What's the point of buying quality root shears?

[RozendaalArts]

I have a small pair of Fiskars shears that served me well for years but now the soft plastic on the handle is disintegrating. It's still usuable, just ugly. I figured it's a good excuse to buy something better, but what's the point if I'm risking cutting soil and dulling it? I even saw on another thread Nishimura from Kaneshin himself recommended in an email using something cheap for root cutting. Maybe root cutters don't really exist and they're just a different shape pruning shears and you're supposed to wear them out on regular pruning and switch to using them on the roots when they're more beat up?

Any recommendations for shears that I don't need to be fussy over beating up on roots, while still being durable with no plastic parts? My good twig shears aren't ready to be rotated to root duty yet

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I use my old scissors for rough root cutting... but I use my good scissors for big root cuts which I want to seal. In those cases I want as clean a cut as possible, which I will seal with cut paste.

Check out Wazakura scissors, which are a bargain (in my opinion) for the quality. $39.99 for good Japanese steel scissors - free shipping in the US. Note: Wazakura supports this site, so if you buy anything from them the site gets an advertising fee... but they are who I buy my tools from.

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[Wulfskaar]

I also have Fiskars shears. They are very sharp and very cheap to replace.

 

[Shibui]

There's no way round it. Cutting through soil will blunt any cutting tool but we still need to cut those roots. Definitely avoid using the good cutters on roots so they stay sharp longer. Cheaper cutters may be OK for root pruning but might also need sharpening more often. Good quality will (almost) always outlast cheap and will also stay sharp longer.
In the end you will need to sharpen (or replace) root cutting tools more than branch cutting tools, does not matter how much you paid or what brand. Sharp tools are easier to use and clean cuts definitely heal quicker and reduce chances of infection.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

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Been using mine for about five years now. I haven't chipped or dulled it yet.

 

[Ply]

For roots I use garden scissors by a decent quality western manufacturer. They were about 10E. Big, strong, sharp, cheap. Haven't even had to sharpen them yet, unlike my bonsai tools which seem much more fragile.

Don't think it's worth it spending 40+ on a bonsai specific scisssors for roots. You're probably better off getting some sharpening stones and cheap sheers instead. Anything will dull, especially so when cutting in dirt or substrate.

 

[penumbra]

It depends upon the roots I am cutting. For the finer roots I use a pair of scissors but for larger roots I use a pair of Felco pruners. They are easy enough to sharpen as needed. Having been in the nursery business for decades, I have several pair.

 

[Tieball]

I use fish cutting sheers from a Vietnam fish market. A sharp point for probing and the scissors are built for tough use and rough handling….wet or dry cutting. The scissors have been in use for more than ten years and still cut perfectly. Care has just been wiping the scissors off after use. I think the scissors were USD $3.00

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

For use it’s all about a quality hinge, leverage and durability. We use felco secateurs for mostly garden work, sometimes for heavy root work.

Have used a selection of root scissors. Do not like rust magnets, so use a couple

BONSAI SCISSORS LARGE – (KANESHIN) “ LENGTH 185MM ” NO.40E. And another model that has longer handles, but just as beefy. These are not rust magnets compared to the other brands we’ve tested in wet nasty conditions.

Sadly a recent pair of Wazakura root scissors and one from American bonsai we tested got rusty really fast, (like by the end of the day event though they are well maintained each day!). So, although we loved the design, no go for us… despite our desire to use these. Maybe it’s just the Puget Sound spring and fall weather?

It pays to keep these well oiled and very sharp!

Good luck!

Cheers
DSD sends