Thread: Anybody Used Tokusa?

I think they simply dry it, then use it as is. It's not so much a sandpaper as it is silica chunks in grass, and you use it accordingly knowing that it won't hold up for that long until the silica breaks free of the main plant bits, but the abrasive itself should be reasonably long lasting.

Usually, I've only seen it used horizontally, to a point where the piece is moved to be horizontal before it's rubbed. Perhaps that's to keep the stuff lasting long.

Next you'll be asking about deer horn powder...

No, I've never used it myself on a piece of wood.

Stu.

Hi Schtoo,

I have a written reference that says its boiled and cut open - but that could be total hooey (something lost in translation/misunderstood/etc.). Obviously, it would be used dry, but is it bundled with the stalks vertical or horizontal? That's the sort of thing I'd like to know.

Anyway, apparently (and there is considerable agreement, from what I've read in general) the abrasive action is far superior to the finest sandpaper, so leaves an otherwise unique and (in my opinion) desirable surface on wood. So I'd like to give it a try sometime.

As for powder, there are lots I'd like to try as well (charcoal, ibota, horn, gunpowder) but I think the tokusa has a role to play with some of them as well. All in good time.

Thanks for the info.

Steve

Steve,

Found this after a quick look;

blog page with rough instructions about preparing tokusa

In Japanese of course, but they give a rough description of boiling, then drying then wetting and slicing it down a side and peeling it open.

The bundles in the pic at the bottom are how I've seen it used, for smoothing out textured surfaces like an abrasive brush. Like I said, I've never used it but I did recall the fellow I was watching being very careful to not only not use it in a vertical orientation, but he repeatedly brought the dust back into the area he was working. That's why I assume it breaks down a little rapidly, but perhaps that was part of how he was using it.

I think I can buy it at the home centre here, wrapped up into a puck for smoothing out carved items. Never bothered with it myself though, maybe I should?

Oh, I don't know that it's the same plant but there's a kind of garnish/pickle that uses horsetails, and it tastes pretty good. Have to introduce you to e-no-abura/shiso oil/perilla oil. Great finishing oil, and tastes good as salad oil or in leaf form.

Stu.

Stu,

Thanks for that link - now I should add learning Japanese to my list of things to do. But it looks like what I have in a book (about making Japanese sword shira-saya - no pictures) about boiling and cutting open is correct.

I remember you mentioning perilla oil, but as yet I've not found any locally even as a cooking oil. I'm still using tung oil from a can I bought 25 years ago which is still half full - so I'm not that needy for oil at the moment.

Steve

I was surprised to see this topic come up, having collected horsetails recently for the same purpose. I'm not surprised to see that people ingest horsetail for its silica content. The wikipedia page has a very interesting account of the myriad uses:
Equisetum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I first tried using individual pieces horizontally and they crumbled. On the advice above I bundled them into a vertical brush, and sure enough it works, albeit leaving gouges in softwood since I didn't prep the horsetails at all. The finish is otherwise very smooth, better than 600grit sandpaper can achieve. It'd be a lot of work to smooth any sizable piece.

I've had good results simply burnishing wood with wood, getting a similar glassy sheen and closing up surface pores. It's worked so fantastically well for me that I'm surprised the technique isn't more widespread.

Edit: On re-watching this sashimono video series I see horsetails being used (@4:00) in individual pieces, horizontally. The chest is made from paulownia with keyaki (aka zelkova/elm) for the front.[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIEIaZFOCaU"]Sashimono woodwork[/ame]

Thanks for the information. I've been interested in horsetail for a long time as its often mentioned in the Japanese woodwork context. I looked it up to see if I might find some locally. I found this on one of the websites:

"The horsetail plant, also called scouring rush, is a plant that is found growing in all countries of the world except Australia."



Regards,
Garry

Edit: On re-watching this sashimono video series I see horsetails being used (@4:00) in individual pieces, horizontally. The chest is made from paulownia with keyaki (aka zelkova/elm) for the front.

I've seen this video series - most impressive for all the skills depicted. I notice that the surfaces rubbed with tokusa end up being coated with clear urushi. I wonder if that is necessary (for the urushi) given that the wood already has a beautiful hand-planed finish, or somehow adds a further dimension to the surface? I don't speak Japanese, so if there is an explanation, I don't know.

Gadge - here is one source for purchase: Namikawa Heibei Co.,Ltd.. Too bad you can't just pick it from the riverbanks like the rest of the world, but we also don't have kangaroos or Crocodile Dundee (etc.).

Thanks for the link Sheets. I'll look into buying some to try.
Your're right about my horsetail challenged country. Australia has a few other things going for it.

Regards,
Garry