Bamboo Processing Technology
Bamboo materials are collected from all over Japan and further sorted before processing. Bamboo may look like it is growing straight, but it may have strong bends and its material may not be consistent. Since the quality of the bamboo material handled by Raku-tei determines the quality of the product, we take the utmost care in the selection of bamboo materials. After the bamboo material is thoroughly dried, it is treated with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal treatment before being processed.
Bamboo is cut to the appropriate size, then polished to remove wisps and other defects. The surface of the bamboo is used as it is to fully utilize the natural flavor of the bamboo. Split sections and edges are polished to make them smooth to the touch because of wisps.
There are two types of bamboo material: split bamboo, which is split in half, and round bamboo, which is used as a log. Round bamboo tends to crack on the surface due to shrinkage caused by drying, so a stripe-shaped split is made on the reverse side in advance. This is called back-splitting. Thanks to the back-splitting, the shrinkage is absorbed in the split area, thus reducing surface cracking.
Split and round bamboos are treated again after processing to prevent bacteria and fungus. For round bamboos, the inside of the bamboo is also treated for fungicide and fungicide by using the gaps in the back split. For the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal treatment, we use a safe artificial lacquer that is also used for finishing wooden tableware.
Depressions are made where round bamboos are combined with round bamboos. The depressions are made by hand by checking the position and cutting them out. These depressions make the position of the bamboo fence clear and also make the combination of round bamboos easier to do.
After all processing of the bamboo material is completed, the last step is to apply it again with artificial lacquer. This detailed application ensures that the bamboo material retains its high quality over the long term, allowing you to enjoy its beauty and tactile qualities.
