Kumihimo

有職組紐秀真

Hozuma Kumihimo

- The art of Japanese silk braiding. -

Kumihimo (組み紐) is a traditional Japanese art form of making braids and cords. Literally meaning "gathered threads", kumihimo are made by interlacing reels of yarn, commonly silk. the technique originally came to Japan by way of China. Through the ages, they came to be used in a huge variety of products.such as samurai armour, tea ceremony utensils, and decorative knots on swords.There are multiple braiding techniques, with the use of traditional, specialised looms： marudai (round) looms, shigeuchidai looms, takadai (high) looms, naikidai looms and kagouchi looms.
performed using various types of braiding stand: marudai(round), kakudai(square), ayatakedai(bamboo), and takadai(large).

The Way of Braiding

There are many types of Kumihimo with various patterns and shapes such as mitakegumi, karakumi, marugenjigumi, yurugigumi, surugagumi, yotsugumi and yatsugumi.We are assembled using kumidai (braiding tables) such as marudai, takadai and naikidai. Now Hozuma’s craftsmen used their fingers to create the complex patterns and shapes.The work is all about endless repetition. With constant rhythm and hand movements from beginning to end, a homogenous cord is produced. No matter what the weather is like, we must continue braiding every day. It’s of particular importance to empty your mind and focus on the present moment.

Hand Dyeing

Dyeing the yarn is the first step in making kumihimo. Every single strand of thread we use is lovingly dyed one color at a time by Hozuma’s craftsmen. This allows us to choose from a rainbow of different color combinations for our braided creations. It’s also impotent to our monochrome kumihimo, allowing them to give a distinct impression of the depth of expression that can found in a single color. With multicolored braids color coordination is vital, as subtle differences in the hue and saturation of each color can greatly affect the overall impression. Yarn dyed beautifully, and in a suitable color, is the first step in making kumihimo.

Hand Braiding

Hand braided kumihimo have an elasticity and texture not found in those produced by a machine. That is to say that – thanks to the personal experience of the skilled craftsman – there is a hands-on awareness of the application of power, the degree of strength needed. Subtle hand movements that have become second nature help create the final product. Cords braided with the unwavering consistency of a machine don’t even come close to matching the complexity and delicacy of a handcrafted braid. You can truly feel the personality of the individual craftsman in each one. Even when made with the same braiding style and the same type of thread, no two are ever exactly alike.

Hand Sewing

Kumihimo is very flexible and durable,from choosing leather to cutting, sewing, finishing, and packing,
you can meet strong and flexible neck or hand strap with our high quality handwork about leather parts.
For the leather part, it is best to match the color you prefer with the leather you are making the Kumihimo with.

True Beauty

There are hundreds of different ways to braid kumihimo, but broadly they can be classified in the wide and flat hiragumi style, or the rounded, thicker cross-section of the kadogumi style. Moreover, even within the same braiding method, the delicacy of the final product can be completely different depending on the temochi (or the number of threads attached to a single bobbin), as well as the number and size of the bobbins. Additionally, We take great pains to determine the optimal combinations and arrangements from among the countless colors available. As a piece of artwork that is closer to a work of art than a product, it is finished with a stylish strap that matches the dignity of your camera.Finally, unique hand crafted special kumihimo for Leica \Fuji\Nikon\Sony cameras "Japanese beauty presented to the world" by