An intriguing question...

A friend gave me one of those tool pouches that fits arount a 5 gallon
plastic paint bucket, & I think that might be good. I'm in an old habit of
spreading a cloth tool roll out across the roof of an English setter's
doghouse that sits near my bonsai. That dog has been gone for over 45
years, but the rooftop of her house is still mighty convenient though
becoming a bit shy of the shingle-grit that holds the tool bag in-place on
its slanted plane.

You can overconstruct efficiency until the whole exercise lacks character.
Invariaby, I upturn a paint bucket, a garbage can, a stack of strurdy
nursery pots et al. on end to set a sturdy and broad turntable for most
bonsai work that takes more than 5 minutes.

You usually want extra soil nearby and often want a variety of annealed wire
and soil screening wire as well as containers to catch the residue for soil
repotting, and pot-hole screening... and maybe your landscaping saw or even
a heftier pruner than normally among your tools to remove those pesky limbs.
The bamboo skewers on hand are usually just a little to short for the job
needing doing, so I scurry off to locate another set.

I keep a Foredom carving tool hanging from an tall portable wrought iron
pole stand with three snake like legs that remind me to use it with
caution-- like other bonsai tools, it charms the user. Occasionally, I
pull-out the butane torch for enhancing jin and shari, but a friend more
often borrows it to prepare caramel glaze for creme brullee.

Come to think of it, I have never really 'organized' this activity at all &
have probably wasted enough steps to climb the Andes twice or circumnavigate
the Southern states. Better listen to Jim who can save you steps in raising
bonsai and horses at the same time... :-). One day Jim will write the
definitive book on horse-hoof picks.

If Bill Valavanis had my organizational skills, he'd use two tractor trailer
trucks and perhaps the hold of a cargo plane for his spring club tours. It
is like magic to see the content of his van at a club event. He disgorges
enough material to fill three vans, yet the van still looks over half full.
He must be cheating reality with some space-time warp or magic gourd
technology.

Elegance & comfort come in many packages... so whatever tool box you choose
will come to suit your style to perfection.

Best wishes,
Chris... C. Cochrane, , Richmond VA USA

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