Over the years I have tried using plain garden tools as found at relatively low prices at garden stores, with definitely mixed results. You can cut roots with about anything, but for some results you pretty much have to use the tools Japanese bonsai workers have developed. Cutting wire off of trees just can't be done without the bonsai tools developed for that purpose - or you cut into the bark. There are several other things that just require bonsai tools, specifically some of the tasks in pruning. Think about the task for the tool, and see if the tools in the garden shop will do exactly what you want, and if not, go to the bonsai site.
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