Professional Bonsai Tool Maintenance & Sharpening Guide
Proper maintenance and sharpening of your bonsai tools are essential for the health and beauty of your bonsai trees. Dull tools can damage your trees, while sharp, well-maintained tools make pruning and shaping a breeze. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about maintaining your scissors/shears.
What You Need!
- Camellia oil
- Genuine Kaneshin crean mate
- Diamond file - long handle with 2 sides (#240 #400 Mesh)
- Whetstone - #150 #800 grit (don't drop it unless you'd like 2 stones!)
- Non-slip mat
- A rag, always handy
- Highlighter pen
- Headlamp - helpful but non-essential
Key Principles
- A little preventative maintenance is best
- It's not a race, be careful, and go slow & steady
- Don't overheat - Heat is the worst enemy, especially for carbon steel tools, power tools can create too much heat and alter the cutting edge
- Clean the tools first to prevent clogging of the files & stones
- When sharpening with stone or file, follow the bevel carefully - outside edge, not the inside, just clean off the burr edge on the inside
- You must maintain the current bevel, careful not to change this or you will alter the cutting edge
- Caution, sharpening tools can be dangerous!
Scissors Maintenance Steps
- Pop your headlamp on, the more light the better
- Use genuine Kaneshin crean mate tool cleaner pad in conjunction with camellia oil to help remove any rust and sap from your stainless steel and carbon steel bonsai tools. A few drops of camellia oil on the pad and rub over the area to be cleaned. We recommended this step before conducting your sharpening, with either a diamond file or whetstone to avoid clogging your sharpening device with sap or rust.
- Wipe them clean with a rag.
- Conduct an assessment before you start - hold the scissors up to the light, look for any gaps, chips or damage to the blade. You can use a highlighter pen to mark the area that needs your attention. A good pair scissors are slightly loose when open, this isn't a fault they are designed that way to pull together when used. Although some of the cheaper brand’s can be very loose.
- Start sharpening with a diamond file, I like the Japanese ones with long handles, which are 2 sided, and they have a different mesh on each side #240, #400. Carefully file on the outside edge of the angled blade in one direction (we don't sharpen the flat inside of the blade) it's easier to maintain original bevel this way. Apply the same file stroke count and pressure on both sides.
- Remove the burr only on the flat outside edge, if there is one, as you improve your technique you may find there is no burr to remove. One or two light files will do on each side, remember If you sharpen the flat edge, you will increase the gap in the shears.
- To grind out small chips or to improve a very dull blade we recommend using a whetstone prior to refining the blade with the file.
- If you find that you have some chips or your scissors are really dull, using a whetstones provide a simple and effective way to sharpen your bonsai tools. Before use, soak the whetstones in water for approximately 5 minutes or until the bubbles stop appearing. Use a non-slip mat to place your stone on. Our stones feature two distinct grits, with #150 on one side and #800 on the other. Use the #150 grit to grind out small chips or to improve a dull blade. For normal sharpening and refining, use the #800 grit. Use the same principles as the file maintaining the bevel. When sharpening with the stone, keep the stone stationary while you move the scissor along it, most people find it easier to maintain the same bevel with this method. If the stone dries out during the sharpening process, add a splash of water to keep it moist. Remember not to leave your stone in water, always allow the stone to dry out after each use. It also important to note that oil or any other lubricants should not be used with these stones.
- Now to tighten the pin on the scissors, however this is normally not required. Tap the pin while it's supported on the other side like a garage bench vise. This takes practice and isn't easy to achieve the desired result, and a little warning this can often result in broken scissors, so feel free to attempt at your own risk. Maybe on the oldest scissors that you own with a loose pin.
- Now check your work, hold them up to light as we did at the beginning or test on cutting some foliage. If they are still dull repeat the process. It's better to repeat than over filing or grinding your scissors away unnecessary.
- Finally add camellia oil all over including the pin.
Important points to remember
- Good scissors should overlap slightly at the tips
- The pin often doesn't need tightening
- Only sharpen when needed, over sharpening only grinds your tool away
- Sharp scissors ensure a clean cut, which avoids bruising/crushing the branch
- Use a stone & move the tool OR use a file & move the file
- Isopropyl alcohol may be used as a disinfectant
- A few drops of camellia oil on a crean mate pad is a good maintenance practice for removing sap and rust from your tools
Consider professional sharpening services, although the tools are never quite the same afterwards. With proper care and these techniques, you can maintain your tools yourself and keep them performing at their best.
Remember: proper tool maintenance is an investment in both your tools and your bonsai's health. Take your time, follow these steps carefully, and your tools will serve you well for years to come.