There is more than one hand that supports the creation of things at the Brooklyn Museum.
Many hands are involved in making a single wallet.
This is something that we at the Brooklyn Museum cannot accomplish alone.
However, it is also true that the number of "craftsmen" who have accumulated a wealth of skills in their "hands" and "heads" and who have made Japan a manufacturing nation, and who we can be proud of to the world, are decreasing year by year for various reasons.
Here, we would like to convey even a little bit of the "handiwork" of these craftsmen.
Once the cutting is finished, the next step is ``suki''.
“Suki” is a word that you may not be familiar with.
``Sukiki'' = The process of reducing the thickness of leather according to the item or purpose.
The original meaning of the word is ``the appearance of water falling in a thin line''. This may have struck a chord with some people, but the word refers to the process of making Japanese paper, in which the fibers are scooped out with a fine mesh and shaken to make sure they are evenly distributed.
Why did it come to refer to the process of adjusting the thickness of leather?
There are various theories, but it seems that the word is derived from ``skiving,'' the process of ``shaving the leather before sewing shoes together'' performed by shoemakers, and the kanji for ``suki'' is added to it.
We use this word on a daily basis, but I never knew it had such a meaning.
The person who taught me all about paper skiving was Asahara Peel Sandwich Co., Ltd., which I am always indebted to.
Kuramae is a town lined with factories and material stores that supported post-war manufacturing, and stylish cafes suddenly appearing in between.
We are a specialized company that has set up a factory in one corner of the area and has been dedicated to making paper towels for over 80 years.
In the morning, I spend about 30 minutes doing maintenance on the equipment that will become my partner.
Metal equipment is ice-cold in the winter and quickly heats up in the summer, so it requires careful maintenance depending on the season.
Furthermore, equipment that operates at full capacity throughout the day is subject to slight fluctuations during the process. However, if this maintenance is neglected, it will not be clear from which point the shake is occurring, and the quality of the skiving will deteriorate as a result.
That's why no matter how busy he is, he always adheres to this time.
The sukiyaki process begins with a process called ``zensuki,'' in which each part is finished to a uniform thickness.
The thickness of the leather parts before they are completely skimmed varies depending on the time of dyeing and the color, so it is not as simple as just passing it through a machine.
Moreover, the flexibility and direction of the fibers differ depending on where the parts are taken from, and the way the blade passes through the machine differs.
It doesn't look any different from the front, but...
When viewed from the back, the lines are clearly visible.
What's more, since requests for skiving are made in 0.1mm increments, the craftsmen are well aware that subtle differences in adjustment can affect the quality of the product.
Actually, this equipment is for whole skiving.
Apparently, the manufacturer of the equipment explained that ``there may be an error of 0.2 mm.''
Naturally, even if thick leather can be made thinner, it is not possible to make the leather thicker again.
The craftsmen are so nervous that a 0.1mm error could ultimately lower the quality of Japanese craftsmanship as a whole, which is why they continue to develop technology that brings the 0.2mm error close to zero.
After finishing all the sukiyaki, we move on to ``koba suki''.
Koba-suki is a process in which parts of the product are partially thinned, such as seams or areas where the finished product may overlap and become thick.
By replacing the metal fittings called "presser feet," it is possible to create thinner finishes that suit various shapes and uses. All of Brooklyn Museum's products are finished with ``cuts'' on the edges, so we request that the paper be skived in an appropriate manner.
It is very difficult to understand, but depending on the part, the thickness instructions on the four sides may be different. The craftsmen who finish the pieces to perfection say that each piece creates an image of how the finished product will look. Even while he was explaining things to me, I was so impressed by the splendor of his quick hands that he was making the rice.
All of the dozens of parts need to go through this process, and it's not just limited to small items. This is an absolutely essential process in order to maintain the quality we desire, and these brilliant hands are indispensable.
"We want to make it as thin as possible, but maintain its strength."
The Brooklyn Museum's craftsmanship is supported by the belief of craftsmen who respond to seemingly unreasonable requests with skills that exceed expectations.
At one time, this area was crowded with more than 100 craftsmen, but the current situation is such that they are being forced out of business due to the shift of production overseas and the wave of price appeal.
“Even if you have the technology, you won’t receive the proper recognition.”
This reality is a reality that is causing many craftsmen to suffer and could lead to the decline of Japanese manufacturing.
Still, the only thing that allows highly skilled craftsmen like Mr. Asahara to hone their skills every day and provide even better products is their single-minded determination to ``never let this technique die out.''
``I'm still a mediocre person.However, I want to do a job that my children can be proud of and say, ``My father is a papermaker.''There's also pressure from above.''
Yes, ahead of Mr. Asahara's shy gaze, he saw the smiling faces of the first and second generations, who lived through the turbulent times before and after the war and continued to pass on and protect the techniques.
This encounter made me feel deeply that we have a mission to continue conveying the ``value that goes beyond the price'' of products, which was achieved by holding hands like this.
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Asahara Leather Co., Ltd.
1-3-19 Misuji, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0055
TEL: 03-3851-1674
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