Kamemannen｜カメマンネン

ENAMELING

It is a decorative technique that involves mixing and blending colored epoxy resin,
and applying it onto metal frames using a syringe or other tools.
The result is a unique, high-quality appearance with a glossy,
glass-like finish. Each piece is crafted by skilled artisans,
who rely on their sense of touch and vision to create the perfect blend of resin. It is a decorative technique that involves mixing and blending colored epoxy resin, and applying it onto metal frames using a syringe or other tools. The result is a unique, high-quality appearance with a glossy, glass-like finish. Each piece is crafted by skilled artisans, who rely on their sense of touch and vision to create the perfect blend of resin.

The craftsman's eye and sense of touch
The craftsman's eye and sense of touch

To achieve the desired color and consistency, two-part epoxy resin is mixed in a 10:4 ratios. The resin is mixed by hand, using a bamboo spatula, on a glass plate. This process is the same as how lacquer is mixed in Echizen Lacquerware The resin must be mixed thoroughly to avoid impurities and achieve even coloring. The craftsman relies on their experience and sense of touch to determine the right consistency of the resin. If the resin is not mixed well, it may crack or turn yellow in color over time.

Tri-layer coating that produces beauty and durability.

The coating is applied to decorate the brand logos, rims and arms of the glasses. Generally speaking, the coatings are applied on the front surface only or on both the front and side surfaces, although this depends on the rim shape. However, Mr. Kato applies coating on all three surfaces (front, side, and back) to further enhance the durability. This is a technique that can only be done by skilled craftsmen who possess the necessary speed and expertise.

"Enameling is like the last touch of make-up on a frame. There's no point if it can be removed easily," says Kato.

To hand apply the coating with a uniform thickness, a delicate sense of touch in the fingertips is crucial. As a result, Mr. Kato has also created various tools, such as those with the tip of a brush hardened with resin or a bamboo skewer inserted into a ballpoint pen, to accommodate different thicknesses through trial and error.

Kihou Co., Ltd.
An enamelling craftsman,
Koji Kato

I think it's about watching, imitating, and making mistakes and repetition of those. By repeating the process of watching, imitating, doing it yourself, making mistakes, understanding the reason for the mistakes, and doing it again, you will eventually realize and say "Oh, I see" and gain confidence. It takes time to become able to do a perfect job, but I think it's about the number of failures. I plan to continue working for the rest of my life, but if someone wants to learn and is serious about it, I think I could teach them a certain amount within a year. However, it still takes years of practice to become skilled. Thanks to that, this job is incredibly enjoyable once you develop a liking for it. It's a job you can take your time with and work on for your entire life. So first and foremost, it's important to find something you love.