Hello!
My name is Orita and I am in charge of web production and product planning at Komiya Shoten.
Komiya Shoten has a diverse team of members, ranging from veterans in their 80s to young people in their 20s.
By introducing some of the everyday conversations with such people,
We hope we can convey at least a little of the attention to detail we put into making our umbrellas.
Today, we asked young craftsman Miyato about the unique attention to detail that only a craftsman can have.
He talked to us about the "ideal shape" he has cultivated by working with umbrellas every day in his workshop.
INTERVIEW
Artisan Miyato Sayuri
"As a craftsman, I am more concerned with the shape than the fabric design."
--Mr. Miyato, when do you feel a sense of accomplishment as an umbrella maker?
The moment I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment is when I successfully create the perfect eight-ribbed long umbrella.
─I see.
I also have a special attachment to eight-ribbed long umbrellas, so please tell me more about them.
An 8-rib umbrella has a larger surface area of fabric than an umbrella with 16 or 12 ribs, which is a great opportunity to show off the craftsman's skill.
For umbrellas with 16 ribs or more, the shape of the umbrella is already completed to a certain extent at the rib stage,
Since the surface area of the eight ribs is wide, the final shape of the umbrella depends largely on the skill of the craftsman.
--Craftsmen are particular about the shape of the umbrella.
What kind of umbrella would be ideal for you, Miyato-san?
I agree.
I really want to make an umbrella with a beautiful shape.
As a craftsman, I am more concerned with the shape than the fabric design.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I set up an umbrella that has the ideal valley drop *2 or crest *3 while preventing any flies from coming out.
When I manage to put up an umbrella like that, I think to myself, "What a nice umbrella," and I end up looking at it for a while.
*1 Bella refers to excess sagging. *2 Valley drop refers to the depression between the bones. *3 Kuri refers to the curve at the base of the frame.
--So you have an ideal valley drop.
I agree.
It's difficult to explain in words, but it's not too tight and has a nice valley drop.
Too much drop in the valley is not good, but it makes it easier to open the umbrella if it is dropped to a certain extent.
I think umbrellas that fall just the right amount are very beautiful.
It's like spreading out the top part of the cutting mold * .
*A wooden mold used when cutting umbrella fabric. The triangular shape of the isotropic curve is designed to express the beauty of three-dimensional curves by combining two different curves. The valley drop is also a sloping curve that makes it easy for rainwater to roll off.
“The beautiful chestnut umbrella has a classic beauty.”
—Is the shape of the clitoris also determined by the mold?
I agree.
The shape of the chestnut is determined by the length of its two sides.
─Beautiful chestnut trees are important for an eight-ribbed long umbrella.
What do you pay particular attention to when it comes to chestnuts?
First of all, we make sure the tension is just right for the umbrella to function properly.
We then adjust the length of the mold to produce beautiful chestnuts.
--Why does a chestnut tree make an umbrella look more beautiful?
I also often think about it...
Umbrellas with beautiful chestnut patterns have a classic beauty.
In the past, Western-style umbrellas were also called "bat umbrellas" in Japan.
I think the bat wing shape is the traditional shape of a Western umbrella.
--It 's the kind of umbrella that an old European gentleman would have carried.
The eight-ribbed long umbrella is a classic, but it also has the coolness of a classic Western umbrella.
It's a classic, but it's difficult to make it look nice.
I think it takes skill and experience.
Many people may think that 16 bones are more complicated and difficult, but
Actually, I think it's more difficult to make the 8-rib version look nice.
--I look at the shape of the umbrellas people carry when they walk down the street on rainy days.
There are quite a few umbrellas that have a nice, sturdy chestnut.
When I see a beautiful umbrella, I also wonder where it came from.
When I look at regular umbrella fabric, I think it looks easy to set up.
─Is that so?
I think it takes skill and experience to properly stretch a sturdy woven fabric like the Koshu weave that we use.
If the fabric is too thick, it will be difficult to create a shape when stretching it.
By adjusting the cutting pattern, we ensure that the umbrella has a beautiful shape without any awkwardness.
It’s important to create a mold.
Koshu weave fabric is difficult to sew with a sewing machine.
“The most important thing is to create the mold,
Take your time.”
--I often see craftsmen in the company discussing molds.
I agree.
The mold is where each craftsman's individual preferences are most apparent.
When making an eight-rib umbrella, we pay particular attention to the shape.
The balance between the bones and the dough is important.
For example, if we feel that a certain fabric is not stretchy, we will make the length of the pattern longer or make subtle adjustments depending on the fabric.
Even if there are eight bones, if they are different bones we will adjust them again.
This is the most important part, so it will take some time.
--Mold making seems like a complex subject.
I agree.
A large part of the umbrella's shape and ease of use is determined by how the mold is made.
About 80% of it is determined by the type.
It's a great feeling of accomplishment when you predict the final shape, adjust the mold, and it works out well.
--Which of the umbrellas currently made by Komiya Shoten do you find most rewarding?
Personally, I find umbrellas like the Kasane 60cm 8-rib umbrella and the Plaid long umbrella to be rewarding.
Of course, I have a special attachment to folding umbrellas, but long umbrellas really do look like umbrellas.
But in fact, folding umbrellas are more difficult to make.
─Is that so?
To make a folding umbrella that looks beautiful when folded and is also easy to use, there are more things to pay attention to than with a long umbrella.
Even when folding the umbrella for the first time, I take great care to make it a beautiful and easy-to-use folding umbrella.
It's important that the ribs fall down naturally, and it's more difficult to get the tension right than with a long umbrella.
Most of Komiya Shoten's folding umbrellas are the classic Japanese bi-fold type, so we take care to ensure that the ribs fall out easily when opened.
Nowadays, most folding umbrellas are tri-fold or topless, so beautiful, bowl-shaped, bi-fold umbrellas that look like long umbrellas are becoming a rare find.
That's why I also want to spread the beauty of bi-fold wallets.
In that sense, folding umbrellas are also rewarding!
