What’s your latest Bonsai related purchase?

I have this set, which is made by the same manufacturer, but for $7 more comes with two more gouges and a nice case. Wazakura is good quality, but it's all white label, and there are often opportunities to buy direct for better prices.

Actually, my latest bonsai purchase is Wazakura pliers and wire cutters, because I tried some at the museum and liked the grips. Came home, and nearly snapped the blade on my cheap Chinese wire cutters on some 6 gauge, so figured I should upgrade.
 
Placed an order with Kanashin the other day. I bought a branch cutter and tweezers in March and that whole experience and quality of their tools convinced me to upgrade a few more of my tools. Even splurged on a completely hand made set of trimming scissors (601A). But I pulled back the purse strings a bit by getting a less labour intensive but still high quality steel pair of Ashinaga style scissors(36A instead of 36D) that savings allowed me to buy a smaller set of well priced scissors 39A. There were a couple more upgrades, 6B low profile bud cutters and another slim profile blue steel trimmers. I wished I could justify( afford) the all handmade line but getting the lesser labour intensive but still high quality blue steel versions i think will be pretty great. I really feel buying any quality products from Japan represents a very good bargain these days. Even for the Canadian dollar.I appreciate the information they put on their website and its a real pleasure dealing directly with Kaneshin in Japan.
100% agreed...
 
While I’m thinking about deadwood tools from my post from yesterday, I thought I’d share a not-so-new tool, but one I haven’t talked about.

Kaneshin 8B: Skinny Knob Cutter
This tool is the signature of Nomoto Daisaku, who headlined at the Shohin School Seminar. It’s great for pulling up threads when creating deadwood, and Nomoto certainly sold me on it.
IMG_3432.jpeg
Really fun and surprisingly versatile tool, especially for small trees. The other pictures show it compared to a (non-Kaneshin) knob cutter.

For sale from Jonas or direct from Kaneshin.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3433.jpeg
    IMG_3433.jpeg
    282.2 KB · Views: 70
  • IMG_3434.jpeg
    IMG_3434.jpeg
    283.7 KB · Views: 79
I bought a cute little JWP (pinus parviflora). It's nothing spectacular, but I love that it has so many nice, fine branches. There are some branches that come from the same spot on the trunk and a big whorl on top. I also don't like the soil it is in, it seems to stay wet for a relatively long time.

What would you recommend? Can I prune&wire now (late summer/early fall) and repot in spring or should I decide and do only one of the two? So far, I only cleaned a few dead stubs and tried to make a tiny deadwood feature out of the biggest stump on the bottom.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20240913_092139863.jpg
    PXL_20240913_092139863.jpg
    253.4 KB · Views: 71
Based on the info of bonsai4me.com you can repot in August-September (late Summer/early Autumn).
Link: https://bonsai4me.com/speciesguides/pinus-pine-bonsai/

I don't have Japanese white pines but I repot my Japanese Black pines and Scots pines in spring.

If you wait with the repot you could wire the tree this autumn/winter and repot in spring.
 
Based on the info of bonsai4me.com you can repot in August-September (late Summer/early Autumn).
Link: https://bonsai4me.com/speciesguides/pinus-pine-bonsai/

I don't have Japanese white pines but I repot my Japanese Black pines and Scots pines in spring.

If you wait with the repot you could wire the tree this autumn/winter and repot in spring.

Thanks for your response! I think that makes a lot of sense. The article you linked recommends caution for mature pines, but I assume mine is not that old.

The general rule with mature (over 30-40 years) Pines is to keep to ‘only one insult per vegetative period’. After repotting, drastic pruning, wiring or styling you must then wait until 12 months elapses before carrying out any further work. This also means that if a Pine is styled in the Summer, it cannot be repotted the following Spring.

Immature, young pines will take more work than this each year without weakening but it must be remembered that Pines should always been developed slowly.
 
Tangently related. I got myself a house and a plot of land to play with. I'm still in the process of moving (fixing up the interior a little bit/baby proofing), but some plants have already been brought over.

I plan on building a retaining wall for the front yard, grading the hill flat, and building growbeds for saplings. Hopefully I can get that done in the late fall/early winter so that I have a place to plant them come spring.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_1391.JPG
    DSC_1391.JPG
    184.9 KB · Views: 43
  • DSC_1389.JPG
    DSC_1389.JPG
    236.7 KB · Views: 36
  • DSC_1388.JPG
    DSC_1388.JPG
    250.7 KB · Views: 38
  • DSC_1386.JPG
    DSC_1386.JPG
    156.2 KB · Views: 33
  • DSC_1385.JPG
    DSC_1385.JPG
    249.2 KB · Views: 33
  • DSC_1384.JPG
    DSC_1384.JPG
    270.4 KB · Views: 32
  • DSC_1383.JPG
    DSC_1383.JPG
    232.4 KB · Views: 31
  • DSC_1380.JPG
    DSC_1380.JPG
    278.8 KB · Views: 29
  • DSC_1379.JPG
    DSC_1379.JPG
    210.7 KB · Views: 33
Tangently related. I got myself a house and a plot of land to play with. I'm still in the process of moving (fixing up the interior a little bit/baby proofing), but some plants have already been brought over.

I plan on building a retaining wall for the front yard, grading the hill flat, and building growbeds for saplings. Hopefully I can get that done in the late fall/early winter so that I have a place to plant them come spring.
Congrats ! I think you are the winner of this thread. Mod please close...lol
 
Japanese Bonsai Wire Brush

IMG_9113.jpeg
IMG_9115.jpeg
IMG_9116.jpeg

The brush will be a companion to the Shari tool, removing bark and focusing on live vein contrasting with deadwood. Plentiful small-to-medium Juniper material will be worked to create bonsai as inspired from Bonsai Q.
 
Back
Top Bottom