Caring for Your Tools and Equipment
道具を大事に
by John Marshall
Care for traditional equipment is normally communicated to the student by the instructor during the apprenticeship process. This page is intended to help you with the basics but not replace personal instruction or common sense.
jizome brushes
The term jizome refers to applying colors in large swaths over the entire surface of the yardage. With carefully arched bristles, a jizomebake (jizome brush) is perfect for applying both dyes and sizings to stretched yardage. They come in a range of sizes to match your aspirations.
The brushes are constructed by binding deer hair between two shaped pieces of Japanese cypress and bound with sheaths from bamboo shoots and copper wire. The bristles are fanned along the entire length, shaped a bit like a paper-towel tube split lengthwise. This ensures that the same number of bristles touch the surface of the yardage no matter how the brush is positioned, helping to keep the flow of dye to the surface even and cutting down on the risk of streaking.
The one weakness of any natural bristle brush is the risk of having the hair rot out at the base. This occurs when the bristles don't dry completely between uses. If you give your brush proper care, you'll find that your investment will last for decades. I have jizomebake that I've been using for more than fifty years. Follow these steps to keep your brush in peak condition:
– New brushes have a tendency to shed. This is normal. Just give it a good brisk rub down, as if playing with a frisky dog, and you should be fine. If a few strands happen to shed onto your yardage during use, simply pick them off or brush them away once dry.
– Always soak your brushes in clean, tepid water for at least a half hour before use. This will saturate the roots, preventing dyes from penetrating to the core. This is especially important when using soy-based dyes and sizings.
– Shake out the excess water before dipping into your dye pot. Never drop the brush into the dye pot, but instead set it off to the side, bristles down and handle up, when not in use.
– Wash the brush, bristles up, under slow running tap water, petting gently. A minute amount of soap will help to remove any dye residue.
– This next step is very important. Shake out as much water as you are able and set the brush, bristle side down, on a paper towel or dry cloth. This will help to draw out more of the moisture. Hang the brush to dry, preferable in a very arid environment with a draft or gentle breeze. The goal is to encourage the brush to dry quickly and thoroughly.
– Refrain from using the brush again until it is thoroughly dry. The most common mistake made by students not familiar with this kind of brush is to use it while the core bristles are still damp. If the core never dries out, the hair will rot and fall out in chunks–and there goes your investment!
Surikomi brushes are commonly used in all forms of katazome, as well as many other techniques. Deer hair is sandwiched between two bamboo slats and stitch-wrapped with thread. Better quality brushes also have a lacquer coat at the base of the handle, increasing the life of the brush.
Care for the brush in much the same way you would a jizomebake, described above. The brushes, being much smaller than jizomebake, will dry rather quickly and run a much smaller risk of having the bristles fall out.
surikomi brushes
This style of brush goes by many names, including botanbake (peony brush) and maruhake (round brush). The first thing you may notice is that little grains of sand may fall out the first time you use it. This is normal and no attempt should be made to wash out the remaining sand. The sand is part of the construction process and helps the bristles maintain their shape.
The handle is structured to help maintain the half-sphere rounding of the bristles and also allow for an easier grip when gyrating your wrist to apply delicate shadings and dramatic swirls with the dye of your choice. However, this very shape is its greatest weakness. It's a bit like trying to hold a large softball with just three fingers–the bristles want pop out. C'est la vie.
There is remedy I started applying to my brushes back in the 1970s that has worked well for me all these decades.
peony brush
Start by protecting the bristles with easy-to-remove painter's tape or a plastic bag. Wrap tightly with string to prevent leakage. Dip the handle of the brush into high gloss acrylic or oil based paint, covering the exposed paper wrap in the process. Stand with the handle pointing up, allowing the paint to seep into the ends of the exposed bristles and secure them in place. Once dry, remove the protective covering. Taking time to follow these steps will help to glue the handles securely to the bundle of bristles and also lock in bristle ends to help prevent them from working out over time.
As always, it is important to keep your brushes clean and make sure that they dry thoroughly between each use.
harite and shinshi
Harite and shinshi are used as a set in most traditional katazome studios. The harite is clamped to the ends of yardage to be stretched, pulling the fabric taught between two vertical poles, a bit like hanging a hammock. The shinshi stretch the yardage side to side, aligned with the weft and picking up the slack.
Shinshi may also be used without the harite for smaller pieces, most commonly stretching across the diagonals, corner to corner. Additional shinshi may also be added following the weave to allow for a trampoline like surface.
If you are concerned about dyes staining your harite, and perhaps transferring to future projects, you may oil the bare wood with mineral spirits or tung (paulownia) oil.
Shinshi should be roughly 20% longer than the width to be stretched. A 36" width yardage will require a 40"-42" long shinshi to stretch selvage to selvage. Longer lengths may be required when stretching on the diagonal.
It's important to always soak your shinshi before and after each use. This will help to prevent splitting over time. After the final soak, before you put them away and while they are still damp, gather them into a bundle and gently bend them back into a straight shape over your knee. Allow them to dry thoroughly in this straightened state before storing away.
hole punches
stencils