Most fude are made from animal hair. Some are made from plant or bird feather. Fude can be divided into a few types depending upon its characteristic hairs as shown below. Different material produces different strokes.
●Kengou fude: Mixture of different types of soft and hard hairs in order to add resilience
[ II ] Hair Quality
If a product name has “ko” as a prefix, its hairs have been matured for more than 30 years. We have many inquiries about the quality level of the different goat hairs, which is shown below. Individual products of the same quality level may have different prices.
Mane and tail hairs of a horse are traded at a premium. The price of Japanese horse hair is several times higher than that of Chinese. Japanese horse hairs deliver a more delicate, softer stroke.
[ Ⅲ ] Bristle Finish
●Normal: A somewhat rounded bristle. With more prolonged usage, its hair volume decreases, and thus it will become easier to manipulate.
●Zurashi: With less hair volume than the normal finish, its toe can split and close easily. Some calligraphers can even draw the fine lines of their seals with it. It delivers a thinner, sharper first stroke.
●Sakiyose: Its thicker bristle provides a grander stroke, but is harder to manipulate.
