how to protect chasen from crack?

[andrzej bero]

After 1/2 of a year of almost daily use my chasen has broken lug. It looks like a case of dry air but do you have any tips for a future? That is cheap one from China, stored not in a box.
thanks in advance
best
andrzej

[Chip]

I tend to agree, HOT in combination with DRY air seems to cause cracks. Living in an old stone house, it is never hot AND dry at the same moment. Never had a chasen crack.

However, I would expect a poorly selected piece of bamboo could be more susceptable to cracking. A Japanese artisan is less likely to select a bad piece of bamboo, I would think.

[Xell]

I tend to agree, HOT in combination with DRY air seems to cause cracks. Living in an old stone house, it is never hot AND dry at the same moment. Never had a chasen crack.

However, I would expect a poorly selected piece of bamboo could be more susceptable to cracking. A Japanese artisan is less likely to select a bad piece of bamboo, I would think.

And that chasen would cost like 10-20 chasens made in China

Not sure if it can help, but with really dry air i would soak whole chasen time to time. My chasen is also cheap chinese piece and i don't even bother soaking it before use. Not sure when i started, but probably close to a year, only one whisker got broken. I keep it on a ceramic stand, that helps to maintain shape.

[andrzej bero]

Chip, Xell thanks for your fast reply.

However, I would expect a poorly selected piece of bamboo could be more susceptable to cracking. A Japanese artisan is less likely to select a bad piece of bamboo, I would think.

And that chasen would cost like 10-20 chasens made in China

My friend used to say "I am too poor to buy cheap". Anyway I am not sure if in our central europe climate and winters with central heating buing better quality chasen can help. Hazard.
I feel a little schizophrenic with this;)

[Chip]

... even the best (Japanese) chasen can crack. Pitfall of bamboo. So, you are either willing to accept the risk with the more expensive chasen-s, or you are not.

Like so many types of teaware, the more expensive it is, the more paranoid I am of buying and then using. I have a gifted Japanese one. And likely a Chinese pair of chasen (although the pair was too cheap to be Japanese, I really have no idea, nor did Katsuragi the ebay seller).

[Geekgirl]

I tend to agree, HOT in combination with DRY air seems to cause cracks. Living in an old stone house, it is never hot AND dry at the same moment. Never had a chasen crack.

Yep, all you really have to do is maintain an average annual relative humidity of 65%. Your chasen (and teatables, and guitars and ukes,) won't crack.

GET ON IT.

[Xell]

My friend used to say "I am too poor to buy cheap". Anyway I am not sure if in our central europe climate and winters with central heating buing better quality chasen can help. Hazard.
I feel a little schizophrenic with this;)

I treat chasens as expendables, so it's a bit hard to justify a chasen that will cost 50-150$. At least with my current income But if i will have an opportunity, sure i would like to try using high class chasen and feel the difference myself.

Yep, all you really have to do is maintain an average annual relative humidity of 65%. Your chasen (and teatables, and guitars and ukes,) won't crack.
GET ON IT.

Seems i don't have to worry, even during winter it rarely drops below 70-65% humidity

[MarshalN]

Chasen is a consumable - they will break, no matter what, as long as you use it often. There's a reason why you rarely find antique chasen and that even the best ones are not terribly expensive, whereas chashaku are insanely priced. Scooping powdered tea from little canisters means very little risk of breakage.

[Tead Off]

Chasen is a consumable - they will break, no matter what, as long as you use it often. There's a reason why you rarely find antique chasen and that even the best ones are not terribly expensive, whereas chashaku are insanely priced. Scooping powdered tea from little canisters means very little risk of breakage.

This is a good case for the manufacturing of plastic chasen and chashaku. Of course, aesthetics is another matter.

The prices that most of us pay for these implements is usually quite low but when you get into the 'artisan' made tools, prices can be insane both in Korea and Japan.

I have both Chinese and Korean chasen. The Chinese one I have is 3 years old and there are only a couple of broken spines. The Korean one has none yet but it's only 1 year old, slightly less. I think there is more damage to my wrist than the chasen.

[rdl]

andrzej bero,
i have a similar climate as you, and my made in japan chasen has a similar crack. however, once it got that one crack in the handle it has not changed and i have been using it without any problem. i have not had any dryness effect the tines. is your cracking continuing to get worse?
try to store it in a room in the house that is most humid, especially the kitchen if you have lots of liquids on the stove over the winter.

[iannon]

andrzej bero,
i have a similar climate as you, and my made in japan chasen has a similar crack. however, once it got that one crack in the handle it has not changed and i have been using it without any problem. i have not had any dryness effect the tines. is your cracking continuing to get worse?
try to store it in a room in the house that is most humid, especially the kitchen if you have lots of liquids on the stove over the winter.

+1..my cheapo chasen cracked fairly early but its stayed the same (and functional) for the last 2 years.

[andrzej bero]

Thanks for all your helpful answers.

And that chasen would cost like 10-20 chasens made in China

I treat chasens as expendables, so it's a bit hard to justify a chasen that will cost 50-150$. At least with my current income

Yes, I did not expresed it aloud but I agree with you in this case and for me even lost cheap one in one year seems to be too much.

Chasen is a consumable - they will break, no matter what, as long as you use it often

That is evident for me, anyway I would like to extend live of another one;)

This is a good case for the manufacturing of plastic chasen and chashaku.

or metal:) http://www.gongfugirl.com/wp-content/up ... ols-02.jpg

is your cracking continuing to get worse?
try to store it in a room in the house that is most humid, especially the kitchen if you have lots of liquids on the stove over the winter.

yes. It looks like it is too late for any rescue for this one (only plastic tape - sic! or glue and lace). But thanks for "future" chasen. I will have to think about the most humid place in my house for winter (not kichen in my case and bathroom do not sound great too)

..my cheapo chasen cracked fairly early but its stayed the same (and functional) for the last 2 years.

I noticed small crack after 3 months from first use and nothing happend later till I left chasen by the window for 7 days of my holiday. I wonder could it be additional reason.

thank you once more
andrzej

[Tead Off]

Is that a metal chasen pictured?

[debunix]

It appears to be a metal chasen from the photo and the text, but this one is probably the one that was graphite-coated.

I can't imagine wanting to subject a fine artisanal chawan to the repeated scrapings of a metal chawan....

[JBaymore]

Yep, all you really have to do is maintain an average annual relative humidity of 65%. Your chasen (and teatables, and guitars and ukes,) won't crack.

GET ON IT.

Yup, move to Japan.

best,

............john