Growing bonsai is a combination of history, art, and culture. Many years ago, the Japanese first started growing many trees in a small form named bonsai that enhanced their home beauty. Bringing the aesthetic, nice, and charming outlook by grooming and trimming is the art of bonsai. And now it’s become a culture.
Many tree lovers like to grow bonsai at their home, office, balcony, patio, lawn, and garden. There are many rules of bonsai trimming and it requires various kinds of tools. That’s why some beginner bonsai gardeners like you face the challenges of choosing the right tool for trimming.
Can you trim a bonsai tree with scissors?
Yes, of course. Though you will find many sharp tools for trimming, the scissors are among the best, appropriate, and efficient tools to do this DIY job.
Here, we will describe the question’s detailed answer, about the 2 best bonsai scissors for trimming, and many other things. If you don’t want to miss all the information, read the blog till the end.
What Are Bonsai Scissors?
We know you are familiar with many types of scissors. Such as kitchen, sewing, and gardening scissors. But, bonsai scissors are completely different from those types of scissors. Because you need scissors that have long handles, and sharp shears to trim the twigs, branches, and roots of the bonsai plants.
Mostly the Japanese made the bonsai scissors with high carbon steel and sharp shears. They will give a smooth finish with black lacquered. So which scissors are specially designed for trimming and clipping bonsai trees to bring a beautiful shape called bonsai scissors.
All the bonsai scissors are not applicable for all kinds of trimming tasks. The manufacturers divide the bonsai scissors into some different groups. For example
1.General scissors
This type of scissors is designed to serve multi-purpose. That means any beginner gardener can use it for different works, including leaves pruning, branches trimming, twig cutting, etc. As it is general scissors, the users will not get the best outcome. But it is fairly ok to continue the trimming task.
2.Bud Scissors
The bud scissors are one of the popular tools for bonsai lovers. These blades are made with stainless steel and designed for detailed and light maintenance trimming.
3.Root Scissors
The root pruning scissors have strong handles to make it easy to use when root pruning. These blades are sharper than other scissors as the roots are mostly thick and require scissors’ sturdiness. That’s why most of these scissors are made of alloy steel. They are also useful for foliage pruning.
4.Long Handled scissors
The 45° angle long handled bonsai scissors are good for cutting thick bonsai branches. As the scissors have long handled, the users need less physical strength for branch pruning.
5.Wire Scissors
Wiring the bonsai branches is one of the crucial jobs to keep the bonsai in a specific shape. Aluminum and copper wire are mostly used for this. So, these wire scissors are designed to cut wire.
Can You Trim a Bonsai Tree With Scissors?
Scissors are one of the most common, basic, and fundamental tools in the toolbox of bonsai owners. Anyone can trim bonsai with specially crafted bonsai scissors.
You can efficiently trim the bonsai plant with the right scissors. First, you must identify your bonsai health, the right season, and the right branches to trim the tree. After that, you should trim the tree step by step, including leaves, branches, and roots.
Don’t know the exact procedure to trim the tree and bring your desired shape perfectly? Never mind. You can check how to trim a bonsai tree to know a step-by-step guideline with tips and tricks.
Why Do You Trim A Bonsai Tree?
Trimming has a lot of benefits for bonsai trees, so it is a very common word for bonsai enthusiasts. But, wrong trimming can damage your expensive tree.
- The first and foremost reason for bonsai trimming is maintaining its miniature shape. As a result, it will exactly fit with your home decoration.
- The ugly beaches are cut off when trimming the plant, so it looks aesthetic, eye catchy, and mind grabbing.
- Trimming also helps to reduce the plant’s upper side growth rate so that the other part of the tree gets proper nutrition to grow.
- Even trimming helps to maintain its weight, which makes the tree portable. So, you can replace the tree if needed or report when necessary.
Can You Use Regular Scissors on Bonsai?
No, it is not recommended to use regular scissors on bonsai. The bonsai tree needs sharp blades to cut off the branches, roots, and twigs. But, the regular scissors are mostly blunt to trim the tree. They will tear the tree instead of cutting it. But yes, if you manage any normal scissors with sharp blades, then you can use them.
Bonsai Scissors vs. Regular Scissors
In general, both the bonsai and regular scissors look similar at first glance. You can’t find out the differences between them. But, when you look at them discreetly, you will find many differences.
The main differences between the bonsai scissors and regular scissors are sharpness, shape, and design. The bonsai shears are sharper with small blades than regular scissors. They also have easy gripping handles for precise use.
Traditionally, the Japanese use butterfly-shaped and sharp bladed shears to cut off the bonsai branches and stems to give a beautiful look.
The normal scissors are very handy for doing many activities. You can use them to cut off the cardboard, paper, thin materials, rope, etc. If you use normal gardening scissors, that will be useful to cut big bushes, deadhead flowers, and clean weeds. But, regular scissors are not good for bonsai trimming.
Let’s have a look at the head to head difference between bonsai scissors and regular scissors.
| Bonsai Scissors | Regular Scissors |
| They are specially designed for trimming bonsai trees. | They are designed to serve multi-purpose jobs. |
| Their blades are extremely sharp, like razors. | Their blades are less sharp, even blunt, than bonsai scissors. |
| They offer you surgical level precision. That means you can use them effectively without any expertise. | They will tear the tree rather than trimming. |
| They have long handles, butterfly shaped, and are durable. That’s why you don’t need to give too much force to cut branches. | They don’t have long handles and butterfly shapes, even very fragile ones. They have small handles, so you have to press the handles forcefully. That is inconvenient. |
| They are more expensive than regular scissors | They are comparatively budget-friendly |
What Are The Best Trimming Scissors?
After describing many things about bonsai scissors, it will be incomplete if we don’t tell you which bonsai scissors are best for trimming your bonsai. So in this part of our content, it’s time to review 2 well-crafted and most popular scissors.
1.Wakashishi/Bonsai scissors
If you are looking for the best Japanese bonsai scissors, we recommend you to choose Wakashishi Bonsai scissors. The Japanese constructed these scissors from SK steel and butter shaped. That’s why you will find them quite sharp to trim your bonsai without crushing or bruising.
The lightweight and good grip of the shears help you to use them with precision. Do you like to wear hand gloves when trimming? No issues. You can easily hold them with hand gloves to get maximum leverage.
As they are super sharp, you have to use them properly. They can easily snag anything for your carelessness. And most importantly, keep the kids away from your surroundings when you use them.
After using, properly clean and wrap them before storing; otherwise, the scissors will catch rust. Please store them in a dry and secure place.
Pros
- Made from stainless steel so extremely durable
- Very sharp blades and easy to use
- They are perfect for cutting the larger, older branches
- Lightweight that won’t make your hand fatigue
- Great for investment for your bonsai tree
Cons
- Packaging needs to be improved; as it is a sharp product, any accident can happen for poor packaging.
2.Gonick Bonsai Scissors
The Gonicc designs its Bonsai Scissors ergonomically for all levels of Bonsai lovers. They are 185 mm long with 55 mm sharp blades. The scissors blades are made from high carbon steel, and the handles are made from alloy steel. For quality materials, you find the blades sharp after heavy use. That means they are very durable, and there is no chance of catching rust.
You can cut off the deadheading, thick branches, stems and trim your bonsai with them to shape it. Sometimes you need a long time to perfectly and precisely trim the tree. In that case, lightweight scissors are a must. They are only 1.5 ounces, so you don’t face joint stiffness or cramping after using them for longer times.
To enhance the scissors’ lifespan when storing the scissors, don’t forget to clean the mud and wipe some oil. Finally, we can say you will not disappoint with this purchase.
Pros
- Solid quality scissors and beautifully crafted
- Extra sharpness ensure smooth cutting without tearing the trees
- Ideal choice for trimming plants and snipping stems
- Lightweight, comfortable, and easy to hold and use
- Budget-friendly price to fit your pocket
Cons
- It seems loose and uncomfortable for small hands
Do You Need Special Scissors For Bonsai Trees?
Yes, pruning scissors are the ideal choice for trimming smaller bonsai stems. Even scissors are medium length, thick, and extremely sharp; they are especially perfect for trimming bonsai trees. They help you to prune the tree to show your bonsai art.
But, one kind of scissors is not applicable for all kinds of pruning. You need general, bud, root, long-handled, and wire scissors for different style pruning.
Why Are Bonsai Scissors So Expensive?
The Japanese artisans make the bonsai scissors, and one pair of scissors takes one week to complete. They work every day for 10 hours, which means one pair of scissors requires a total of 70 working hours. Even they use high-quality materials and follow ancient techniques to produce the scissors. That’s why bonsai scissors are so expensive.
As bonsai specialists need the best quality and highly efficient tools for bonsai arts, they are willing to spend thousands of dollars on bonsai scissors. The price range of a bonsai tool can reach up to $35,000. That can amaze you!
Conclusion
After reading the complete guide about bonsai scissors, you can overcome your confusion; can you trim a bonsai tree with scissors or not? The scissors are one of the most crucial tools to trim the tree. Besides the tools, you should know every ins and outs of trimming.
So, the combination of pruning knowledge and the best pruning tool brings the best outcome. If you use scissors to trim your bonsai, you can share your experiences with us by leaving a comment in our comment section. We love to listen to your experience.
Happy bonsai crafting!