Strange Tools I Use for Urushi

What are all these strange tools — and why do I need them to make urushi fountain pens? In this video I go through some of the more unusual and advanced tools I use in my studio: tools for urushi, raden, maki-e, kawari-nuri, polishing, cutting shell, working with metal leaf and many other parts of the process. Some are traditional Japanese lacquerworking tools. Some come from completely different crafts. Some are modified or made by me simply because they do exactly what I need. These are also the answers to the tool giveaway/quiz I recently posted on Instagram. Nobody identified everything correctly, although several people came remarkably close. I explain what each tool is, what it does, and — more importantly — how I actually use it in my work. If you have questions about any of the tools or techniques shown here, leave them in the comments. 00:00 Strange tools of urushi 01:32 Tube wringer 02:07 Masking tapes 03:02 Sea sponge for kawari-nuri 03:58 Korean raden knife 05:25 Small urushi hake 06:21 Pigment mixing tool 07:15 Finger cots 08:08 Stackable sieves 09:55 Sung brush 10:19 Needle tools 11:31 Powder sprinkling tubes 12:39 Raden punches 15:17 Gold-leaf cutting knife 15:39 Japanese skiving knife 16:41 Horsehair polishing tool 18:19 Metal-leaf sieve and brush 20:20 Magnifying headband 22:54 Final thoughts Tamenuri Studio I make urushi lacquered fountain pens by hand in my studio in France and share the techniques, materials and processes behind Japanese lacquerwork. Website: https://tamenuri.com Instagram: @tamenuristudio *WINNER is disclosed in English version captions/subtitles somewhere in the video. Watch closely - maybe it's you ? *