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has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 8:17 am
by moopoo
hello everyone
so has anyone used this website because im thinking of buying acarving set from them and other stuff too.
http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/index.php
thank you
moopoo
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 8:29 am
by Steven
Hi Moopoo,
I haven't used them so can't comment but why don't you look at purchasing from a local supplier?

I'm not sure what state you are in but you will find info on most if not all nurseries in Australia in our
Bonsai Nursery section. If we all purchased from overseas then our nurseries here would go out of business and we would have no place to go
Sure the prices might look cheaper but once you factor in shipping they aren't so enticing. What about warrantee? Plus, there's nothing like actually looking at and feeling the tools you are thinking of purchasing.
Hope this helps!
Steven

Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 9:03 am
by Scott Roxburgh
The carving tools can be found cheaper than on that site too...
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 9:39 am
by kvan64
I agree, buy in Australia if you can find a supplier here. However, Kaizenbonsai has some nice carving bits that can't be bought from Oz (at least for the right price). I have bought a few carving bits from the website and am very happy with them. The postage is around $20 Aud per shipment and you normally get freebies like polycarbonate safety glasses with carving bits etc...
See the bits that I bought in action in video provided from Kaizenbonsai.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jOekUucOKM
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 9:41 am
by Damian Bee
Hmmm, I have found that even my club is cheaper or at least competitive for supplies like tools, pots and pot mesh

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Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 12:20 pm
by Ron
I like what they call 'starter bonsai' on that site. Makes Aussie starters look puny and expensive.
Ron ...
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 12:27 pm
by Bretts
Sorry but I have said this before. I find the argument of paying more for items by buying local is a little silly. It's really no different than the shop always asking for a donation to stay afloat. "Here Sir here is your tree now we are having trouble keeping the doors open could you put that $20 change in our donation tin please"
I have used Kaizenbonsai before and they are a great reputable dealer. He also seems like a great bloke.
Recently I came across
http://www.californiabonsai.com/
I have ordered a couple of Masukini tools of them at the best price I have seen with a total of $10 postage. These guys are just over a year old but seem great and use Paypal so should be pretty safe. Items should be here within days.
Holding the tools in your hand is a great point but when you know what you want why not I say.
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 1:03 pm
by bodhidharma
Bretts wrote:Sorry but I have said this before. I find the argument of paying more for items by buying local is a little silly. It's really no different than the shop always asking for a donation to stay afloat. "Here Sir here is your tree now we are having trouble keeping the doors open could you put that $20 change in our donation tin please"
I have used Kaizenbonsai before and they are a great reputable dealer. He also seems like a great bloke.
Recently I came across
http://www.californiabonsai.com/
I have ordered a couple of Masukini tools of them at the best price I have seen with a total of $10 postage. These guys are just over a year old but seem great and use Paypal so should be pretty safe. Items should be here within days.
Holding the tools in your hand is a great point but when you know what you want why not I say.
Sory Bretts, cant agree with you on this one. A little operator like myself, by the time the tools get to my hands, and everybody else has taken their little bit out, i would be selling at a loss if i was to compete. The same applies to the people producing goods overseas pots trees etc. Their lifestyle is so much cheaper than ours and their money, though not much, goes further than ours. They do without and would work for very little to change their situation. This is not our lifestyle so we must pay more. Unfortunately our attitude of, i want it cheap and i want it now, has made us so reliant on O.S production that if they pulled the rug we would be in deep doodoo. We are selling our country at such a rate we will not have anything to give our children except wasteland. We have to stop and change our attitude. Support Aussies and pay a little extra, i say

Phew..

glad i got that off my chest.
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 1:35 pm
by daiviet_nguyen
I have bought my Japanese bonsai tools from local shops. I have never ordered any tools from overseas.
-- Right now, the problem is: even if we wanted to buy Australian, there aren't much available!!
All of drill bits (steel, timber, brick [man...?]) I have bought are Sutton -- made right here is Victoria. They work great. Never have any complaint. I went to a local store ( you know which ) the other weekend to get some grinding blades, I pointed to the man in the store "Made in Australia", then he pointed to a another print that says "from local and imported materials". From local and imported materials what does it mean?
Best regards.
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 2:03 pm
by phantom
I have purchaced many carveing pieces over the years,things that you cannot get in Australia,they are very good quality, as far as warranty goes I havent had to use it.Kaizen bonsai has has a good world wide reputation,so if you can not find it in Australia then try them out. phantom
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 2:46 pm
by moopoo
[quote="daiviet_nguyen"]
-- Right now, the problem is: even if we wanted to buy Australian, there aren't much available!!
that is why i would buy from overseas because of Availability
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 2:59 pm
by paddles
a thing I like about buying local, although, the way things are going in echuca, we are starting to buy more and more off the net, is that you can, look. touch, handle the product, you are not reliant upon a photo/description etc.
Must come and visit again one day bodi, Just need a day away I think...
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 3:04 pm
by Ron
I don't think we have any choice on overseas purchases. I buy a lot of books and when one costs $61 in Oz and $23 on the 'Net from the UK with free airmail postage, the answer is a no-brainer.
I've been trying to buy a tool roll without any luck and got this one on eBay from the US for $15:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... K:MEWNX:IT
The quality is excellent. I can almost guarantee the same product in Australia would be $40 or $50 at the cheapest.
I don't know what the answer is, but ordinary working people can't afford to be philanthropists. A dollar or three, yes, not 200-500% dearer.
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 5:11 pm
by Scott Roxburgh
...and you don't have to pay GST

Mr Harvey!!!
Jokes aside if you buy local often you can get great deals from being a regular, or even 'access' the best pieces of stock before others...something that money can't buy!
Re: has anyone used this website
Posted: January 7th, 2011, 5:36 pm
by Damian Bee
Ron wrote:I don't think we have any choice on overseas purchases. I buy a lot of books and when one costs $61 in Oz and $23 on the 'Net from the UK with free airmail postage, the answer is a no-brainer.
I've been trying to buy a tool roll without any luck and got this one on eBay from the US for $15:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... K:MEWNX:IT
The quality is excellent. I can almost guarantee the same product in Australia would be $40 or $50 at the cheapest.
I don't know what the answer is, but ordinary working people can't afford to be philanthropists. A dollar or three, yes, not 200-500% dearer.
If only we could get the manufacturers name and number in China, we could get it even cheaper
