Rather than shipping ready-made goods from a warehouse, SEKIMONO practices "Made to Order," where artisans cut copper plates and hand-hammer each piece into shape only after an order is received. Why does SEKIMONO persist with such a labor-intensive approach? We introduce the reality of the craftsmanship that takes place from the moment you place your order until it reaches your hands.
1. Why Made to Order: The "Beauty of Individual Variation" That Mass Production Cannot Achieve
Products press-molded by the thousands using metal molds are uniform and flawless, but they do not harbor the breath or the memory of the artisan's hands. By heating each piece and striking it with a chisel (tagane), a "one-of-a-kind expression (individual variation)" is born in the slight angles of the hammer marks and the coloring of the oxide film.
2. The Process Until Delivery (Approx. 3–7 Business Days)
- Order Confirmation and Material Selection: Cutting the necessary sizes from carefully selected solid copper and brass plates.
- Forging and Hand-Hammering: Artisans strike the metal with hammers on a wooden base to form three-dimensional curves and hammer marks.
- Hand-Engraving (Senkoku): Using chisels to carve patterns and intricate details.
- High-Temperature Coloring: Using fire and natural raw materials to fix a protective bronze-colored film onto the metal surface.
- Final Inspection and Paulownia Box Packaging: Carefully checking for burrs, distortion, and texture, then packing each piece with care for delivery.
3. The Wait Is Also a "Prologue to the Tea Ceremony"
The few days spent with an artisan working on a piece specifically for you becomes a rich experience that fosters an attachment to the tool.
The quality inspection criteria for high-end craft tea utensils are explained in 5 Quality Points for Evaluating High-End Tea Utensils.
