Handcrafting the Details: The Creation of Hand-Planted Brushes Using Traditional Techniques

2024.11.06

#Artisan

#Craftsman

#Kameido

#Traditional Craft

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#History

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Brushes are everyday tools used in various aspects of our lives, including cleaning and maintenance.

After World War II, the brush industry underwent mechanization, leading to mass production primarily in the Kansai region. In contrast, Tokyo, which had many manufacturers of industrial brushes, has maintained a strong presence of artisans manufacturing brushes using the traditional “hand planting” method.

Continuing to uphold these long-standing techniques is "Terasawa Brush." I spoke with Kazuhisa Terasawa, the second generation, about the production process and the reasons for their commitment to hand-planting at their workshop in Kameido, Tokyo, which retains a sense of old downtown charm.

PROFILE

Kazuhisa Terasawa

Born in 1973. He is the second generation of "Terasawa Brush" (Terasawa Burashi Seisakusho), which specializes in the manufacture and sale of hand-planted brushes. At the age of 21, he apprenticed under his father, Akira, who was the founder, and this year he celebrates 30 years as a craftsman of hand-planted brushes. His high-quality hand-planted brushes attract orders from companies and individuals nationwide, including the specialized store "Edoya" for tools and brushes. In 2016, he received the Koto City Excellent Craftsman Award. In 2021, he was certified as a Tokyo Traditional Craftsman in “Tokyo Hand-Planted Brushes.”

The Unsung Hero Supporting Japanese Industry & Traditional Crafts

What are the differences between the hand-planted brushes that Terasawa manufactures and machine-planted brushes?

Hand-planted brushes are created by folding the hair material and planting it hole by hole, making them less likely to lose bristles and offering greater durability compared to machine-planted brushes. Most professionals who polish shoes tend to use hand-planted shoe brushes. In our workshop, most processes are done by hand, making mass production difficult, and we produce all our items on a made-to-order basis.

The hair materials used for brushes include natural horse hair, pig hair, and goat hair, as well as plant fibers and metal wires such as brass, wire, stainless steel, and bronze.

I had the opportunity to see the shoe brush Terasawa made earlier, and I was amazed at how densely packed the bristles were and how soft and fluffy they felt. What is the production ratio for household versus industrial brushes?

Approximately 70% of our production is for industrial brushes. The remaining 30% consists of household products like shoe brushes and clothing brushes. For industrial brushes, the recipients are mostly wholesalers, so we actually don't know how the end users utilize the brushes.

Honestly, I can't even guess how many products we currently have. For instance, we regularly plant 20 to 30 types of brushes monthly, but some are planted once a year or every three years. Even within shoe brushes, companies A and B have slight variations in specifications, which naturally increases the total number of products.