Is this tool supposed to do this?

[elijah_moncrieff]

I have purchased a tool from a brand I will not name out of respect for the company. I feel like I have a bad tool but, maybe its just me thinking they should do something they aren't capable of. When making cuts they seem to tear the tissue and leave a step at the point of the cut. I've included an image of a branch that shows the step. I know this tool isn't meant to cut straight branches and would be better suited for a different tool. But, this is the best way I can show what is happening on a concave cut when removing branches from a junction or emanating from the trunk. Maybe I'm being critical, but when using the flush concave cutter from the same brand I get much higher cut quality, no step, no tearing etc. Does anyone else experience this with their tools? Or do you think I got a bad apple?

 

[Cadillactaste]

I have a spherical and a concave cutter. I find the spherical one...doesn't leave a clean of cut as my regular concave.

You don't mention the tool you are using.

 

[shohin_branches]

What tool are you using?

 

[pandacular]

Hmm sounds to me like you're talking about a rounded concave cutter. And based on the cut, I think I can guess who the company is. I sold mine on for a bargain because it wasn't worth what I paid. I'll stick to well made high carbon Japanese tools, or at least cheap Chinese ones!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Hmm sounds to me like you're talking about a rounded concave cutter. And based on the cut, I think I can guess who the company is. I sold mine on for a bargain because it wasn't worth what I paid. I'll stick to well made high carbon Japanese tools, or at least cheap Chinese ones!

I bought what I thought a good brand. I was not overly thrilled with the product. I assumed they were crap. I just left it go...and have never replaced it. I just grab my concave.

Looked up email. To see the brand. Apparently recent talk here it was a good brand. I may have just had a fluke crap one. Or...the thing just is lesser quality overall when using that participant tool.

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

I have a spherical and a concave cutter. I find the spherical one...doesn't leave a clean of cut as my regular concave.

You don't mention the tool you are using.

So sorry, it’s a rounded concave cutter

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

I bought what I thought a good brand. I was not overly thrilled with the product. I assumed they were crap. I just left it go...and have never replaced it. I just grab my concave.

Looked up email. To see the brand. Apparently recent talk here it was a good brand. I may have just had a fluke crap one. Or...the thing just is lesser quality overall when using that participant tool.
View attachment 585822

Oh interesting, thank you for sharing the experience! I feel like I’ve got a bad one too. I’ve heard all good things from this brand on here too so maybe they’ll replace it with a new one. They agreed to let me send it back for quality inspection.

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

Hmm sounds to me like you're talking about a rounded concave cutter. And based on the cut, I think I can guess who the company is. I sold mine on for a bargain because it wasn't worth what I paid. I'll stick to well made high carbon Japanese tools, or at least cheap Chinese ones!

What brands do you like? I was thinking of getting kaneshin carbon steel. It would cost the same as this stainless steel one and from what I’ve heard they are the best.

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

What tool are you using?

Sorry, rounded concave cutter.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Oh interesting, thank you for sharing the experience! I feel like I’ve got a bad one too. I’ve heard all good things from this brand on here too so maybe they’ll replace it with a new one. They agreed to let me send it back for quality inspection.

...same brand? ...

 

[pandacular]

What brands do you like? I was thinking of getting kaneshin carbon steel. It would cost the same as this stainless steel one and from what I’ve heard they are the best.

Kaneshin is excellent for the money, that’s my go to. Masakuni are incredible but about 3x the price.

We did confirm that it’s the same brand that we had this experience with!

 

[Ohmy222]

I have a spherical concave cutter from Kaneshin. They make great tools and I liked mine but once it sort of lost its edge, it also struggle to cut cleanly. I haven't found a good way to sharpen back to the way it was. I honestly just use a regular one and then use the knob cutter to clean it up now. Seems to work much better but of course that is two tools vs one.

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

...same brand? ...

No, not this one!

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

I have a spherical concave cutter from Kaneshin. They make great tools and I liked mine but once it sort of lost its edge, it also struggle to cut cleanly. I haven't found a good way to sharpen back to the way it was. I honestly just use a regular one and then use the knob cutter to clean it up now. Seems to work much better but of course that is two tools vs one.

This is exactly what I was planning to buy. Out of curiosity do you have carbon or stainless steel? I was thinking of going carbon just for a little savings and hear they tend to be a little sharper.

 

[pandacular]

Most professionals tend to use carbon steel, which they sharpen regularly and wear out fast. In fact, I’ve been told by a few pros that they prefer inexpensive Chinese carbon steel tools specifically because the steel is hard and the tool is treated as sort of disposable. If you use your tools enough, you’ll eventually damage them—often these become the “bottom” tools which are reserved for the roots. Chip a concave cutter? Well you just gained a new root cutter.

Since I don’t have those damaged tools yet, I ended up getting affordable Chinese stainless steel cutters that are my root cutters. I‘ve enjoyed using them to eat roots without fear (though I avoid lava in my soil mix, partly because it eats your tools)

I guess this was a long winded way of saying it’s up to you? I prefer carbon steel but haven’t used many good stainless steel cutters. Personally, I think I’d prefer separate concave and knob cutters—with both of those handy you wouldn’t reach for the rounded cutter, and the two types of cuts are so different than having to change tools doesn’t slow you down enough for the jack of all trades to win, in my experience.

But then, the only rounded concave cutter was one with your same defect from the same company!

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Without actually seeing the tool, and how the cutting edges meet its very hard to say,

It could be loose, it could be sharpened incorrectly, it could be damaged, or it could just be a rubbish tool

If you don't want to mention the company on here to protect their reputation, I hope you have been in contact with them to give them a chance to put this right,

Include pics, feel free to post them here first so experienced members can point you in the right direction of the problem.

 

[rockm]

Can’t really tell if this is the result of the user or the tool. If the branch diameter is too large for the tool you less than optimal results.

A pic of the tool next to the branch would help

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

Without actually seeing the tool, and how the cutting edges meet its very hard to say,

It could be loose, it could be sharpened incorrectly, it could be damaged, or it could just be a rubbish tool

If you don't want to mention the company on here to protect their reputation, I hope you have been in contact with them to give them a chance to put this right,

Include pics, feel free to post them here first so experienced members can point you in the right direction of the problem.

I have been in contact with them, it took months to get a response but I am sending the tool back for them to inspect.

 

[elijah_moncrieff]

Can’t really tell if this is the result of the user or the tool. If the branch diameter is too large for the tool you less than optimal results.

A pic of the tool next to the branch would help

I took some more pics to test multiple cuts and diameters. Here’s what I got. The cuts tend to still leave a notch and it doesnt feel like it cuts smoothly or evenly. You can tell all of the cuts have the notch on the right side so in essence the jaws aren’t both cutting to meet at the middle. More like one is cutting towards the other like standard garden bypass pruners. These biggest of the branches is just under 3/8” thick, so I believe these branches aren’t outside the range for this tool, but let me know @rockm. The flush concave pruner (smaller tool in image) cuts cleaner, more precise, meets in the middle, and has tighter tolerance between the blades. I included pics of the blades for reference. The rounded concave has a bigger gap between the blades which made me curious if that’s why the rounded concave doesn’t cut as well.

 

[badatusernames]

I know those tools and kaneshin is heads and tails better

I do worry about the long term durability of any bonsai tool. I’ve used mine a lot and they’re doing fine, but I should probably learn how to sharpen them.

Depending how long they last, when the time comes to replace them it may be worth going for them again. We likely aren’t chewing through tools as often as a pro.