Chasen No. 117 · Coloured Thread, 68 Tines · Usucha

Pale natural bamboo · coloured (red / blue / purple) thread · around 68 fine tines · one of a kind

The showpiece of the set. Around 68 fine outer tines in pale (white) bamboo, bound not in the usual black or white but in a vivid multicoloured thread of red, blue and purple. Every whisk here is one of a kind — this one wears it on its sleeve, and still performs, whipping a fine, even usucha (thin matcha) foam.

Hand-cut and tied from a single piece of bamboo in Takayama, Nara — the district that makes more than 90% of Japan's chasen, where fewer than twenty artisans still practise the craft. From one of four independent makers we work with; out of respect for them, we don't share names or workshops. One of a kind — we have only this piece.

Care: rest on a whisk holder (kusenaoki) to keep its shape, rinse in warm water only, and air-dry. Never soak or machine-wash.