Edoya POP UP Shop Now Open | Experience 300 Years of Tool-Making Wisdom

The Edoya POP UP event is currently in full swing at Brift H Aoyama. Last Saturday, June 20th, as a special event, we invited Mr. Goto from Edoya to hold a "How to Use Tools Correctly" lecture.

Edoya was founded in 1718 (Kyoho 3). Its history began when the first generation was recognized as a "brush craftsman" by the 7th Shogun, Ietsugu, and was given the family name by the shogunate. Its history is truly impressive. From there, with changes in the times, they began to handle not only brushes but also other types of brushes, and now they have over 3,000 types of products, including brushes and various sizes. This time, Mr. Goto taught us how to use a selection of these tools while actually displaying them.

First, the clothes brush. What was truly impressive was Edoya's custom-made, hand-planted brush. By planting the bristles in a V-shape, the tips are soft, yet the base has firm elasticity, effectively removing dust and dirt from suits and jackets.

It made perfect sense that by gently stroking the fabric from above, as if combing the bristles, at the end of brushing, a natural luster would appear. And surprisingly, it can be used not only for suits but also for knitwear. Personally, this was quite unexpected, but it was indeed logical and interesting.

Next, I was impressed by the stain removal brush. This product is made of horsehair tightly bound with silk thread. Since it's made of natural hair, it's gentle on clothing while still being effective for stain removal. The method involves applying detergent to the stain, placing a towel underneath, and then tapping from above. The stain then transfers to the towel below.

It's also ideal for pre-washing dirt on shirt collars and cuffs, and I genuinely thought it would be good to have one of these at home. What's more, if the bristles wear down, you can remove the silk thread row by row, use it shorter, and eventually use up the entire brush. What a sustainable design! The wisdom of people from the past is truly amazing. And the price is 1,870 yen. It also looks somewhat cute, making it a good small gift.

In addition, we were introduced to products such as toothbrushes and combs, which are now made of petroleum products like nylon and plastic, but are made of natural bristles to achieve both comfort and durability.

Horsehair toothbrushes are less likely to damage the enamel surface of teeth, and boar bristle hairbrushes can naturally spread scalp oil to the ends of the hair with just a light stroke, smoothing the cuticles and adding shine. Observing them in person, I felt that they weren't just "traditional tools" but had proper reasoning behind their materials and structure.

We also tried various tools that I thought would be a bit luxurious to have at home, such as hat brushes and ostrich feather dusters. It was about an hour-long lecture, but the content was very rich, and I learned a lot myself.

A video of the day's event is available on @brift.h.official, so please take a look if you're interested.

Finally, we introduced the special oval shoe brushes from Edoya x Brift H, which are also the highlight of this event. This time, you can order three types of brushes – hog bristles, horsehair, and goat hair – with "cherry burst" and "sunburst" wood finishes, inspired by guitar finishes, all made to order.

Edoya's hand-planted brushes are becoming increasingly rare due to the decreasing number of craftsmen, and orders placed now are expected to be delivered in about six months. Since they are not sold online, if you are interested, please visit the store to see the actual products and place your order.

The POP UP event is being held until Tuesday, June 30th, in the event space on the first floor of Brift H Aoyama. Although there isn't much time left, opportunities to see Edoya's tools all together like this are rare, so don't miss this chance. We look forward to your visit!