May 8th, 2010 by Keith

What does spring cleaning have to do with with ikebana? Vases or suiban that need a dusting or washing? Maybe. My spring chore was trying to clean my dirty hasami (ikebana shears) . But I just could not find any way to remove any of the grit, grime and rust on them. This is what I am talking about:

Yuck! So I figured that there must be some trick to it. I’ve been told to use peppermint oil, steel wool, and an assortment of other things. But I knew there had to be an easier way. Now I can tell you, there is. The Klingspor Sandflex hand block!

The Klingspor Sandflex hand block is a small, soap bar sized rubber block that is similar to an eraser with grit embedded in it. It’s easy to use and removes all that yuck from your hasami easily and safely. It comes in Course, Medium or Fine, and the Fine is recommended for ikebana shears(it is NOT recommended for use with the expensive gold plated shears). It’s available thru bonsai shops  or online. I bought mine from Maiban Bonsai on Ebay. Here is the result of just a few minutes of polishing:

Bright and good as new!!!!