The creator's thoughts At Kiyohide Glass Studio, we also value the traditional technique of "hand polishing". Kiriko is a technique that creates patterns on glass using a rotating whetstone or diamond wheel. The cut areas will turn white like frosted glass. To make it transparent, a polishing process is required, but a technique called ``acid polishing,'' which involves soaking it in chemicals and polishing it, is now becoming mainstream. Since the acid polishing is outsourced to a specialized craftsman, the Edo Kiriko craftsman does not have to do the polishing, so he can concentrate on the Kiriko processing. Moreover, it is a technique that makes it possible to express patterns that cannot be expressed by hand polishing. On the other hand, "hand polishing" involves tracing each cut point one by one and polishing it, which is extremely inefficient and takes more time than it looks. It takes time to achieve stable polishing, and the patterns that can be expressed are limited. From the time he became an apprentice until now, Kiyohide has mainly worked by hand polishing. Half of my career as a craftsman has been spent refining the techniques. I would like to continue to cherish this inefficient technique. However, it is difficult for the general public to understand. With this in mind, we handle contrasting acid polishing products in-house, allowing our customers to understand the diversity of techniques by allowing them to see both the wide range of expressions that can be made with acid polishing, and the benefits that can only be achieved by hand polishing, although it is less efficient. After that, please choose your preference. At that time, I believe that our commitment to hand-polishing will only come to fruition when you understand and accept our commitment to hand polishing.
