AusBonsai

The price of a pair of jinning pliers is substantial and if you don't use them often it is a waste of money. Also, often the bark is too tight to the branch to allow jinning pliers to easily remove it.
I've recently found the best jinning tool that leaves pliers well behind. It is light, it is cheap, it is easily replaceable and it works a treat.
The common household potato or vegetable peeler.
Who needs a dedicated tool when this little beauty does an even better job. I have road tested it on a juniper being styled and then walked it up the street and jinned a couple of fairly substantial branches on a 10 metre high juniper. It removes the bark neatly, doesn't leave a ragged path behind and can also refine the point of the jin quite naturally.
Road test it yourself and see. Definitely a good tool for the box.

What a genious idea! I love these tool 'hacks', so many cheap alternatives to the normal bonsai tools

You can also use a pair of needle nose pliers from the hardware store. They are cheap and can get into tight spots.

This is absolute gold

To add to your jining tool I use split 'bamboo' as a clean up.
It's razor sharp.
It leaves NO scratches, won't cut into green or dead wood and it is about $8 a bundle in lengths from 600m to 1500 mm at Bunnings.

I cut it into 150mm lengths then squash it to split in half or quarters and use it like a scalpel or scrapper to remove fine bark and any little knobs.
Great for digging out pesky buds without cutting into the bark or damaging re-growth nodes .
And it's environmentally friendly,plantation grown, renewable and when dulled either re-split for a new cutting edge or toss into the recycling bin.

Regards Steve.