Silk odoshi (lacing) from Japan

[worldantiques]

If anyone else needs silk odoshi here is a link to a Japanese manufacturer. They are easy to deal with, speak excellent English and supply odoshi at around £1.10 / $1.45 a meter I believe. I think they also manufacture tsuka-Ito and sageo as well, even tassles and agamaki knots etc.
fusahimo.com/index.shtml

[davet]

I have never used the company listed above, but from what I know there is only one producer of authentic silk odoshi in Japan. If you follow the link on that website it re-directs you to another website where they say they can obtain silk odoshi, this must be from the supplier I mentioned. Beware as a lot of japanese refer to rayon as silk, which is synthetic, silk is very expensive, so when you see something advertised at a remarkable price its because it's simply not real silk.

This week I took receipt of my third custom built machine for producing odoshi in the UK. This is the first time that traditional odoshi has been produced outside of Japan and its taken me a few years to accomplish this task. I have now secured a contract to supply one of the worlds leading reproduction samurai armour manufacturers with ito. My braid is also being used now by leading restorers and collectors.

I will be opening my online store very shortly if anyone would like to buy the real deal.

Further information can be found here.

Dave

www.yoroi.uk

 

[davet]

Forget that Weihai yarn, authentic odoshi is being listed here
yoroi.uk/product-category/odoshi-ito/

Next up, this month I'm meeting with the owners of Iron Mountain, we are going to make a reproduction odoshi suitable for DIY projects. It will have the correct odoshi weave, but be made from Rayon. This will of course be the cheapest option, and the most authentic braid on the market.

Update to follow.

[hanaya]

Thank you very much! Rayon could have a large market in the community imitating Japanese armour, and people who need to re-lace real armour can use real silk.

[momoyama]

Wow very impressive work davet!

A few questions. How can I whip the ends of smaller diameter silk or rayon cordage without actual thread. Are there any shortcuts ? I tried melting what I thought was polyester or rayon and it didn't work, what materiel would not melt like that?

Thanks,

Momoyama

[Deleted]

Sept 26, 2016 5:28:42 GMT -5 momoyama said:

How can I whip the ends of smaller diameter silk or rayon cordage without actual thread.

You can use any thin, quick setting glue to bind the ends together. I use a product called "Dritz Fray Check" because it is designed to soak in well and keep fibers together. A couple of drops usually enough.

Some people will unbraid a couple of inches of cord, dip them in fray check, then use their fingers to shape the end of the cord into a needle before the glue sets. This helps greatly when lacing armor.