Niwaki Kenzan
Flower Frog

Used for ikebana flower displays, these Kenzan are becoming increasingly popular for western style flower arranging, doing away with foam completely. The brass pins are strong enough for woody material, as well as soft green and grass stems.

Go the whole way with the discipline of the traditional ikebana schools - Ohara, Ikenobo etc, or head off-piste and do your own thing. The spiky bases hold woody and green stalks, in any position you want. Make criss-cross cuts into the bottom of larger twigs, to stick them in more easily. Lower into water in saucers or dishes, and top up daily.

Use the straightener to straighten any bent pins

Niwaki means garden tree. Not very exciting, but it implies far more than that. Japanese gardens are landscapes, microcosms of nature, and the trees are all shaped to fit into those landscapes. In 1997, Niwaki's founder Jake went to Japan as a wannabe sculptor, to investigate the cultural phenomenon of the cherry blossom season, Hanami. There he discovered the gardens, the trees and later, how fabulous their tools are.

Most Niwaki sharp tools are made from carbon steel - this means they will, through regular use, stain (and eventually rust) and gradually lose their edge.