Spatulas & Mixing Tools
The spatula (hera) is where urushi is actually mixed with pigment, clay, or filler and where putties like kokuso and sabi (Chapter 13) are worked into cracks and joints. Professional kits distinguish several shapes by task:
| Tool | Use | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Chisya-hera | General maki-e / fine application spatula | From ¥888 |
| Momiji-hera | Small decorative/detail spatula | From ¥252 |
| Plastic spatulas (various hardness) | General mixing, filling; hardness chosen per task | ¥204–¥396 |
| Rubber spatulas | Flexible scraping/mixing | From ¥888 |
| Hera-gi (spatula stand) | Keeps loaded spatulas clean between uses | From ¥5,400 |
| Nushiya knife | Specialist cutting/scraping | From ¥16,400 |
| Wooden hand palette | Mixing surface held in hand | ¥1,800 |
| Hinoki & bamboo spatula | Traditional repair/kintsugi-style mixing | See Kintsugi Art |
(Prices from Urushi Tsutsumi's maki-e tools catalog.) For a first project, one or two plastic spatulas of different hardness plus a wooden or plastic mixing spatula is enough — see the beginner materials list in Tamenuri Studio's guide, and pair it with the glass work surface described in Chapter 4.