Creating Jin in Bonsai

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   Creating jin is the art of  removing bark from a branch of a bonsai tree. The purpose is to give it an aged look. In nature you may see a dead branch of a tree that has been exposed to wind, rain, and bleached by the sun which eventually turns the barkless branch to a white-silvery color. This is the effect you want to create on your bonsai tree branch or branches. In nature jins are often seen on oaks, conifer, junipers and pines. Jin does not appear often on deciduous trees. (trees that lose their leaves seasonally)

     To creat a jin on a conifer, leave a stump several inches long when pruning a branch so it can be converted into a jin. Summer is the best time to do this because the sap moves the most during this season and makes it easier to remove the bark. Once you have made the jin let it dry in the sun and then apply a coat of lime/sulphur to bleach and preserve the wood. Reapply once or twice a year in the summer, doing this maintains the weather resistance of the jin. You can use a fine sandpaper to smooth and carve to refine it. This will help give it a more natural look. It's important to make sure the jin is in proportion with the other branches that have foliage.

     To start the jin, pick a branch you want to create the jin on. Remove all the foliage on the branch using branch cutters and scissors. Bonsai Tools & Wire Start at the base of the branch with a sharp knife and cut through the bark. The cut must go all around and through to the heartwood. Take the tip of the knife and cut into the bark through the heartwood from the trunk to the branch tip. Using jin pliers squeeze and twist the bark from the heartwood. Remove all the bark from the branch.  Once this is done you will see how the jin is taking shape and has a natural occurring look. To give a more natural and ragged look you can split and tear back the branch using branch cutters and pliers. Bonsai Tools & Wire It only takes a few minutes to create a weathered, natural looking jin using simple tools and it's your creative work!