Department: Japanese Craft

Tsubokawa Mouhitsu

TSUBOKAWA MOUHITSU KOYOMO

Tsubokawa Mohitsu is a brush manufacturer with a long history and tradition in the brush manufacturing industry. The brushes, all of which are different according to their purpose, are carefully created by hand in a process that involves no less than one hundred steps. The artisans make the tip of each brush painstakingly by hand, carefully selecting the appropriate bristles one by one from a large amount of raw hair, in a long process that results in one single brush. This job requires attention to utmost detail, and artisans devote their fine skills and all their soul to create heartwarming and high quality brushes. They offer brushes of many different types and materials, and they have always paid special attention to the quality of the materials used. Among these, we have come to understand the value of "koyomo" (goat hair) in the early days, and they have made it a point to collect them. At the moment, "koyomo" has become a rare material that is difficult to obtain. However, they have almost exclusive monopoly of a plentiful amount, and take pride in having the best "koyomo" stock in the world.

Instagram

The Reason Koyomo is Superior Makeup Brush

While the outstanding qualities of "koyomo" are a well-known fact among calligraphers, the reason for these qualities was not very well known. In order to find out more about them, Tsubokawa Mohitsu Corp. had some "koyomo" got hair scientifically evaluated with the cooperation of the "Hiroshima Prefectural Agency of Technology, Seibu Industrial Technology Center." The evaluation comparatively verified the qualities of the "koyomo" based on scientific data regarding other raw hair materials that are commonly used in makeup brushes at the moment, such as "normal goat," "grey squirrel," "horse," and "deer." Please find the results below.

- Cross section of a hair
"Goat" and "deer" hair, which are commonly used in modern makeup brushes, have thin layers and a large number of cavities. "Horse" hair, which is said to be harder, has thicker layers. The same goes for our "koyomo," which has thick layers and a concentrated structure at its core, which gives it full body and makes it difficult to break.

Goat hair, which are commonly used

Koyomo


- View of the hair's tip
The "Goat" hair commonly used in modern makeup brushes is usually dull or cut at the tip. On the contrary, "squirrel" and "koyomo" hair used in luxury makeup brushes are covered finely in cuticle right to the tip, which is very delicate and characterized by a soft touch on the skin.

Goat hair, which are commonly used 2000x microscope images

Koyomo 2000x microscope images


- Subscribe Japanese Craft (Makeup Brush) Newsletters

Items You Recently Viewed

Delete Browsing History

Update to our Privacy Policy

We have recently updated our privacy policy, which will be implemented from May 25, 2018 onwards.

Read our Privacy Policy here.

close