A single piece of charcoal is born after a mind-boggling process starting from growing the logs in the garden of a charcoal craftsman living in Kanagawa, a former staff member of Gekkoso. The raw material is willow (Yoriyanagi) trees, which are grown with love. Willow is very soft and produces a deep black color with a bluish tint, so it is smooth to draw on and feels as if it is absorbed into the paper. It is characterized by a wide range of expression, such as creating shades and blurring without damaging the surface.
A piece filled with the craftsman's thoughts, the foundation of craftsmanship is aesthetic sense and love. This is what makes it so different from mass-produced products.
<Manufacturing process>
1. Felling: The willow trees that have grown from logs are cut down after the leaves have fallen. They are then placed in a jar of water to overwinter.
2. Peeling: In early April, when new shoots appear, the bark is peeled off and dried.
3. Kiln construction: A kiln is made using bricks, clay, etc. The combustion chamber is about one size larger than a 18L can.
4. Dry-firing the kiln: Once the clay has dried, the kiln is fired dry.
5. Preparation for combustion...Put firewood into the kiln that has been heated by empty firing, and cover it with an iron plate.
6. Ignition...After lighting the fire, check the amount of smoke, smell and temperature, then let it burn for about 2 hours.
7. Burning...This varies depending on the wind, humidity, and condition of the firewood, so the person in charge adjusts the fire to keep it burning completely for around seven hours.
8. Extinguishing... Leave the fire to naturally extinguish overnight.
9. Remove from the kiln... Remove the 18 liter can from the kiln. Collect the charcoal, being careful not to break or chip it. If the charcoal makes a high-pitched noise when it comes together, it's a sign that it's been carbonized well!
10. Measuring: After removing any severely bent, twisted or bent pieces, the charcoal is sorted by thickness in 1mm increments. 150 to 200 pieces are produced at one time.
