Shodo Daisuki Episode 9
Shodo Daisuki Episode 8
The Proper Way to Join Ink Sticks
Shodo Daisuki – Episode 08
Do you have small, worn-down solid ink sticks sleeping at home? “Shodō Daisuki” host Shimauchi explains the proper way to join them!
Shodo Daisuki Episode 8 – Video Overview
This video by Shodō enthusiast Shimauchi demonstrates how to properly join small ink sticks.
As an effective way to reuse shortened sticks, he introduces a method that leverages the ink’s own adhesive power.
First, he shares a personal experience illustrating how strong the ink’s adhesion can be: a stick left on the inkstone hardened so firmly that when he tried to remove it, a bit of the stone chipped off—proof of the ink’s bonding strength.
Next, he demonstrates actually joining two small sticks.
He lightly moistens the joining faces with lukewarm water to flatten them, then grinds until the ink becomes sticky and viscous.
He coats both joining faces with the viscous ink and presses them together, holding for about one minute to bond the pieces.
He then uses the remaining ink with a brush to fill gaps and reinforce the joint.
He emphasizes that using the ink’s own adhesive qualities brings out the material’s best, and that thorough drying—at least three days—is crucial after joining. This lets you reuse shortened sticks and fosters a mindset of caring for your tools.
Finally, he invites viewers to subscribe, like, and comment—closing with his true wish: “Let’s grind ink!”
YouTube Shodo Daisuki Episode 8
Shimauchi 00:00
Hello, I’m Shimauchi, a big fan of calligraphy.
Are you still enjoying calligraphy as always?
Today—how do you all deal with these tiny, worn-down sticks?
Surely you’re not thinking, “It’s used up and small—might as well toss it,” right?
Shimauchi 00:22
No way—don’t throw it out. I wouldn’t!
I use ink tongs to hold and keep using the stick.
That’s good—totally OK.
Some people use special ink adhesives, too…
Shimauchi 00:37
…“I glue them together and keep using them.” That’s also OK.
But today, I want to show the proper way to join ink sticks by using the ink’s own adhesive power.
Why? Because…
Shimauchi 00:58
…the adhesive power that ink naturally has is nothing to underestimate. When I was grinding, I left a stick sitting on the “hill” of the inkstone.
I walked away and forgot it there.
When I came back, it had hardened rock-solid.
Shimauchi 01:16
It wouldn’t budge from the inkstone’s “hill.”
I should have moistened it and softened it, but without thinking, I tried to pry it off by force…
Shimauchi 01:30
…and a piece of the inkstone chipped off! I was shocked—“Ink adhesion is that strong?!”
I was really surprised.
That’s how strong the adhesive power of ink can be.
Shimauchi 01:47
In that sense, it makes sense that writing done with ink fixes to paper and can last for ages.
Anyway, I’ve talked long enough—
Shimauchi 02:00
—from here, let’s learn the proper way to join ink sticks.
Let’s do it together. OK, we’ll now actually do the joining.
Here are two small sticks I prepared—same kind.
Shimauchi 02:18
They’re pieces I’ve worked hard to grind down.
They can still serve me well, so I want to join them properly. You might have wondered what I was doing on the inkstone earlier—
Shimauchi 02:32
—I needed to make the joining faces flat.
That takes time.
To speed things up and get the ink ready faster,
I lightly moistened only the contact faces with lukewarm water.
Shimauchi 02:48
They’re hydrated, so grinding proceeds smoothly—that’s all I was doing earlier.
Now I’ll use this viscous ink to bond the pieces—grinding until it’s really sticky—and use the ink’s adhesive power to join the two parts.
Shimauchi 03:08
I’m going to start grinding now—please use the grinding method from the previous video.
If you do that, you’ll save time and get a properly dense, strong ink.
Shimauchi 03:23
I’m counting on you—really grind until it’s sticky, very sticky.
We’ll use that sticky ink to join the pieces.
Let’s get to it—the usual motion, like this…
Shimauchi 03:38
Now I’m flattening the faces.
Here we go—good!
The ink is really sticky now—nicely ground.
Same as last time—this was easy because I used very little water.
Shimauchi 04:00
I didn’t need much force, either. And the fragrance—
I wish I could share this aroma with you! It’s wonderful.
Shimauchi 04:16
It’s really sticky. This one too—
I’ve ground it well and flattened it nicely.
Let me wipe the edges clean and check the flatness…
There—
Shimauchi 04:31
Looks flat and clean.
Not bad at all.
Let’s join them.
I’ll coat both faces with the sticky, freshly ground ink—apply ink powder/viscous ink to each face.
Shimauchi 04:53
See—this is amazing. Even just the “hill” of the inkstone and the stick already feel like they cling to each other.
It’s incredibly tacky—really adhesive.
They practically won’t come apart.
Shimauchi 05:15
All right, plenty applied—now here we go.
Press together—good. Now
hold for about a minute. Add a bit of pressure so they bond—come on, animal glue in the ink, do your thing!
Shimauchi 05:40
I’m pressing firmly.
Of course, using special adhesives is fine, but if you think about the materials, joining with the same ink components lets the ink’s true qualities shine.
Shimauchi 05:54
So I think this is the best method.
Yes—good—it’s sticking!
Right now I’m moving my hands side to side—it won’t slip. OK, I’ll let go—whoa!
Shimauchi 06:24
I keep saying “whoa,” but it’s really connected. Great. I’ll use the leftover sticky ink
with a brush to reinforce the joint and fill any gaps—
All right, let’s paint it on—stick together, little ink!
Shimauchi 06:50
If it’s not perfectly flat, there may be slight gaps at the edges.
Use the brush to fill those channels and level the surface.
Shimauchi 07:08
Honestly, I think I did a pretty good job. This is really fun—
like a craft project!
It feels great that this tiny stick is “big” again
Shimauchi 07:26
and fits well in my hand.
I’m grateful—and it’s like we’ve “met again.”
Once again, I’m impressed by the power of the animal glue in ink.
Shimauchi 07:42
I’m genuinely moved.
Now that it’s bonded, we proceed to drying—
dry it thoroughly. I recommend at least about three days so it hardens fully.
Shimauchi 08:02
Drying well is crucial.
Once you do that—done! It’s complete.
That’s it for today’s video.
I think many of you realized it’s easier than expected.
Shimauchi 08:22
And you probably re-discovered how strong ink adhesion is.
Think about historical works: even when excavated from the earth centuries later, they can still be read.
Ink’s bonding strength is truly remarkable.
Shimauchi 08:40
Also,
by joining and reusing ink, we can cherish our tools—that’s something I really love.
Please give it a try. And
Shimauchi 08:56
above all, let’s grind ink.
If that message reaches you, I’m happy. If you found this helpful, please subscribe and leave a like.
Shimauchi 09:17
And comments—
I welcome them!
I read everything you send. Thank you so much.
Shimauchi 09:29
This was Shodo-Daisuki Shimauchi. See you next time.
About Related Products
Here are the products featured in this video.
