Most you’ve ever spent on a stand AND why it was worth it! (Pics encouraged!)

[FreshAirSunshine]

Following up on the general poll trend going around with a selfish request. I know next to nothing about bonsai stands, and would like to learn what makes one good and valuable. If you feel comfortable doing so, please indicate what made your purchase worth making!

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Only stand I have is a wood old stool I found in an antique shop. Just liked the wood grain and it was appropriately sized for one of my shohin trees.

 

[stewarjm192]

ill follow up on my post.... I started building stands in 2019. About a year later I made a copy of a David Knittle stand as a small mame/Shohin cascade stand. I listed it on FB auction for a BIN of 225. My teacher, and the main reason I began making stands, Pauline Muth, bought the stand moments after I listed it. When she passed away last September, I bought back the stand she had bought from me so I could always know where it lived.

 

[NaoTK]

I got a custom Fuji shohin display box from David Knittle last weekend. In retrospect I will likely not use it for many years and suggest not buying one. If there are stand makers out there consider making warabi stands which America really needs わらび卓.

At nationals I got this medium table from Alex Imbo bonsai https://www.instagram.com/imbo_bonsai/?hl=en Check him out this guy is the future!

 

[Cadillactaste]

My larger root stand...was a couple hundred. But I don't recall exact. I don't show...but I felt a splurge for photography was worth it.

 

[Maiden69]

If there are stand makers out there consider making warabi stands which America really needs

What exactly is this stand? I searched and there are two stands coming up. A two tier and a "Idon'tknowwhattocallit".

 

[Fidur]

My stand, cheapest I found avalaible (12$)

 

[stewarjm192]

here is the stand in question

ill follow up on my post.... I started building stands in 2019. About a year later I made a copy of a David Knittle stand as a small mame/Shohin cascade stand. I listed it on FB auction for a BIN of 225. My teacher, and the main reason I began making stands, Pauline Muth, bought the stand moments after I listed it. When she passed away last September, I bought back the stand she had bought from me so I could always know where it lived.

 

[NaoTK]

here is the stand in question

This stand is nice and it's of course better than anything I could do, but the single easiest thing American stand makers can do to improve their builds and earn more $$$ is

QUIT OVER ENGINEERING IT.

The construction should be as slender as possible, delicate, fragile. The damn thing should crush if you squeeze it.

There are times when heaviness is desired. But on this example of a tall stand, you would not have a heavy tree and the thick supports detract from the purpose of the tall stand.

Standing offer to trade pots for stands!

 

[NaoTK]

Yes this is a warabi (Warabi means fiddlehead fern). This is a very basic cheap example but yes we need more of these


The reason is it is very difficult to create a full 5 point display stand in shohin that is actually good. It is much easier to put together a 2 or 3 piece display. So beginners like almost everyone in the US should start with warabi displays, then go up to 4 point then 5 point etc.

Shohin display is a whole 'nother world, a whole independent hobby within a hobby. It deserves a whole section on this website.

 

[Maiden69]

Standing offer to trade pots for stands!

Hopefully it will still stand once my house is finished and I can set my shop again...

Yes this is a warabi (Warabi means fiddlehead fern).

Thanks! Shibui did one of those on the build off. Didn't know that is how they were called.

Stand build off

Procrastination is my greatest skill I could certainly go toe to toe with you on this but I will be late showing up.

www.bonsainut.com

I bought the materials before the wife decided to "look" at new houses a few miles down the road.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I bought the materials before the wife decided to "look" at new houses a few miles down the road.

Been there, done that…still recovering from the most recent one. Trees all sitting on the ground out back.

My best stand is by David Knittle, custom built for the JBP and the antique Chinese pot its in, right down to the live edge/finished edge junctions. We collaborated for weeks by email with pix and measurements and dimensions. It was really cool, and he still caught me by complete surprise by making the live edge a pennisula vs. inset. It turned out amazing.

I wanted it to be a bit taller so the tree wouldn’t get lost among the giants at Nattys. David also made the companion stand for the ROR trident based on the composition and dimensions of the Ino pot. The third photo is the display about as sent to Rochester in 2021, had to wait 3 years to show it between a harsh winter in 2018 nearly killing the pine, then the ’20 show pushing to ‘21.

 

[stewarjm192]

Yes this is a warabi (Warabi means fiddlehead fern). This is a very basic cheap example but yes we need more of these
View attachment 526546

The reason is it is very difficult to create a full 5 point display stand in shohin that is actually good. It is much easier to put together a 2 or 3 piece display. So beginners like almost everyone in the US should start with warabi displays, then go up to 4 point then 5 point etc.

Been there, done that…still recovering from the most recent one. Trees all sitting on the ground out back.

My best stand is by David Knittle, custom built for the JBP and the antique Chinese pot its in, right down to the live edge/finished edge junctions. We collaborated for weeks by email with pix and measurements and dimensions. It was really cool, and he still caught me by complete surprise by making the live edge a pennisula vs. inset. It turned out amazing.

I wanted it to be a bit taller so the tree wouldn’t get lost among the giants at Nattys. David also made the companion stand for the ROR trident based on the composition and dimensions of the Ino pot. The third photo is the display about as sent to Rochester in 2021, had to wait 3 years to show it between a harsh winter in 2018 nearly killing the pine, then the ’20 show pushing to ‘21.
View attachment 526673View attachment 526674View attachment 526675

This is a fantastic piece David made for you. I’ve seen the photo series online of David making it I believe, or one very similar, and have used some hints I’ve taken for my own stands.

The live edge is just….

 

[Maiden69]

Been there, done that…still recovering from the most recent one. Trees all sitting on the ground out back.

This is built house #4 in less than 10 years, she says we are done moving after this one... not holding my breath on it. The only thing that I really like about this one is that the backyard is very long, with a few mature trees that I will be able to use as cover for the maples.

 

[IzzyG]

Collaborated with Austin Heitzman on these 2 stands(I don’t have finished photos despite having used them twice now). I enjoyed the building experience as it started as my own design with Austin advising on any engineering limitations and raw materials to use. Despite designing them for a couple of specific trees, they actually fit well for a handful of trees.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Been there, done that…still recovering from the most recent one. Trees all sitting on the ground out back.

My best stand is by David Knittle, custom built for the JBP and the antique Chinese pot its in, right down to the live edge/finished edge junctions. We collaborated for weeks by email with pix and measurements and dimensions. It was really cool, and he still caught me by complete surprise by making the live edge a pennisula vs. inset. It turned out amazing.

I wanted it to be a bit taller so the tree wouldn’t get lost among the giants at Nattys. David also made the companion stand for the ROR trident based on the composition and dimensions of the Ino pot. The third photo is the display about as sent to Rochester in 2021, had to wait 3 years to show it between a harsh winter in 2018 nearly killing the pine, then the ’20 show pushing to ‘21.
View attachment 526673View attachment 526674View attachment 526675

That there is GORGEOUS!!! Love a live edge... spectacular presentation as well. But...yeah...absolutely mouth watering.

 

[stewarjm192]

This stand is nice and it's of course better than anything I could do, but the single easiest thing American stand makers can do to improve their builds and earn more $$$ is

QUIT OVER ENGINEERING IT.

The construction should be as slender as possible, delicate, fragile. The damn thing should crush if you squeeze it.

There are times when heaviness is desired. But on this example of a tall stand, you would not have a heavy tree and the thick supports detract from the purpose of the tall stand.

Standing offer to trade pots for stands!

View attachment 526545

This is about as wee as I can get it with my primitive methods