Itoigawa Shimpaku - best materials for future shohin project?

[phongtien1996]

Hi,

I just found a bonsai nursery that sell these shimpakus, the first type is about 1inch diameter while the others are as thick as a pencil.
All of them are sold at the same price. Honestly my first though was to buy ones as big as possible but I'm afraid they are too big to bend for a shohin size? Their trunks are dead straight.
The small ones are easy to bend but it takes years to reach desirable size to work on
Which one do you think is the best option here?

Small one



1 inch

 

[misfit11]

I agree. If your goal is to make shohin, I'd get the small ones and put some tight bends in them. Yes, they will take longer to achieve a size that makes a nice bonsai, but they will have the character that makes them more desirable.

 

[Shibui]

Normal Shimpaku growth is long, straight sections which makes it difficult to produce good bonsai.
Thicker Shimpaku trunks are very rigid so require special techniques to make bends.
Can make gentle, flowing bends in pencil thick trunks but need thinner wood for good, tight bends. Getting natural looking bend requires practice to avoid the corkscrew look.

 

[bwaynef]

Just like its often better to start with small growth to build branches on juniper so you can add the movement necessary, the same can be said for building the trunks. These look healthy, so you should be able to make that time up fairly quickly ...with much improved movement.