Masakuni vs KANESHIN

abqjoe

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How much better are Masakuni tools compared to Kaneshin? I'm eyeballing sets from both manufacturers and am wondering if Masakuni are that much better to pay the difference. I'm looking at stainless steel sets btw....
 

jcrossett

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Never used kaneshin but I had I thread a way back and many people swore by them.

I used masakuni last weekend and they were very nice.

I seen the small 6 inch scissors cut an 1/8 inch branch with no effort.

The wire cutters cut 6-8 gauge copper with no effort and the "Jin pliers" have a nice curve in the handles that anchor then to your hands without ease.

I'm a fan of you get what you pay for but at the same time they are both quality tools. So it's all about how you use them and the care you take during using them.

If you use them properly and clean / sharpen then they will last you a life time.

Just my 2 cents.

Btw I think I'm buying kaneshin due to price. Don't think I'll go ss thou.
 

Smoke

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Hmmm... seems as pointless the second time as it was the first time.
 

abqjoe

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Hmmm... seems as pointless the second time as it was the first time.

It's not pointless to me when one set is around $750 and the other is around 2k..... At that point it's actually pretty valid!
 

aml1014

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The amount of work I've done with my cheap tools that are holding up just fine (because they are cared for) I'd say whatever you decide on will do great, just take care of them which I know you will!

Aaron
 

Smoke

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I don't know the point of the job is to cut a branch or twig. I could do that with a pair of corona bypass pruners for 28.00 or a pair of Fiskers kitchen scissors for 25.00.

If you feel that 750.00 or 2,500.00 is going to impress the forum then by all means buy them. This guy, a friend of mine, can sell some great tools at half that price.
 

abqjoe

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I don't know the point of the job is to cut a branch or twig. I could do that with a pair of corona bypass pruners for 28.00 or a pair of Fiskers kitchen scissors for 25.00.

If you feel that 750.00 or 2,500.00 is going to impress the forum then by all means buy them. This guy, a friend of mine, can sell some great tools at half that price.

Has nothing to do with impressing anyone! I have acquired some pretty darn valuable tree's and want to be able to do clean work on them. I also don't want to ever have to buy a second set of tools in my lifetime either, that's the whole point.
 

Smoke

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In reading the past post on buying trees I assume you are not one to heed valuable information from people that could help you. I will tell you anyway from someone who has "made" some pretty valuable trees over the last 33 years in bonsai, that spending money like that on tools is ignorant of what the tool actually does.

Its not how much you spend on them, its how well you know how to use them.

When you actually know how to work on a tree, you will understand the uselessness of a thread such as this, since a pair of scissors in the right hands will always do better than a hack with a 2500.00 dollar tool.

Enjoy your priceless tools.
 

abqjoe

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In reading the past post on buying trees I assume you are not one to heed valuable information from people that could help you. I will tell you anyway from someone who has "made" some pretty valuable trees over the last 33 years in bonsai, that spending money like that on tools is ignorant of what the tool actually does.

Its not how much you spend on them, its how well you know how to use them.

When you actually know how to work on a tree, you will understand the uselessness of a thread such as this, since a pair of scissors in the right hands will always do better than a hack with a 2500.00 dollar tool.

Enjoy your priceless tools.

I have no problem with "heeding" valuable information, but I do have a problem with assholes who don't know how to communicate in a respectful way. Yes I am speaking directly to you! Did I disrespect you in this thread? No! Have you been disrespectful to me in this thread? YES, VERY! If you don't like me then you don't have to come into my threads, pretty simple really, just move along! BTW, I will very much enjoy my "priceless" Bonsai tools:) Just like I enjoy my Mac Tools which I use to work on my vehicles with maybe a few times a year.
 

Smoke

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BTW, I will very much enjoy my "priceless" Bonsai tools:) Just like I enjoy my Mac Tools which I use to work on my vehicles with maybe a few times a year.

I see you wish to let everyone know you have Mac tools. Do you buy famous names to compensate for a short penis?
 

PeaceLoveBonsai

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Based on some recent comments from you both, it would appear that you may have more in common than not.

I wish you both Happy Bonsai, but more importantly, I wish your spouses a very speedy recovery.
 

Eric Group

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Well this escalated quickly!...
Both tools are probably great quality but I have limited experience with Masakuni. I have a few Kaneshin tools and when I buy new tools now, that is pretty much where I start. I cannot say much at all negative about them. They are great tools! I also have Kiku which are fantastic...

To a degree what Smoke said is true- if you d know what to do with them it doesn't matter what tools you have... But there is a big difference in how close a good tool can make a cut and how clean... Especially when removing large branches using a concave cutter. I have owned some real crappy "no-name" Chines tools that were absolutely worthless. For my money, once you get to a high quality tool I cannot tell the difference between Kaneshin, Kiku, Masakuni... As long as you aren't buying garbage, the tools should do the job well and they will last a long time if you care for them.
 

abqjoe

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Well this escalated quickly!...
Both tools are probably great quality but I have limited experience with Masakuni. I have a few Kaneshin tools and when I buy new tools now, that is pretty much where I start. I cannot say much at all negative about them. They are great tools! I also have Kiku which are fantastic...

To a degree what Smoke said is true- if you d know what to do with them it doesn't matter what tools you have... But there is a big difference in how close a good tool can make a cut and how clean... Especially when removing large branches using a concave cutter. I have owned some real crappy "no-name" Chines tools that were absolutely worthless. For my money, once you get to a high quality tool I cannot tell the difference between Kaneshin, Kiku, Masakuni... As long as you aren't buying garbage, the tools should do the job well and they will last a long time if you care for them.

Thank you for your insight! As far as knowing what to do with a particular tool goes, well, I don't think it's rocket science and like anything else practice makes perfect:) Again, thank you for your insight and more importantly thank you for staying on track.....
 

Djtommy

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I have masakuni wire cutters, big and small one, big one was a cheap second hand, best thing about it is the design, i like it very much, also the small one. I used a normall electricty wire cutter too which also cuts great but if you are wiring a whole day the masakuni one is way easier and safer for not damaging the tree.
The small one is masakuni because kaneshin doesnt have it. I bought it with discount because it has an almost invisible scratch..

I have some kaneshin tools, knobcutter and some scissors, which are great and i also have some kuki tools.
They all work but id prefer to use the kaneshin pruners over the kuki ones.

I would buy the tools you want in stead of just a set. Nothing wrong with a mixture of brands.
 

rockm

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Has nothing to do with impressing anyone! I have acquired some pretty darn valuable tree's and want to be able to do clean work on them. I also don't want to ever have to buy a second set of tools in my lifetime either, that's the whole point.
There is no real point in paying $2,500 for a set of tools. There is also really no point in buying a complete set of tools right out of the gate. Wisest, most effective way to buy them is to invest in SINGLE tools over time.

This will give you a feel for how to buy from an informed point of view.

If I were setting out, I would invest in a decent concave cutter--stainless is nice, but mostly for show--"regular" black quality tools are more than adequate for the job. Stainless is all about the finish and that's about it.The brand of tool is ONE thing to consider, but at the level you are considering, the differences between the quality is measured in tiny increments ,while there is a big gap between lower end tools and higher end, but a very small one when you reach mid and high grade.

I would then progress with other tools down the road, Branch splitters, knob cutters, and other more specialized tools that you may wind up with in an expensive set might be used once every five years, especially with more developed stock like you have--unless you're planning some drastic redesigns.

There is no advantage in having a matched set of tools really. I've got a huge mix of tools that I have accumulated over the years. Most are mid-grade. They are more than adequate for the job.
 
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