Maki-e fude

Brush used for maki-e and urushi-e In most cases very fine brushes. Some of fude brushes in skillful hands can draw lines 0,2mm thin. Fude brushes usually have very long fibers and are pointed. It lets them “store” urushi in the length of fibres and still draw thin lines, but controlling such brushes is a major skill. Most of high-quality fude are natural fibres (cat, rat) but recently very high-quality synthetic brushes are available too. Brushes must be cleaned after use with oil (rapeseed oil) by dipping them in oil and then pressing out residual urushi with special spatula. Brushes are stored in boxes protecting from dust, and fibres are infused with oil, so before next use, they must be cleaned again. And you clean them with urushi.