筆 Maki Fude (cored brushes)

A brush made by wrapping and solidifying a core hair with washi paper, then putting another layer of hair on top and tightening it with linen thread. It is also known as a 'Maki Fude.' The distinctive features of this brush include excellent hair cohesion and resilience.

Currently, the only workshop producing this type of Maki Fude is HANKEIDO in Shiga prefecture in Japan. In 1979, upon request from the Imperial Household Agency, the 14th generation Umpei conducted an investigation of the original and delivered replicas of the Dai Jakuto Fude.

3 types of Maki Fude

general type
A fude made by wrapping the core hair with washi paper and then adding the outer hair. At first glance, it may not look much different from a regular fude, but upon closer inspection, you can see that the tip suddenly becomes very thin from the part where the paper is wrapped.
sparrow head type
A fude made by wrapping the core hair with several layers of washi paper and then adding the outer hair. The brush tip is in the shape of a sparrow's head. It is believed to have been used for sutra copying and fine writing. Among the 18 brushes in the Shosoin Repository collection, one is a large sparrow-head brush.
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rattan-wrapped type
A large maki fude brush used for writing large Kanji characters, with the brush head and handle connected using rattan and wire mesh.