Kaneshin Pliers

These very versatile and most popular, pliers as designed and made by Kaneshin in Japan have multiple uses and although some bonsai practitioners are tempted to substitute them with normal hardware store pliers, their functions could not be more different. They are also recommended for use on small to large trees.

1. The most immediate and visual difference is the slender handles. This makes the purpose designed pliers easier and more comfortable to work with at many different angles.


2. The pivot point location behind the jaws enables the practitioner to exert a large amount of mechanical force when required to grip and object tightly.


3. The shape of the jaws is such that it is possible to work in close confines within the canopy of a bonsai tree, for instance when applying or removing aluminium or copper styling wire. The angled face also prevents accidental damage to branches or the trunk by dramatically reducing the surface area of the face.


4. The sharper face of the pliers combined with the enhanced mechanical holding action makes them ideal to grasp, pull and strip off pieces of deadwood such as on junipers and other species.


5. On the jaws you will also find fine teeth cut into the metal. These provide extra grip on items clasped between them and when doing deadwood sculpting.


6. Very useful when repotting your bonsai trees, these large Kaneshin pliers can be used to form the wire stay for the drainage mesh and also for tightening the wire used to keep the tree in the pot.


7. When bending large branches pliers can be used for tightening the wire stays sometimes used.

As with all our Kaneshin tools, these pliers are handmade by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen. Each tool is boxed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.