Okatsune 107 Hand Pruning Saw, Wood Sheath with 195 mm, Bonsai Review (2026)

Who this saw is for

This is a tool for the point in a bonsai's development where you are doing real structural work, removing a branch that a scissor cannot cut through cleanly, or chopping back a trunk to set a new leader. Okatsune has built pruning tools in Japan for decades and the 107 model is aimed at growers who need a dependable saw rather than a novelty. If your trees are still young and thin stemmed, you likely will not need this yet, since shears cover most of that work. Anyone managing established stock, collected material, or nursery trees headed for styling will find this the right size saw for the job.

Blade and construction explained

The saw carries a 195 millimeter, about 7.7 inch, blade made from high grade cutlery steel, with a total length of 320 millimeters and a weight of 175 grams, light enough for extended one handed use. The handle uses a pistol style grip built into beech wood, shaped so force applies naturally along the cutting stroke rather than fighting your wrist angle. A matching beech wood sheath comes with the saw, protecting the teeth in storage and making it safe to carry in a tool bag alongside other equipment. The blade itself is replaceable with a single screwdriver, so a worn or damaged blade does not mean replacing the whole tool.

Living with it day to day

In use, the pistol grip keeps the saw comfortable through longer cutting sessions on thicker material, and the 195 millimeter blade length is enough to get through most branch and small trunk material a home bonsai grower encounters. The wood sheath needs to go back on after each use, both to protect the teeth and to protect your hands when reaching into a tool bag. As with any carbon or cutlery steel blade, keeping it dry and wiping off sap after cutting fresh wood helps prevent corrosion and keeps the teeth cutting cleanly. Because the blade is replaceable, sharpening is less of a daily concern than with a fixed blade tool, since a dull blade can simply be swapped.

Trade offs and comparison with rivals

The wood sheath and longer blade make this a bulkier tool to carry than a folding pocket saw like KAKURI's 4 inch folding model, which tucks away without any separate sheath. That trade off buys you real cutting capacity on branches and trunks the folding saw cannot handle efficiently. Against ARS's Ikebana and bonsai saw, the Okatsune's longer blade favors bigger material, while a shorter Ikebana focused saw stays more nimble for fine floral stem work. If most of your cutting is small twigs and stems inside a tight canopy, a shorter blade tool is more practical day to day than this saw's added length.

Verdict and who should pick something else

Choose the Okatsune 107 if you regularly need to cut branches or small trunks that are too thick for shears, and you want a saw built by an established Japanese tool maker with a replaceable blade. Pick a compact folding saw instead if your work is mostly fine branch trimming inside dense canopies, where a shorter blade and pocketable folded size matter more than raw cutting capacity. Growers doing mixed ikebana and bonsai work on delicate stems may also prefer a shorter, more precise blade over this saw's longer reach.

Frequently asked questions