Himeji Kurozan Leather

Let's share the brand's story.

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THE HIDE / Rawhide

Himeji, Hyogo

The rawhide is Japanese Black beef. The tanning is done in Himeji.

All rawhides come from Japanese Black cattle raised domestically.
No imports, no mixing. This is a choice made to ensure uniform quality,
which can only be achieved with a single type of rawhide.

Himeji has been tanning leather since the age of castles.
The Ichikawa River's water. The local climate. Generations of craftsmen who have remained here.
This is where rawhide becomes leather in this country.

The rawhide that arrives has scratches. It has insect bite marks.
These are records of an animal's life. Our work begins there.

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THE HANDS / Hand Massage

Kneading by Hand

In the world of kendo, the most prized leather is leather that has not been touched by machines.

Grain is not pressed with a mold.
It is worked by human hands, taking time to raise it until the surface naturally forms bumps and hollows.

There are no shortcuts, no patterns.
No two pieces kneaded with the same motion will have the same appearance.
This is because the starting pieces are not identical to begin with.

This process makes lacquer possible.
Without the grain, there is no place for the lacquer to settle.

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THE LACQUER

Layering Urushi

Urushi does not bend. Leather only bends.

Dried urushi is hard and will crack before it flexes.
Leather can only flex.
Originally, these two should not have been able to be combined.

The answer lies in the grain.
Urushi is applied only to the raised, embossed areas.
When the leather moves, the force escapes into the recessed areas.
Only the luster on the raised parts remains undamaged.

Apply, dry in a humidity-controlled chamber, and apply again.
What determines the finish is not a schedule, but the leather itself.
Several weeks for one piece.
There is no way to rush this process.