Turning swords into bonsai scissors

thomas

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Sort of. Hirakawa Yasuhiro is a master blacksmith for Sasuke in Sakai, Japan, who forges scissors with techniques used to make swords, knives, and weapons. Japanese-style gardeners like Yoshikawa Masakazu are willing to wait a year to get their hands on scissors perfect for maintaining bonsai trees.

Bonsai scissors

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That brings to mind "swords into plough/plowshares" (old testament Isaiah)

Not unintentional. ;)

Japan is known for its masterful blacksmithing. Especially the swords and knives are in focus here. For every person who deals with bonsai, however, are not beautiful and good knives important, but here are the bonsai scissors in the foreground. The master blacksmith Yasuhiro Hirakawa is the last of his profession. He makes traditional Japanese scissors, and this is according to centuries-old tradition. Because of this meticulous and ancient craftsmanship, it takes Hirakawa four times longer to make his Japanese bonsai scissors than it does to make traditional knives. If you want the pleasure of owning such a pair of scissors, you will have to spend a lot of money. The most expensive bonsai scissors cost 35,000 dollars.

That's over 4.5m JPY! Guess we have to stick to our 1,000-JPY "home centre" scissors to trim the mikan tree.


 
I have a favorite pair of scissors I bought for medical work in 1996 and they still are the best cutting pair I own. Made in Germany of good steel to hold their edge all these years of heavy use.gs.webp
 
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