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| fude [08.09.2026:2226] – created aequivinius | fude [08.09.2026:2238] (current) – aequivinius |
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| * Brushes are made from different hairs: | * Brushes are made from different hairs: |
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| ^ 毛 ^ Reading ^ What it means ^ Character ^ Typical suitability in 書道 ^ | ^ 毛 ^ Reading ^ Animal ^ Character ^ Suitable ^ |
| | **羊毛 / 羊毫** | yōmō / yōgō | Goat hair (despite 羊) | Very soft, supple; excellent 墨含み; large expressive pressure range; relatively difficult to control | 行書 ★★★★★ / 草書 ★★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★ / 仮名 ★★★ | | | 羊毛 | ようもう | Goat hair (despite using 羊) | Very soft, difficult to control; large expressive range | 行書・草書 | |
| | **鼬毛 / イタチ毛** | itachige | Weasel hair, often tail hair | Fine point, strong spring/腰, smooth, responsive, moderate-good 墨含み | 仮名 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★ | | | 鼬毛・イタチ毛 | いたちげ | Weasel hair (sometimes also 狼毛, which here doesn't mean wolf) | Fine point, strong spring, responsive | 仮名・細字・楷書 | |
| | **コリンスキー** | korinsukī | Siberian-weasel tail hair (*Mustela sibirica*) | Premium weasel hair; fine and relatively long; excellent point, elasticity and good 墨含み | 仮名 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★ | | | コリンスキー | | Siberian-weasel tail hair (//Mustela sibirica//), technically a sub-type of イタチ | Premium weasel hair; fine and relatively long; excellent point, elasticity | 仮名・細字・楷書 | |
| | **狼毫 / 狼毛** | rōgō / rōmō | Usually Chinese-derived term for weasel hair, not wolf | Similar to 鼬: firm, resilient, sharp; quality varies considerably | 楷書 ★★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★ | | | 馬毛 | うまげ | Horse hair; different parts have different properties; tail, f.e., is very resilient (called 天尾) | Generally strong and resilient; can be coarse; forceful, clear strokes | 楷書 | |
| | **馬毛** | umage | Horse hair; different parts of horse have different properties | Generally strong and resilient; can be coarse; gives forceful, clear strokes | 楷書 ★★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★ / 行書 ★★★ / 仮名 ★ | | | 狸毛 | たぬきげ | Raccoon! | Firm tip, very strong resilience; good when the point needs authority | 楷書 | |
| | **天尾** | amao | Particularly resilient hair near root of horse's tail | Very strong 腰; often used to strengthen a brush/blend | 楷書 ★★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★ | | | 兎毛・紫毫 | うさぎげ・しごう | Rabbit; 紫毫 traditionally refers to dark rabbit hair | Sharp, resilient, rather delicate; historically prestigious | 細字 | |
| | **狸毛** | tanukige | Raccoon-dog hair | Firm tip, very strong resilience; good when the point needs authority | 楷書 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★ | | | 玉毛・猫毛 | たまもう・ねこげ | Cat hair | Very fine, soft, with distinctive sticky/supple elasticity | 仮名 | |
| | **鹿毛** | shikage | Deer hair | Coarse/stiff, strong; often blended rather than used alone | 楷書 ★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★ / 行書 ★★ | | | 猪毛 | いのししげ | Boar hair | Very stiff, rough, produces deliberately vigorous/rough lines | 漢字 | |
| | **兎毛 / 紫毫** | usagige / shigō | Rabbit/hare hair; 紫毫 traditionally refers to dark rabbit hair | Sharp, resilient, rather delicate; historically prestigious | 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★ | | | 兼毫・兼毛 | けんごう・かねもう | Blend | | | |
| | **玉毛 / 猫毛** | tamamō / nekoge | Cat hair | Very fine, soft, with distinctive sticky/supple elasticity | 仮名細字 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★ | | |
| | **貂毛** | tenge | Marten hair | Elastic, supple, durable; fine point | 細字 ★★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★ | | |
| | **猪毛** | inoshishige | Boar hair | Very stiff, rough, produces deliberately vigorous/rough lines | 大字 ★★★★ / 前衛・創作 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★ | | |
| | **兼毫 / 兼毛** | kengō / kanemō | Blend of two or more hairs; not an animal | Properties depend on blend; usually balances strong 腰 with good 墨含み | 楷書 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★★ / 草書 ★★★★ / 初学 ★★★★★ | | |
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| * Brands: | |
| * Akashiya: From Nara, 300 years history. | |
| * 一休園: From Kumano (熊野) | |
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| * Collection | |
| * For 仮名 | |
| * コリンスキー, small | |
| * medium イタチ (maybe 一休園 さくら 小・中・大) | |
| * large? | |
| * 羊毛 (which is goat, not sheep, and really annoyingly soft) | |
| * Cat hair | |
| * 楷書 | |
| * Normal | |
| * Hard | |
| * For writing letters: | |
| * Very small 兎 | |
| * Something big | |
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| * Storage: | * Storage: |
| * In a 筆巻 to carry around (ventilated!) | * In a 筆巻 to carry around (ventilated!) |
| * Or hang on a 筆掛け・筆立て | * Or hang on a 筆掛け・筆立て |