[Basic Kit] Traditional Kintsugi Tutorial - Food safe method - Broken ceramics

Hi, I' m Chimahaga, Kintugi repairer based in Tokyo🇯🇵.
In this video, I explain the process of repairing broken ceramics by kintsugi.
[Please note]
This method can only be done with the tools and materials in my kit.
This method cannot be used with other kits such as the following
・Kits that do not use urushi
・Kits with bengara in powder form
[Kintsugi kit in the video]
chimahaga.com/products/kintsu...
00:00 Preparation
00:36 Day1 Gluing
03:22 Day2 Filling
06:06 Day3 Filling
08:18 Day4 First coating
10:50 Day5 Second coating
12:40 Day6 Finishing
[Food Safe]
This is a traditional Japanese kintsugi using natural urushi.
It is not an alternative kintsugi technique using resins such as epoxy, so it is a food-safe method that can be used safely on tableware.
[Follow me]
Instagram @chimahaga
/ chimahaga
TikTok @chimahaga
/ chimahaga
Twitter @cmhgcmhg
/ cmhgcmhg
[Music]
1.Time
2.Bell
Composer RYU ITO　　
ryu110.com/

[@chimahaga]

If you have any questions regarding the kintsugi procedure, please ask them in the Kintsugi Forum on my official website. chimahaga.com/community/my/kintsugi-forum I have not been able to check the KZbin comments recently because there are too many, so I will not be able to answer your questions here.

[@ampm7757]

Gracias!

[@lrjasso]

Hola friend. Quick question, if we only glue the pieces using Mugi urushi and we do none of the other steps, would it still be food safe?

[@chimahaga]

@@lrjasso Yes, it is safe. Flour, water, and urushi, the ingredients of mugi urushi, are all harmless to the human body, and their safety does not change even after curing.

[@lindarose61]

How do you know when the urishi is ready for the gold powder? Mine is always too wet or too dry so the powder smears or doesn't stick? Using the puff always smears the urishi for me.

[@chimahaga]

@@lindarose61 I think smears is not due to waiting time, but rather due to the following. Too much force when applying gold powder. Cotton is too fluffy. The amount of gold powder in the cotton is too little. Gold powder needs to be added to the cotton more frequently. Need to apply urushi more thinly. There are two important things to consider when applying gold dust. One is to keep in mind that only gold powder touches the urushi. In other words, the surface of the cotton should ideally always be covered with gold dust so that the cotton does not touch the urushi directly. Once the gold powder adheres to the seam, there is no problem even if the cotton slightly touches the seam after that. Second, be careful not to spread the urushi coated underneath. For example, if the force applied to the cotton is too strong, it will spread the urushi coated underneath. Also, if the urushi is not applied thinly, even a small amount of force will cause the urushi to spread easily. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please send us a photo. Kintsugi is not easy, but I will support you as much as I can.

[@soggycracker5934]

I have a lamp that my dad broke as a child, in the 50s, Grandma put it back together with just flour and water. It's sitting next to my bed and still serves our family to this day.

[@veyarain82]

I never realised how much care, attention, materials, and patience this takes. It reminds me even more of the genuine process of healing - it takes so long, so much patience, so much gentle care and work, and sometimes repeating steps, and you still won't ever be the same. But it's worth it. Thank you for sharing.

[@joebonomono5078]

This process is very much about being in the moment, it is not something you do because you are tasked with doing it, it's a job you do because you want to, because you enjoy it. Everything has it's time and it's moment.

[@nikushim6665]

For anyone unaware of what the compounds are made of take extreme caution if you decide to practice this art. Traditionally the lacquer is concentrated Urushiol, a vary strong allergen. Its the same compound found in poison ivy or sumac. If you get any of it on you during this process you're probably gonna have a really bad time.

[@nataushalight1684]

Ok, I was wondering this exact same thing. I kept thinking….surely I’m wrong. I swear my skin melts from urishiol exposure.

[@nikushim6665]

@@nataushalight1684 Traditionally its harvested from a species of poison oak ie the Urushi (lacquer) tree. Yeah its nasty stuff, but the allergic reaction varies person to person. Main issue is over sea's sellers have a bad tendency not to include a warning.

[@hazehat2121]

Sooo its not food save…. I have a very nice ramen bowl that just got broke and i have been looking online on how to glue it back. And now seeing this video is all nice and beautiful but the question I am asking myself is, is it food safe….

[@nikushim6665]

@@hazehat2121 once hardened its fairly inert. Just dont get any of it on you during the process.

[@jbird-sweets]

thank you for this comment because i’m already extraordinarily allergic to the poison ivy family, i can’t even eat mangos, so bringing this into my home would probably take me out lmao

[@mdnnickb]

I never, in my life, thought I would see someone glue a broken bowl together with poison ivy juice, wood dust, and gold. Incredible work. Don't touch your face!

[@CeToxihuitl]

And flour, don't forget the flour

[@reyrex4938]

Definitely one of the better ceramic repair kits I've seen, many others rely soley on epoxy and they don't remove the excess so they have big weird lumps in the seams. You can make something very similar visually with clay, water, and the same gold powder/luster dust but then you can't call it Kintsugi

[@centuarmeat]

Thank you for such a detailed tutorial of the traditional technique! I don't have any broken ceramics right now, but if I ever do I will 100% purchase your kit to try this

[@fairlymoon448]

This is fascinating and beautiful! For some unknown reason I was literally picturing gold paste.. like stuck together. The effort and work that goes into this makes it so much valuble.. Wish I could do this to all my favourite broken crockery..

[@TheRecciaJobe]

I had no idea how involved the traditional kintsugi is. Thank you for sharing this. I have a broken plate I was hoping to repair and now I have a good understanding of what that would actually entail and can make an informed decision.

[@AtomicBl453]

Let us know which new plate you ordered.

[@laurabrand4704]

This is the best Kintsugi Tutorial I have seen here on youtube! :)

[@vetchable]

Honestly, the red urushi looks good by itself aswell!

[@hardstylelife5749]

Beautiful tutorial, truly compelling and extremely detailed, bravo, and thanks !

[@flavio-p]

I love traditional Japanese culture. Everything seems to cultivate patience and a sense of purpose. Anecdotally, this technique might have saved me in the 80’s. “Mom, I didn’t break the lamp! This is the art of Kintsugi!”

[@BaslightBatekeepBoyboss]

Traditional Japanese people would love nothing more than your head on a pike. I suggest you end your love with it before it's too late.

[@VonZeppy]

So detailed and the video itself is very calming to watch.

[@GeorgesSat]

I liked that you showed the cleaning :)

[@samueltaylor4989]

Last month I threw out a handmade bowl that was broken like the one in this video, I could kick myself now.

[@Goma19Chaine]

I've just bought one of your kits and i'm currently in the middle of restauring a plate. Even though it's quite difficult to do (i guess it's normal for a first time) it's really enjoyable and thanks to your tutorial it's easy to keep track of what i'm supposed to do and how Thank you

[@manuelsandoval1439]

This was beautiful! Thank you for sharing your work!!!

[@LaineyBug2020]

I'm totally getting this stuff if I ever break any of my Great Grandma's Blue Willow China. I think it would look amazing and I wouldn't have to throw it out!

[@KeifusMathews3]

Truly enjoyed the kintsugi tutorial.

[@Mark-ks9jj]

Thank you for the detailed & simple explanation of how to perform this repair properly. Elegant & traditional well done.

[@maluciolemaluciole6207]

Thanks you very much for all your advices. This bowl IS beautiful once repaired !

[@stephaniecummings8725]

This is so beautiful! The process is amazing and the finished piece is so pretty. 🫶🏻

[@ueckbueck]

I feel so grateful to watch this tutorial at home ❤

[@SuperVenus1989]

Thanks for sharing, the video is amazing

[@amgm1996]

this is beautiful and so relaxing too!

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Incredibly well done tutorial.

[@kaylalyons4461]

Beautiful video! I’m glad I found your channel 😊

[@yoyopg123]

Beautiful!

[@suisinghoraceho2403]

Fascinating video. On the other hand, craft is very much a result of specific social economical situations. Even back in Song Dynasty China, the scale of Porcelain mass production (by hand nonetheless) meant it would cost much less to produce a new bow than to repair it in such painstaking ways. On the other hand, the cost of replacement by new products is much higher in Japan, hence the elaborate repair method. There are crafts to repair pottery in China. But they never got so elaborate.

[@vitawhiting7400]

Brilliant! Absolutely love this ❤

[@mustafakocabasi3387]

Thank you ! I learned a lot from you.

[@susanpeterson9558]

Absolutely stunning. I have seen pieces completed using this technique, but this tutorial took us step by step through the entire process. I was interested in learning this technique because I have a beautiful piece that has cracks, and I couldn't bear discarding it. This repair process would make it usable and a beautiful piece of art at the same time. Thank you for inspiring me to try this method.😊

[@totesjokin5354]

Just got your kit!

[@safiasiyoucef3765]

Thank you ❤

[@lyli2068]

What a beautiful and careful art. Definitely needs a lot of patience. Is not for me but I congratulate you for your amazing work

[@yasya_be]

Really detailed video, thank you! I have one bowl, that I want to repair. And really want to try original gintsugi method.

[@beajacome3569]

Saludos desde Bogotá Colombia, gracias por compartir.

[@user-fariba]

خارق العاده🔥💥😍

[@JKa244]

Neat. I'm not allergic to urushiol thankfully, might try this someday

[@suzylal1660]

Thaaaaaank u so much i was needed this info 💚

[@namele55777]

i mean, i would have mixed up some 2-part epoxy, stuck the pieces together and called it a day, but that wouldn't be considered art would it. beautiful tutorial!

[@jakefoley9539]

At long last I can achieve my dream of making every bowl in my house look like Thrawns troops from Ahsoka

[@chrismiller4348]

Thank you

[@moonolyth]

Wow! Going out to find something beautiful and breack it!!! Loving the prosses!!

[@melissab3038]

Hahaha 😂that’s exactly what I thought too! 😂

[@stevenhuber8977]

Chiwa Chimahaga, first of all, thank you for your videos you do. That helped a lot and made me ( after my first trys with epoxid ) confident to go on practicing 🙂 Is it possible to use other materials ( cheaper, like bronce powder ) to do the finishing? Fun fact....I´ve been in tokyo 8 days ago and I miss japan so much 😕

[@JennyHilda]

I love just watching projects get fixed. Could you please do some of those videos without the tutorial part?

[@PerfectlyImperfekt]

Hi Chimahaga, I just received your advanced Kintsugi Repair Kit and are super eager to start. I have a few questions if I may :) First what materials can I repair with your set and which materials can i not repair with it? I have just bought a cup made out of stoneware. Secondly, once I apply the Mugi urushi how long do I have to wait after I apply it to glue the pieces together? Thank you so much!!

[@robinmolander8817]

Hi, really good video 😊 I have been using epoxy for repair pottery, but now I want to learn this real way of kintsugi , so my first question is where can I get the supplies you are using in your video?😊thank you 🙏

[@kirstikaern]

What a helpfull tutorial - I gives me the courage for doing the task! I quite liked the expression before the step with the gold applied. Is it possible to stop the process before that golden step? And would it be possible with other colours? I would like to make a repair of a Royal Cophenhagen plate - could look really nice with a blue or silver line on it...

[@Anomander44]

On one of the other channels I watched, they used silver powder on a piece and it worked fine.

[@MikiCab1]

Can this be used on Porcelain? I have a broken cup and it is like broken glass without any porous surface on the broken parts. I afraid it would be too slick to have anything stick to it? Thank You for your response in advance.

[@VermisTerrae]

Thank you for this video! I just purchased a tube of your raw urushi and I'm very excited to give it a try :) I have a question, though- is it possible to use the raw urushi instead of bengara urushi for the final gold powder application?

[@meganmcgrath8378]

Hello! Very excited to get started with this. One of the pots I am hoping to repair has only the thinnest hairline crack. It's almost invisible but lets water through. In this case, would it be best to skip over the gluing and filling processes and just paint the crack with bengara urushi? Thank you!

[@JosephReference]

while watching that i imagine myself as a Kintsugi artist doing that full time.

[@LaDivinaLover]

Can you do this for a teapot you intended to use? I.e. will it stand up to repeated exposure to boiling water?

[@aidasoto2936]

Mi trabajo y mis ideas 💡

[@satiremuch2643]

Incredible! Where can one find a reliable source of raw urushi?

[@IDomLucas]

Learning about Kintsugi after heard Lana's new album

[@lazibayer]

When fixing something costs 100x the original price.

[@LaDivinaLover]

There’s like maybe $20 worth of ingredients here… not expressive at all and the technique was developed mainly for use on expansive China and Porcelain.

[@ryanw1433]

The time put into it is certainly expensive of you were doing it for a living.

[@tavua]

my favorite lana song

[@shrinkingshrimp]

Thank you for a real kitsugi, not that epoxi bs.

[@Eren______]

I mean, the important thing about kitsugi is the idea and philosophy of the technique rather than the material. So I think being too picky about the material kinda defeats the purpose.

[@Goma19Chaine]

​@@Eren______kintsugi isn't just about the philosophy tho, sure the philosophy is important but it's an artisanal technique that needs to be respected.

[@smilodnfatalis55]

Urushi (lacauer made from tree resin) and epoxy (completely synthetic) do the same job, and their appearance mostly depends on the powder that's mixed in- mixing pure gold powder into epoxy will look mostly the same. The only difference is organic vs synthetic, and unless you're eating them... there's really not much difference. The video also uses anhydrous ethanol, that's pretty synthetic too.

[@mechanicalmonk2020]

It's just a different type of "epoxy". No need to get overly puritanical about it

[@romangrayson6826]

​@@Goma19Chaineusing modern materials doesnt disrespect the artistry.

[@mariolaannakrupska]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you. Can this method be used on an alabaster/marble object ie. a lamp shade? No need for food safety but possibly higher heat levels from a lighting source.

[@chimahaga]

It is possible that urushi will not work on slippery materials like stone or glass. As for heat resistance, I know that it can withstand hot water, etc., but I have never repaired a lampshade, so I am not sure. Sorry I can't help you.

[@BrokenCurtain]

​​​@chimahaga The boiling point of water is at 100° C. I doubt most lampshades get that hot, especially with the new LED bulbs. If a lampshade gets so hot that it can melt or burn stuff, or that you can hurt yourself by touching it, then this defeats the purpose of a lampshade, IMO.

[@joebonomono5078]

A year later after your rash has healed you will a beautiful bowl.

[@1304banshee]

Will this type of repair work on glass? With ceramic being porous I don’t know if it would work as well?

[@darkshadowsx5949]

is urushi no longer poisonous once cured?

[@wenthepark]

This is wonderful! Is there a similar repair method that works on glass?

[@chimahaga]

The same method cannot be used for glass. Kintsugi on glass is quite challenging and it will be difficult to repair it beautifully unless you are a professional.

[@eggpassion]

i can't find an answer in the comments but i apologise if you've already replied to a similar question, do i need to use gold powder? not only am i reluctant because of a financial aspect but aesthetically i prefer a more subtle finish. will it be food safe if i don't use gold powder to finish a bowl or mug?

[@SandyAUS]

Do you ship to Australia? Or can you recommend an Australian supplier please?

[@positivevibesrfc]

I am Scottish but I love this. I feel very inspired. Thank you.

[@novymelianalaksanawati483]

@chimahaga Brother I have question our country humidity reach 90% so when store it for glue to harden should it keep 1 week or cut it for few days?! Thank you

[@chimahaga]

High humidity does not reduce waiting time. Rather, too much humidity may deter normal curing, so if possible, it is better to store the ceramics in a slightly less humid place.

[@bradbetts3513]

I feel so bad for anyone who *just* broke a plate in the place they are house sitting and need a quick fix....

[@MakitaVEVO]

Would it work on glass? I’m heartbroken, I have a glass item that my dog broke and I really want to fix it somehow :(

[@RyszardRudy]

Can kokuso urishi be made with ceramic powder instead of wood powder?

[@lindareu6137]

How stable is the repair? If repaired porcelain falls, does it break in new places or in the glued ones? And what about heat and alcohol or acids? Can the glued parts withstand it?

[@chimahaga]

I have never broken a repaired item myself, so this is hearsay, but I hear that the new part breaks. It is glued on quite strongly. However, I think it also depends a lot on the shape and material of the repaired item. Basically, porcelain is harder for urushi to work than pottery. It also withstands alcohol and acid better. As for heat, hot water and the like are relatively safe, but open flame and microwave ovens are not good.

[@jordopia]

This is like visual asmr. A possibility is to do a re-edit where you lose the music and just talk softly into a microphone about what is going on. That's just an idea though. It's a great video as is.

[@ivancano2060]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@jungoh1992]

I didn’t have to use the tape because the urushi was so strong. Is that ok?

[@kreigindexzensur]

can you brew tea in a fixed houhin?

[@iilikecereal]

Honestly if you are talented at this, you could make a killing offering this as a service for people.

[@rsALEX]

Do you need to use raw flour? I know it's odd but i'm afraid of accidental gluten contamination.

[@kingdarkem]

I wonder if this would work with cloisonne

[@mattiaslarsson8875]

Great work! Would this hold up to a hot drink, such as tea?

[@chimahaga]

Yes, it can withstand hot drinks. However, please note that it may break if it is placed over an open flame and kept boiling.

[@shanyloukiantchenko289]

Hello. Is it possible to learn the art of kindzugi on my own, at home? Thank you.

[@viola0livido]

...great video but... what is urushi?

[@LaneyaWiles]

Do you have one that comes in silver?

[@hiteshramani1770]

I broke a very important piece of ceramic and clay pottery into 2 pieces. Would be willing to ship it over to you and get it repaired if possible. Please let me know how can I proceed. Willing to bare the shipping and material charges. Thank you.

[@windhorse123]

Where do we get urushi and what exactly is it?

[@totesjokin5354]

Is it ok to use isopropyl alcohol to clean up instead of ethyl alcohol?

[@chimahaga]

Yes, it is okay. The higher the concentration as much as possible, the cleaner the dirt will be wiped off.

[@doveseye.4666]

If a piece is twisted, melted, misshapen or missing would the bowl be finished?😢

[@isekaiexpress9450]

Friendly reminder to sneeze in your elbow when handling the gold powder.

[@leeatkin9925]

My cat just broke a vase (actually its an old sake bottle) that I want to try this with. How can I ensure the seals inside are good and strong since I wont be able to apply anything other than the initial layer inside?

[@chimahaga]

There is a possibility that you can repair it by applying work only on the outside. If you can show me a photo via Instagram DM, etc., I can give you more specific advice.

[@lisabecerra490]

Would you be able to do the repair in stages in order to repair both outside and inside seems?

[@jessicag630]

Unfortunately, urushi (Japanese lacwuer tree resin) seems to be only available in East Asian countries.

[@chimahaga]

Depending on your location, I may be able to ship from my online store.

[@datinintanbaktara2493]

Instead of using two type of urushi, can I use raw urushi instead for second coating and finishing?

[@chimahaga]

Basically, it cannot be substituted. Raw urushi is not suitable for coating because it is not sticky.

[@datinintanbaktara2493]

@@chimahaga I see. So bengara urushi main purpose is to stick the gold powder, isn’t it? If we only use raw urushi then we can’t have the finish result in gold lines?

[@chimahaga]

@@datinintanbaktara2493 That's not all. The most important thing with Kintsugi is to make the substrate as flat and smooth as possible before finishing. In other words, it is important to fill in the fine grooves by applying layers of bengara (or black) urushi during the coating process. Since raw urushi has low viscosity, it cannot be applied thick enough to fill the grooves.

[@datinintanbaktara2493]

@@chimahaga understood, thank you so much for the explanation!

[@welsunsig6715]

Were those real gold powder?!

[@Nashvillain10SE]

13:43 It says, "If the humidity in the room is above 60%, the urushi may dry before the gold powder is applied." Shouldn't that say "below 60%"?

[@TheTetrapod]

No, throughout the video he shows that the bengara urushi only dries in high humidity environments, hence the towel in the box for later steps.

[@Nashvillain10SE]

@@TheTetrapod That makes no sense whatsoever. Explain how something dries faster in a high humidity environment rather than a low humidity environment. What is the mechanism that explains this?

[@t3hgr8gabbo]

@@Nashvillain10SE It's not actually "drying" but polymerizing, and the water in the air triggers that reaction.

[@Nashvillain10SE]

@@t3hgr8gabbo The gold in kintsugi doesn't polymerize as there's no chemical reaction involving cross-linking of molecules. Instead, the gold powder is embedded in the lacquer, and the lacquer hardens to create a bond between the broken pottery pieces. The lacquer itself undergoes a curing process as it dries. So, I'm still confused.

[@sundaigreene1203]

If I use this method but don’t use the gold powder at the end will it still be food safe?

[@alemholas]

I also want to know this! Can we work without gold or other metals and just leave it as it is?

[@chimahaga]

It is food safe without coating with gold powder. Of course, if you are finishing with a different powder other than gold, you need to make sure that the powder is food safe. For example, pure silver powder and brass powder are food safe.

[@chiahaowu2931]

This is great to know!! I have bowl that might look better without the gold powder. Thanks for asking, and thank you Chimahaga San for the great tutorial and answer!

[@Cyboar]

Did this come up on my feed because of the new ahsoka episode?

[@totesjokin5354]

Also, my bengara came as powder, not a paste. Do I mix it just like how I make the mugi-urushi?

[@chimahaga]

Since you have powdered bengara, I assume it is not my kit that you purchased, so I think it would be best to contact the distributor from whom you purchased it. The workflow for kneading urushi and pigment depends on which urushi you use, so it is difficult to give accurate advice unless the one who supplies that material. I'm sorry.

[@totesjokin5354]

@@chimahaga oh nooo, I got a lot off Amazon that looks SO similar to yours, I’m sorry. Thank you for your help though, I’ll contact the distributor for directions

[@DRum886]

I thought the gold was molten and was trying to figure out how they kept the pieces together.

[@kgoutdoorsolutions430]

Wow I just did it with JB weld and gold flake. Should’ve used masking tape and some type of remover to clean up the edges. It worked but isn’t art. Lol it’s a mess.

[@angelbear_og]

Does the gold make it food safe? I don't know if I'd want to be eating off JB weld, haha! But then, if it's not a food dish then doesn't matter. :)