i was thinking that too, i work with all sorts of paper and for the best quality of hanji that's quite modest. we just saw all of the work that goes into it!
@@robertwilson2007 no but like: I _understand the question._ I am simply confused by it since, the paper/medium/toola used in the creative process don’t really matter as to whether or somebody could achieve a certain resault… somebody could if they wanted use a piece of grill-coal on a piece of warehouse cardbord and make a photorealistic painting with that. HOWEVER: using nicer things will make the process easier and more enjoyable, and potentially last for longer, which are (some) of the reasons this paper is so good.
Greetings from a US paper conservatory! So there's lots of places around the world that make long lasting (archival) paper! The thing with the paper we use everyday is it's made from waaaaaay thicker trees. This means it's really dense and it needs to be processed with more chemicals. This in turn means the paper will yellow with time. The paper this guy makes is probably made with mulberry (also known as kozo) harvested after it's first year when it's still softer and easier to process. I greatly encourage people to find places that sell fine paper as it's fantastic for art creation. Also paper arts are lit. When I saw him put the kozo in the beater, my soul left my body then it was explained more and it came back.
I saw a blog post several years ago where a woman had a custom built beater designed specifically to process mulberry fibers. It was fascinating. Instead of the plate with spikes and indentations, it had two rows of staggered dull blades shaped like scythes. These would separate the fibers without cutting them. She mentioned it was a very slow process but was something she wanted to develop.
Actually trees used for paper making have gotten much much smaller. It’s been a long time since pulp logs needed to be cut to size to fit in a pulp mill unlike the 1930’s…
Paper is probably one of the most important inventions in human history. As we slowly become more and more digital, its understandable why the old methods are going away, but we can't let the knowledge of it disappear. Please document these things well enough while we can so if in the future someone wants to recreate something from the past there is enough information on knowing how to do so. It makes me sad to know that so much old knowledge just fades away to be forgotten. (like roman concrete among others)
yeah, being able to write down libraries worth of information (which paper accomplishes better than papyrus and parchment, or clay tablets, bark, wooden slats and such) was super important for building incresingly complex knowledge over generations.
A few years ago, "NOVA" had a series on the development of the written alphabet, the development of ink, the development of paper, and how the technologies spread through the known world. It was fascinating. If you have a Passport membership, maybe you can find it at the website. Or wait to see if these episodes eventually appear for free on RU-vid at their "NOVA" channel.
This video series is a true RU-vid highlight and I love watching every new episode. But it also saddens me every time a certain craft, exercised with dedication and a lifetime of knowledge, hits its probable decline at the hands of efficiency and modernisation.
I would request Business Insider to mention contact details of the artisans/craftsmen of all these wonderful crafts they are covering so that people watching them can buy it from them directly and the craft can survive longer.
I agree! I've watched so many of these and end up trying to Google them so I can buy their product to support them. It would be easier if they'd just give us a link or something to help. Lol
Disagree. Business Insider should remain neutral and be educational as it is. Because putting the contacts in the vid/post would mean "ENDORSING" it & while it is meaningful in the short term, its detrimental in the long run as businesses evolves over the time but RU-vid vids remain the same. (and that's a recipe for PR disaster) Example : Its like watching a traditional handcraft video only to find that the owner has already upscale its business into a medium sized factory & is no longer handmade piece by piece. Although it pains me to say this but "we can always google it by the side to know more about it" while these documentaries can serve the purpose of recording a history. I mean just look at the food documentaries, plenty of instances where chefs' assistant from vid 10 years ago are now actually living their dream of owning their own restaurants with some even getting Michelin stars. And these wonderful moments shouldn't be ruined by outdated business contacts in the vid/post.
@@omegasensei382 Yeah, endorsing is not bad & there is nothing wrong with it. But what do you think the team is gonna do if people come up to them saying they got scammed via the provided contacts in the vid? Especially if the vid is years old. Also, the comment section would turn into market bickering like "the contacts provided is false/true/inaccurate/incomplete" , "there's better price with xx competitor, yy provider for which Z country". Then if the team say "at your own risk", not only its a move with bad pr image, it also makes no difference than just not posting the contacts at all.
@@Rncko - Disagree with your disagreement. You expect these artisans to donate time and information, to cooperate with the filmmakers without any reward whatsoever? You do not understand capitalism.
It's up to us to keep it going. They need people to buy it in order for them to keep making it, especially new generations. People would typically prefer to buy 500 sheets for a couple bucks than $20 for 1. Though, if certain industries were smart, they'd start using paper like this for archival purposes, considering how long it lasts.
I think this craft is set to continue at some small scale with no end in sight... although by that I mean handmade mulberry paper generally, not necessarily korean. there certainly is potential for crafts to die out and to later beextremely difficultto recreate when there's noone left to teach how to do it. papermaking is not very complex though. historic examples include (to a degree but often exaggerated) damascus steel, arguably cremonese violin making (stradivari and such), and the blaschka glass sculptures. you could also go back in time much further and include megalithic construction techniques.
Korean paper is expensive. The materials alone are of the best quality and could never easily falter over time. Shows just how much care it takes to be able to maintain the silky texture of it.
@@MP-vc4nuthe point isn’t that it’s THAT expensive, it’s that when you’re dealing with individual sheets of paper, small price changes add up. A ream of paper is 500. That difference adds up when youre dealing in big quantities
In Nepal we have something called "नेपाली कागज" which loosely translates to "Nepali Paper". Your team could do some background research and could possibly be an episode for 'Still Standing.' Loved every series, the narration, presentation is top notch.
Nah, they learned that from China. The paper skills originates from China. It eventually spread to the rest of the world despite China trying to keep the trade secrets a secret 😉
I once saw a documentary on a trove of Buddhist documents that were found in a cave in nepal and the paper was so strong and of such good quality that they could just brush them off as if it were dirty modern paper.
한지 제조 공정을 외국에서도 취재해서 이렇게 올라오다니 신기하고 뿌듯하기도 하네요ㅎㅎ 전통에 대한 관심이 많이 줄어가는데, 그걸 생각나게끔 만들어주었습니다. 한지에 대한 관심도, 좋은 영상도 너무 감사합니다! I appreciate your attention to hanji ! As you know, traditional things are not getting much interest in korea nowdays. In this situation, video like this gives us the chance that thinks our tradition, so I love this😊 Thanks to the effort that you made!
As a paper lover, watching this video took me to another dimension. What a beautiful process and I hope it will never disappear. The end made me sad as I can imagine the struggle these artisans are going through. I recently entered a little shop full of handmade paper in Korea. My heart stopped🥰 and restarted again. I didn't want to leave the place looking around in wonder.
Suggestion: hanji can be used for wrapping gift soap with tape, thin gross grain ribbon (optional); laminating placemats in pink or violet; wrapping presents; making cards with folded white paper inserts, etc.
Ah, it's the same technique that the Japanese use to make paper for shōji(sliding doors) I absolutely love seeing how soo many different techniques were transferred in the olden times in Asia, truly amazing artistry!
Paper originated from China. It’s best to learn from the country of invention than from a copycat nation. Japan, Korea and Vietnam are three Sinospheric nations. Paper, gunpowder, compass and printing (woodblock and movable type) are Four Great Chinese Inventions. Paper, paper folding art, paper money, toilet paper, paper utensils are all Chinese inventions, not “Japanese” or “Korean”. Japan and Korea need to start giving credits to the source of their copying instead of such kind of blatant cultural plagiarism. It’s either paper or Chinese paper, not “Japanese paper”, not “Korean paper”. Paper was invented by the Chinese inventor Cai Lun during the Chinese Han Dynasty, the first golden age of Chinese history. So paper is Chinese, not “Japanese” or “Korean”.
@@gregoryturk1275 Ok, then fried chicken made in China is Chinese fried chicken. Computers made in China are Chinese computers. Fries and hamburgers and Coca Cola made in China are Chinese fries, Chinese hamburgers and Chinese Coca Cola. Sushi made in China are Chinese sushi. Kimchi made in China is Chinese kimchi. In fact, Japanese, and Korean cultures are all indeed made in China. So don’t forget to call them Chinese Japan and Chinese Korea.
@@gregoryturk1275 So dont mind China for copying and misbranding now. Anything made in China is Chinese. Tesla is made in China so it’s Chinese Tesla. Made in China Apple iPhone are Chinese iPhone. In fact, since China is the factory of the world, so everything now can just be given the Chinese brand. Chinese KFC, Chinese Starbucks, Chinese McDonalds, Chinese pyramid, Chinese curry, Chinese cars, Chinese planes, Chinese televisions, Chinese chairs, Chinese tables, Chinese everything. Most accurately, Chinese Japan and Chinese Korea will help reclaim everything that is Chinese because indeed, Japanese and Korean cultures are truly DESIGNED and MADE IN CHINA. Chinese make everything so everything is Chinese. Don’t forget to put the label of Chinese on iPhones and Starbucks next time, because they are all in China and all made in China.
@@gregoryturk1275 most accurately, since Nara and Kyoto are copycat of Chinese Tang Dynasty capital Chang’an, then we also have Chinese Nara, Chinese Kyoto, Chinese cherry blossom, Chinese, Chinese tea, Chinese tea ceremony, Chinese rice, Chinese rice noodles, Chinese noodles, Chinese dumplings, Chinese soy sauce, Chinese bean curd, Chinese miso, Chinese hotpot, Chinese rice wine, Chinese paper folding art, Chinese lacquerware, Chinese silk, Chinese chopsticks…. All of these are the AUTHENTIC BRANDS. Your fake “Japanese” brands are inferior and can step aside. It’s Chinese paper, which is the AUTHENTIC, and “Japanese” and “Korean” papers are fake and counterfeit brands.
If this can be used, or at least adapted, for high-quality photo paper, that could be a huge market. I'm not sure if something like that is preexisting or not.
Art conservators around the world use Kanji to repair rips and tears in the canvas and paper of artworks. It can be applied where one does not want linen thread to show. It is almost invisible, and can have paint re-touching applied over it.
I am surprised there is no demand for it. I think there is a worldwide move back to paper as people are keeping notebooks and journals. Often these notebooks have high quality paper like Tomoe river paper. I think if he had to start making notebooks onsite he could have a very good business from that.
Is the demand down primarily due to cost? If so, why not invest into ways to automate the process more? Quality may initial drop but long term the paper will thrive and potentially become even better quality. Maybe replace more commonly used types of paper.
Imagine writing your family tree on this paper and hanging on your main hallway, each family member gets one, and whenever a new member arrives, their name gets added. WHOA~~~~
I've seen many episode's from this series of "So Expensive" this particular episode such down to earth craftsmen 'Kang' tells all the truth we need to hear, artisans might enjoy making their craft but they still need to earn a living from that can't watch wall's and run a house.
there's a huge market for it in genealogy, keeping records of your own family roots is very hard, even grave stones writing can't survive several dozen years if not cut very deeply (they do these days only light engraving on super polished stone with laser which can't survive a dusty winds). Archives going digital, but server disks to be reliable must be replaced every 4 years by industy standard, at the same time many paper documents which survived 50 or more years after scanning destroyed to free up storage, the ones without museum value, usually which directly associated to personal data and genealogy. People in genealogy today trying to race with time to save something what was left, personal records because of privacy laws if never requested by relatives or researchers are destroyed every year in archives worldwide by amount of several tonnes of paper. In ancient arabian culture there was a very clever way to keep records of family in thier long names, which not only contain names of several roots by men line, but also geolocation, a city or place, higher classes additional data. The name there was like passport. But this tradition long time gone.
Always love these videos and the numerous comments of "This craft should never die! They need more support! I hope they go on forever!" and it's usually something noone here would even think of buying or using, or something thats irrelevant in todays age...
After about 6 minutes into watching this video, I then realized; what I had forgot why I was watching this video, why I was watching it... based on the video description, I thought I was watching a video on how paper cans could potentially last 1,000 years. To me, I was thinking of paper cans like the cardboard 'Baskin Robbin' tubs use for their ice cream... boy was I off.
There must be something in the mulberry fibres and hibiscus glue that kill pathogens. I think of all the trials and errors involved in developing this process. If you have ever made paper by hand you know what it's like.
In 100 years when things like this are completely gone, we’re gonna regret it. We’re going to say that the easy inexpensive chemical base stuff which destroy the world wasn’t worth it. But the hindsight won’t matter because the artisans will be gone and the knowledge will be extinct.
Any paper that does not use harsh acids or bases can last for this length of time. So it is only the cheap paper that is a problem. Ordinary rag-based paper will last forever, no matter where it is made.
That's not the whole story though. Just like fabric made from natural fibers, the length and durability of the individual fibers matters. Iirc the "rag-paper" made in the west is often made with cotton.
I have a friend, Prof. Haji Noor Din Mi Guang Jiang, who is a master of both Chinese and Arabic calligraphy. He uses traditional carbon ink on mulberry paper. When he sells a piece, he tells the buyer that the paper will last 1,000 years at least; and the ink will still be clear in that time, unless the piece is left in the sun, where it might fade. However, he warns them that the silk borders on the calligraphy scrolls will only last about 350-400 years, and will eventually have to be replaced.
Just like Japanese Washi, both of them are made of Mulberry. I hope neither is ever lost, it would be such a loss to humanity. Losing these old techniques is such a fundamental loss to ourselves as a species.
@@JohnLee-db9zt they got the skills from China. But according to the archives, they discovered that adding hemp rags to the mulberry base makes finer paper.
@@AlphineWolf What China? Prove it. China as we know today didn’t exist back then. Also do you know who first invented the moveable metal type that revolutionized communication for the masses? It wasn’t Gutenberg or China.
Surely it could benefit from some sort of cultural conservation project. Government sponsor apprentices to supply government institutions with high quality document paper for official state and international use. You have a rich ancient tradition of craftsmanship at hand, take it up as a badge of pride. obviously not for disposable notepads, but for ceremonial and official documents exchanged with other nations, why would you not?
Just flat making stuff up. The oldest known Hanji is 800 years old and is in very poor condition. If you want to do calligraphy go ahead and buy the stuff but making truly wild claims about its value as a archival material? BS. Actual museum grade archival paper is precision manufactured with very tight tolerances of pH, impurities, grain and every other factor to give it the very best chance of lasting as long as possible and keeping what is printed/painted on it visible for as long as possible. It costs more than 100X what Hanji costs.
Mmmm Korea's National Treasure No. 126 [oldest woodblock print] is from 704 CE and a piece of hanji was found in a tomb dating from 108 BCE - 313 CE...
I got you with this one. It's located in the city of Jeonju at Jeonju Hanok village province of North Jeolla, South Korea Address:100-10 Pungnam - Dong 3 Ga
Korean and Japanese do there job to perfection they are fully dedicated to there craft really love these guys they find happiness in their work which is quite rare in west
Should be using the Graphene Papyrus those Saudi used during 9/11.... if their paper passports made it through all that then they must be indestructible...😁
@@JohnLee-db9zt Plenty of peoples' throughout history have learned how to make something from another region and then either improved upon the technique or simplified it to increase production volume. It is entirely plausible that the two national varieties of mulberry paper could have diverged slightly over those centuries. Your critical thinking skills are embarassing
@@XSpamDragonX Well according to historical archives China figured out adding hemp to the mixture improves the quality 👌 so the Korea and Japanese skill sets only show making it with pure mulberry leaves.
During the occupation era some paper making skills got imported back from Japan to Korea, and what we see now today is an amalgamation of the two mostly.
