Inserting warigo pieces inside a pouch. Photo: Minamoto Tadayuki

After the pouch has been sewn up, the wooden patterns are inserted to stretch the pouch. The pouch is gradually fashioned to a round shape with volume by adding thin pieces in the middle. When it becomes a little tight, additional pieces are pounded in between the pieces already inside the pouch by using the uchigi to give the pouch a rounded shape. The pouch is further beaten on the outside and using a leather roller to add more roundedness. Finally, a trowel is used to give the pouch a final touch. Different types of leather have different elasticity and firmness, requiring thus a different number of wooden patterns to adjust the pouch to the desired shape.