Kumano brush production process: bench work

The hair is gathered together nicely using funori glue made from seaweed. The hair bundle is repeatedly spread out to a thin layer and mixed. After this the amount of hair required for one brush is separated out and put through a small cylinder called koma. The hair then goes through the shindate (“stand the core of the brush hair”) step and shaped like the ear of rice plant. To ensure the hair can absorb ink well and to enhance the flexibility and aesthetic appearance, a layer of hair is added to this core bundle. The finished bundle of hair is then left to dry naturally. The bottom is tied using a hemp thread, pressed against a hot iron to melt the glue contained in the hair to fuse the bottom end together.