Wire cutter
Wire cutters are very helpful when wiring bonsai - but indispensable when unwiring (removing the bonsai wire from the branch). After bonsai shears and concave pliers, wire cutters are among the most important bonsai tools.
When unwiring a bonsai, the wire should not be unwound. The bark could be damaged. Due to the special design of the cutting edges of wire cutters, the bonsai wire can be cut off smoothly at the branch in small pieces. There is hardly any danger of long visible bark damage.
Wire cutters under 20cm long can be used for aluminium wire up to 2mm thickness. Above that, we recommend larger wire cutters.
Of course, after a bonsai has been wired it will continue to grow. That is also desired. Only then will new wood be formed, the wired branch will thicken and later on the new position can be held without the help of bonsai wire.
Bonsai wire cutter in action
But: The thicker the branch becomes, the more the wire pushes in. It leaves clearly visible traces.
As long as the wire pushes into the bark only slightly, that's no problem. In most bonsai tree species (for example, larch bonsai, white pine bonsai), the pressure points quickly disappear after the wire was removed. Only in case of bonsai with a very smooth bark you must be careful when the wire pushes in to much. On smooth bark, traces of wire are visible for a very long time.
If a wire pushes harder (see picture below) then the time is ripe to remove it. For this a wire cutter for bonsai is used.
Due to the special construction of these wire cutters, the bark is not damaged during cutting - a great advantage over e.g. a side cutter from the hardware store.