Somewhere along the line I got saddled with the tag of being a wood carver in bonsai. For sure all my first trees were carved but that was only because I was too poor (and tight fisted) to buy good material. Once I got the hang of it everyone wanted to see how it was done and ever since 1999 I have been travelling all over doing carving demo’s …… Thinking about it I guess it’s kind of obvious.

Truth be known I hate wood as a working medium. I got the highest grade in woodworking in the history of my school but never followed it through. I ended up working with paper (I was in print for 21 years) but my first love was metal. I started gas flowing cylinder heads at nine years old. Sure it can be hard to work with but it just does what you want it too and does not care. Wood is finnicky and needs a skilled, considerate and caring hand. So, outside bonsai I never carve wood, I chop a lot up for my fire but I am not remotely interested in making beautiful things out of it. There are numerous incredibly skilled folk out there working with wood who’s work I love to see but couldn’t hope to emulate.

I would not even want to guess at how many trees I have carved over the years. I have always said deadwood does not make good bonsai. My favourite bonsai tree has no deadwood whatsoever. In fact my top three favourite bonsai have no deadwood at all. On the other hand I have a garden full of skip-rat stumps and so carving is on the menu here every week. Having done so much carving over the years I got a good view of the carving tools available and having sold those tools now for close to 12 years I get a lot of feedback.

A few years ago I designed the Terrier carving tool which has gone on to sell thousands to almost every country in the world. That was followed by The Little Terrier which has enjoyed similar success. However there was one massive gaping hole we needed to plug. For years now our customers have been crying out for a tool to run in a small Dremel style machine that actually did the job. Our Weasel did a good job but those are currently unavailable. The problem with the little power tools is that they can only run a thin shaft to mount a cutter and based on experience any tool with a cut rate worth a dam was going to bend very quickly in all but the most experienced hands. A couple of years ago I came up with a solution to the problem. A new carving tool that fitted over the output shaft of the small machines. It took me a while to figure it all out and put it in the hands of a competent manufacturer but today it’s here and ready to go.

The Little Terrier DH™ The Ultimate Carving Tool For Hobby Rotary Machines

After untold hours of testing and modification we believe this is THE most effective and INDESTRUCTIBLE carving tool out there and it eats wood as fast as a starving pit bull can eat a Big Mac.

A fast cut rate is of no value if the tool is unsafe. My better half has never used power tools in any form and yet with this in her hands she took to carving like a duck to water. If you have never used carving tools for bonsai before we have absolutely NO hesitation recommending you start right here. There are two versions available to fit Dremel machines and another to fit 99% of all to look alike versions out there.

For the first month only this tool is available at a small introductory discount but will have to go up to the full price early in the new year.

There are more new Terriers coming in the new year, stay tuned!

I think everything else you need to know is on the item listing. Let us know how you get on with it and please send us pictures of your projects. I’m off to do some stump work…….

G.