Brush-crafting
For Japanese paintings and the elegance of Japanese calligraphy, brushes require a high degree of perfection in order to draw flowing, attractive, beautiful fine lines. Our brush-crafters seek perfection in the brush tips, which could be called the core of the brush, and they have been cultivating their abilities to inspect raw hair, and their sophisticated techniques for creating fine hairs and ear tips which bring out the quality of the raw hair.
This is what completes the techniques for brush-crafting that achieves delicate and colorful nuances.Incorporating these brush-crafting techniques into our makeup brushes has given birth to makeup brushes that are unique to Japan.
1Select hair/hair blends
We use only high-quality raw hair carefully selected by brush-crafters.
Each type of raw hair, much like human hair, each with different hardness, thickness, and particularities, are utilized in blends for different functions and uses, in order to create products of consistent quality.
Each type of raw hair, much like human hair, each with different hardness, thickness, and particularities, are utilized in blends for different functions and uses, in order to create products of consistent quality.
2Fine hair (cutting of puffed up hair)
When there is puffed up hair and hair ends that have been damaged in the raw hair, we remove them upwards by using half cutters (knives)
This is a traditional technique of Kumano brush-crafting that can only be achieved by highly skilled brush-crafters.
This is a traditional technique of Kumano brush-crafting that can only be achieved by highly skilled brush-crafters.
3Frame-insertion
Makeup brushes are created in the shape of an ear tip, which is the foundation of the brush.The hair is inserted into the frame to provide subtle vibrations and blend all the hairs into the frame. The frames as well are individually hand crafted according to the use of the makeup brush.
4Thread-tightening
Before the hairs are removed from the frame, a wire is wrapped around the base horizontally at an equal force all the way around. This is a precise process that requires the adequate amount of strength needed for the next process of “massaging”.
5Massaging
Massaging is performed to increase the integrity of the ear tip that was created during frame-insertion.
Based on the image of the completed ear tip and how the hairs feel, the brush-crafter determines, in an instant, where and how to massage the hairs. This is the most crucial process, and it requires a great deal of skill in particular.
Based on the image of the completed ear tip and how the hairs feel, the brush-crafter determines, in an instant, where and how to massage the hairs. This is the most crucial process, and it requires a great deal of skill in particular.
Excess hairs at the base of the completed ear tip are cut off.
6Fastening of metal fitting
A metal fitting is attached to the ear tip.
7Shaft-installation
A shaft is installed inside the ear tip.
