Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
Kobaien artisans pour pure vegetable oil into earthenware with a cover. It has a wick made from rush in it then put on fire. They collect the soot that forms on the inside of the seat. They have to tum a round the earthenware every 20 minutes not to unbalance the soot.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
They put fine natural gelatin gradually dissolve it in 70℃ hot water in copper pot called Tampo which is 30cm deep.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
Then Kobaien artisans carefully mix the main ingredients, soot and gelatin, in a ratio of 100 to 60. When it begins to shine black, some fragrances are added. Kneading is also very important process in determining the quality of an inkstick.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
The artisans place a well-kneaded sumi ink dough into a mold made of pear trees, on which the designs or characters of the inksticks are engraved. About 25g of sumi ink dough is put into a wooden mold to make a 15g block of sumi inkstick. This is because the ink dough shrinks as it dries.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
On the first day, the sumi inksticks are taken out of the wooden mold and placed in damp ashes. After the second day, the artisans gradually replace the ashes with less moist ones day by day to dehydrate the sumi inksticks. This process takes about a week for a small piece and about 30 to 40 days for a large piece.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
After the ash drying process, about 70% of the moisture has been removed from the sumi inksticks. They are then hung on straw and dried in-house. This process usually takes one to six months.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
Now the artisans carefully remove any ash or dust from the inksticks. For some inksticks, they create a glaze layer by applying a glaze to the surface of an inkstick body and firing it, then polishing the surface with a bowl to make it shiny.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
The surfaces of some inksticks are painted with gold powder, silver powder and pigment. This process makes the uniquely shaped pattern of sumi appear bright and sharp.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
This is the interior of Kobaien's main store in Nara, Japan.
Kobaien Inkstick making Online Tour
This is the exterior of Kobaien's main store in Nara, Japan.
We, ICHI Inc. Japan🇯🇵, are the authorized Japanese agency and distributor of Kobaien inksticks for the international market since 2015.
This product is a very good combination of traditional Japanese elegance and art. It met my expectations. Also, when I opened the cargo, I was very happy with the origami bird that I saw.
very high quality
very high quality
Beautiful paper, and it is perfect for oragami!
I'm using this ink stick for my calligraphy. Let me tell you how amazing it's. the colour and glossines is really nice and it's amazing for small work because the glossiness gives a really nice effect on the paper I use for my calligraphy
I'm using this ink stick for my calligraphy. Let me tell you how amazing it's. The flow is really something else and it's really smooth. It's darkness and matte colour is on another level.
Thank you for providing this amazing piece of work.
I was hugely excited to recieve this ink stick, and on opening the parcel was even more surpised find a beautiful origami crane nestled inside! The ink stick is simply stunning, and I can't wait to gift it to a good friend who is just starting out in calligraphy. I'm touched by the warm service by Inchi, and am grateful they have ensured this treausure arrived safe and well, despite travelling all the way to the UK. Thank you again!
I made this painting using the amazing Saibiboku ( The Inks of Color and Beauty) from Kobaien in Nara, Japan. I have made a collage with some coloured circles and the Kobaien set's swatches a the bottom.
I used mostly Saibiboku, except for the super-black spots and vivid yellow ones. The blacks as well as gold bits and small ornaments are made with Posca markers. Vivid yellow is a nickel azo gold, new watercolour shade by Roman Szmal. Saibiboku is made with Sumi ink, which results in more muted, darker colours - that is why I I did not use it for the vivid yellows as it would be too dark. As for the other colours, from Saibiboku, I can easily make them lighter by adding water, like some of the lilac and pink bits.
It is a Kandinski-inspired composition, I should say. At least it reminds me of! It was great fun for this small piece to be completed, for there is a lot of details with the intersections and so on. As you can see, the Saibiboku's shades are easily coordinated, and the palette is a joy to work with! Thanks for watching!
Kobaien Earth Paper has an interesting texture as you can feel the small amount of earth in it.
It does buckle/crease with too much moisture, so I dry mounted it onto a 300gsm card and then I was able to build up many layers of colour with fine edges.
With the moisture in each layer the paper would swell slightly, but then dry flat.
Working in this way I was able to obtain depth of colour and subtlety of shading.
I used Suibokugayou Aozumi ink, Saibiboku colours with the addition of gamboge yellow and white.
Now that the painting is framed the paper seems to glow - it is quite exquisite. It took me a little while to get used to it, but I will definitely be using Earth Paper again.
We are over the moon with appreciation to Ichi Inc.Japan and their craftsmen. Thank you for your superior service and care with every order.
Kindest regards,
Kelly & Michael Pickering
Safe delivery, lovely sincere note with the package. Beautiful high quality products! Will purchase again.
It's a very high quality ink that helps me to create great works of art. Very beautiful black colour and beautiful shades. Even when very thinned with water this ink is still very subtle.
I am very pleased with the variety and selection of Uda Gami washi that I have received. The four color tones in my order: Akebi, Yomogi, Sakura, and Ai, are as pleasing to the eye as their texture. I feel honored to be a very small part of the tradition to which the Fukunishi family in Yoshino, Nara brings great honor.
Furthermore, my order was packaged with great care, and arrived safely and securely. The enclosed letter and handwritten remark brought a smile.
Ichi Inc. continues to impress.
The colors, construction, and performance of the set is amazing. I cannot recommend them enough.
I have been using this ink since I started sumi-e five yeats ago. It is consistently predictable in the tesults you get. It is easy to work with even for a beginner.
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This product is a very good combination of traditional Japanese elegance and art. It met my expectations. Also, when I opened the cargo, I was very happy with the origami bird that I saw.
Beautiful paper, and it is perfect for oragami!
I'm using this ink stick for my calligraphy. Let me tell you how amazing it's. the colour and glossines is really nice and it's amazing for small work because the glossiness gives a really nice effect on the paper I use for my calligraphy
