Bristle Making

Bristle Making 1Kegumi
(designing shapes)
"Kegumi", meaning the designing the shapes of bristles, is a technique passed down from Miyauchi Tokuou. This process is the most important part of our brush making. We arrange various kinds of hair board and design brush shapes.




Bristle Making 2mixing
Repeat stretching and folding, and mix hair evenly.




Bristle Making 3Sarai
Next process is "sarai". Remove unsuitable hair.

Bristle Making 4Shintate
Put the hair in a cylinder called "koma" and decide the thickness of the brush.

Bristle Making 4After Shintate
Dry them for a day or two after sharpening tips.


Bristle Making 5Uwagekake
Wrap outer layer with another hair, which give good water colors permeation. (We don't wrap small brushes like Menso.)


Bristle Making 6Itokake
Fasten heel hair of bristles with thread.

Bristle Making 7Chanduke
Put Chan glue at heels. Chan is made from pine resin and tallow. This process protects hair from loosening.

Bristle Making 8Yakijime
Burn at heels using electric-iron and fasten quickly.

Bristle Making 9After Yakijime
Bristle is ready now.