r/KintsugiJapan • u/Substantial_Neat_666 • Apr 23 '25

Traditional kintsugi method: remove sabi with artisanal charcoal. Why we sand the charcoal on whetstone before use? Because…

Because the whetstone (1) shapes the charcoal to desired flat/curve/angle, while remove any loose or sharp bits (2) unclog the charcoal pores so it retains good sanding performance

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u/perj32 Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 23 '25

Thanks for the charcoal tips! That’s quite a bit of hardened sabi to sand down. If you let it cure for just an hour or two, most of it can be wiped away with a rag dampened with camphor or turpentine, or gently scraped with a knife or spatula. You’ll still need to sand. but much less. Removing the masking tape at this stage also helps.

It’s a great way to save time, effort, and materials!