. Looking at the American Bonsai site they use "400 series stainless steel." Its probably 440C or 420 commonly found as a simple stainless in pocket knives and kitchen cutlery. For comparable money you probably could get a better performing carbon steel tool which is my preferred option unless you have big rust concerns. Looking at a popular maker of Japanese bonsai tools, Kaneshin, they use blue, white, and yellow paper steels--from highest to lower quality in the order listed. The blue and white steels especially are really nice stuff and have great qualities. Their tools are similarly priced.

That said don't pick tools only based off what they're made of. You can use fancy expensive materials but if the heat treat is done poorly you end up with a poor tool. So buy your stuff from someone with a good reputation--chances are they have their production process sourced well or heat treatment dialed in.
 
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