Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
After hearing about American Bonsai as a new bonsai tool and equipment vendor, I was excited to see them at the Golden State Bonsai Federation show this year for the first time. They had a large booth, professionally staffed, with an extensive tool selection. I have to admit that between Thursday and Sunday they sold a lot of tools - coming back on Sunday I was lucky to pick up the last pair of narrow bonsai scissors that they had to offer.
Their web site: American Bonsai
They are physically located in Sarasota, FL, and offer local pickup to save on heavier products (like soil)
First a little background. The company has a background in developing and producing parts for the motorsports industry. Several years ago the owner received a bonsai as a gift, tried to purchase some bonsai tools, and was dissatisfied with the experience. He was surprised to learn that no one was making bonsai tools in the U.S. Recognizing a business opportunity, he set out to create a high quality line of bonsai tools and products to meet the needs of the U.S. market, with as much as possible produced in the U.S. When American Bonsai launched their business in 2013, 30% of their products were made domestically. Today 75% of their product line is.
I was very impressed with the professionalism of their business. They had extensive promotional materials available at the booth, and offered a range of support that should appeal to the bonsai community including:
(1) a 30 day no-questions-asked money back guarantee on all tools
(2) a five year unconditional warranty on product issues that provides for tool repair or replacement during the warranty period (for the original purchaser)
(3) a lifetime warranty on "select items" - though I could not easily determine which items were covered by the lifetime warranty
The tools appeared to be of high quality. I am not a metallurgy expert, but the tools felt heavy-weight, well constructed, with tight hinges that moved smoothly, extremely sharp edges, and precise construction. The pruning scissors I bought today I used this afternoon on a variety of tasks, and was very happy with their performance. I am somewhat of a stickler when it comes to pruning scissors and expect the tips to be needle sharp, and for them to close perfectly. My new scissors performed perfectly in that respect.
In addition to the product warranty, they offer some other interesting services:
(1) For every tool that is purchased, they make a donation to American Forests (the non-profit) to plant a tree in the United States. Additionally, they make an annual donation to plant 500 trees.
(2) They offer discounts for clubs (as well as retailers).
Though their focus is clearly on tools, they offer a wide range of tool accessories like tool rolls, tool sharpeners, tool oils and cleaners, etc.
They also offer a full line of aluminum and annealed copper wire. They have an interesting wire buy-back program where they offer $3 per lb for aluminum or copper wire bits and pieces (in 10 lb lots). It sounds like a good program in conjunction with their club wire discounts!
Finally, they have an extensive line of soil products that (depending where you live and what is available in your market) may be a great solution if you can't find a specific aggregate for your soil mix. They offer various clays, slates, lava, shale, etc. Pricing is $45.50 for most products per 5 gallons, and includes Continental U.S. shipping if your order is at least $99. If you BYOB to their facility in Sarasota, it sounds like all their aggregates cost $25 per 5-gallon bucket.
My impression was very favorable. Everything seemed extremely professional, from their products to their informational material. Pricing was extremely competitive, with their tools priced well below what Japanese lines of stainless steel would cost. I am very happy with my new scissors (after one day of use). I look forward to more great news from them in the future!!
Their web site: American Bonsai
They are physically located in Sarasota, FL, and offer local pickup to save on heavier products (like soil)
First a little background. The company has a background in developing and producing parts for the motorsports industry. Several years ago the owner received a bonsai as a gift, tried to purchase some bonsai tools, and was dissatisfied with the experience. He was surprised to learn that no one was making bonsai tools in the U.S. Recognizing a business opportunity, he set out to create a high quality line of bonsai tools and products to meet the needs of the U.S. market, with as much as possible produced in the U.S. When American Bonsai launched their business in 2013, 30% of their products were made domestically. Today 75% of their product line is.
I was very impressed with the professionalism of their business. They had extensive promotional materials available at the booth, and offered a range of support that should appeal to the bonsai community including:
(1) a 30 day no-questions-asked money back guarantee on all tools
(2) a five year unconditional warranty on product issues that provides for tool repair or replacement during the warranty period (for the original purchaser)
(3) a lifetime warranty on "select items" - though I could not easily determine which items were covered by the lifetime warranty
The tools appeared to be of high quality. I am not a metallurgy expert, but the tools felt heavy-weight, well constructed, with tight hinges that moved smoothly, extremely sharp edges, and precise construction. The pruning scissors I bought today I used this afternoon on a variety of tasks, and was very happy with their performance. I am somewhat of a stickler when it comes to pruning scissors and expect the tips to be needle sharp, and for them to close perfectly. My new scissors performed perfectly in that respect.
In addition to the product warranty, they offer some other interesting services:
(1) For every tool that is purchased, they make a donation to American Forests (the non-profit) to plant a tree in the United States. Additionally, they make an annual donation to plant 500 trees.
(2) They offer discounts for clubs (as well as retailers).
Though their focus is clearly on tools, they offer a wide range of tool accessories like tool rolls, tool sharpeners, tool oils and cleaners, etc.
They also offer a full line of aluminum and annealed copper wire. They have an interesting wire buy-back program where they offer $3 per lb for aluminum or copper wire bits and pieces (in 10 lb lots). It sounds like a good program in conjunction with their club wire discounts!
Finally, they have an extensive line of soil products that (depending where you live and what is available in your market) may be a great solution if you can't find a specific aggregate for your soil mix. They offer various clays, slates, lava, shale, etc. Pricing is $45.50 for most products per 5 gallons, and includes Continental U.S. shipping if your order is at least $99. If you BYOB to their facility in Sarasota, it sounds like all their aggregates cost $25 per 5-gallon bucket.
My impression was very favorable. Everything seemed extremely professional, from their products to their informational material. Pricing was extremely competitive, with their tools priced well below what Japanese lines of stainless steel would cost. I am very happy with my new scissors (after one day of use). I look forward to more great news from them in the future!!
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