So that's how they're made! Unbelieveable craftsmanship.

I must confess, after burning through about 3 chasen a year (I use one at least 6x a day), I finally got a plastic one (eGad!), as they can be dismantled and cleaned. Chasen tend to be breeding ground for mold, and after a while they can be too gross to use.

I only hope the tea gods can forgive me.

I don't practice chado but I enjoy a cup of matcha on occasion. I think there are at least a few different variants of the chasen but not sure what the associations are (uransenke vs omotesenke?). One difference I believe is the tine(?) count. Kind of cool to watch the hand making process. Amazing the craftsman doesn't have numerous scars on his fingers.

kkina - you drink matcha 6 times a day? Wow, that seems enjoyable yet expensive. Do you boil the water in the kettle, etc (formal brew?)? I usually just use water from a zojirushi for convenience. Even still, matcha 6 times a day seems a lot - I couldn't afford that. What matcha are you using? I like trying different 'appellations' but generally buy one of the Ippodo gyokuro options (generally convenient to get). I don't drink matcha often but I like to enjoy it when I do. I usually drink gyokuro or sencha loose leaf. I know Uji is generally the go to but I've found leaves from Kumamoto to be very tasty.

It's not matcha most of the time. I buy a powdered herb called kratom for pain management (I have fibromyalgia). It mixes up and even tastes similar to green tea, so that's how I take it.

I normally need to dose every 2 to 4 hours, so my chasen gets a lot of use.

Oh. I see. Sorry to hear that.

On a lighter note, when you do make matcha, do you enjoy making the froth? I oddly find enjoyment in making the froth. It's calming to me and I also enjoy drinking a frothy matcha. To this end, I also enjoy the lighter colored tea bowls too. But a good chasen is necessary for froth.

Oh yes, the quick motion of the whisk brings me to an instant Zen-like state of being . I usually start with a circular stirring motion to mix first, then transition to the classical back-and-forth frothing movement.

Glad to hear it’s not just me.

I get into a zone and have a tendency to whisk too long and the matcha cools more than it should. It’s okay I guess, I have a cat’s tongue.

Another related video you might enjoy.

I loved watching this and seeing the maker use a small knife called a Kiridashi. I have a couple of this style, fun to see it used traditionally.

Never heard of a tea whisk. Amazing craftsmanship. So I assume the tea is fantastic?

This was really interesting, and calming to watch; thank you for posting!

I’d like to get a solid wood container now. The one I have has a veneer I think. It looks nice but want a single piece one now.