Boy, I'm trying. Really I am. But the metaphors you apply are not similar to the situation. If the branch is held stiffly in place with the guy wire, or perhaps two wires on the same branch (one closer to the trunk, one farther) then the branch is forced to stay in the same position as it would with the coiled wire. (Let's not worry about other bends or changes, or if there is an arch rather than an angle when the branch comes out of the trunk) If the branch is held strongly and firmly and a considerably different angle than it would normally take, how is that different than the coiled wire? Granted, the coiled wire is pushing down in more positions, starting from the trunk and moving along the branch. But my understanding has always been that this deformation of the living cells eventually becomes a permanent part of the tree.
In your example, you use a deciduous tree vs. a conifer, which is very valid for stylistic reasons. But if you wired, say, one branch of a deciduous with coiled wire, and another on the same tree with guy wire, and left them on for several growing seasons, (rewiring the coiled one several times to alleviate scarring) would there really be a difference when both wires were removed?
Thank you for taking the time to be patient with me....
Joanie