A set of Koyo stainless bonsai tools in a brown suede tool roll (the suede rolls we offer now are black).
Now that we’re sure it’s really spring
Today I watched a Robin eating a worm on my back lawn. It was the first Robin of the year (for me at least), so now that I’m sure it’s really spring, it’s time to break out the bonsai tools, pots, soil and all the rest and get ready for that hectic digging and potting season.
First things first: cleaning tools
For some reason I didn’t finished cleaning all my tools before I put them away in the fall, so today I got them all out and finished the job. It was no mean feat; I try to use all the tools we sell, so I’ve got dozens to clean. I used our coarse cleaning block (a medium block would work too) to get the tough sap and rust spots off (I’m a little embarrassed to admit that some of my tools had a little rust on them). Then I followed with a fine cleaning block to polish them up. Finally a soft rag and a spot of camellia oil, and the job was done.
Sharpening comes later
Each time you sharpen a tool, the steel in the blade is weakened, so it’s best to wait to sharpen until you’re sure the tool really needs it. Nothing is ready to cut yet, so I won’t know which, if any, of my tools need sharpening for a while. When I do have to sharpen, I’ll use our Okatsune stone. Okatsune tools are among the best in the world, and, as you might expect, their stone is excellent. Best of all, one side is curved. Perfect for sharpening curved blade tools like concave branch cutters and knob cutters.
Okatsune sharpening stone. Though it’s difficult to tell, the edge on the right is curved to fit curved blades.