Japanese Chasen - 竹茗堂 Chikumeido - Shiratake White Bamboo Shin Matcha Whisk

This shiratake (白竹) white bamboo Shin Chasen (matcha whisk) was made in Takayama, Nara by Kubo Sabun (久保左文) of Chikumeido (竹茗堂).The shin (真) shape is one of the most popular due to its elegant curves, and is preferred by students of both Urasenke and Omotesenke schools of tea ceremony (though the dark bamboo is more popular with Omotesenke). Having roughly 64 tines, the shin chasen sits in between dedicated usucha chasen which have lots of thin tines, and dedicated koicha chasen, which have fewer but thicker tines. This makes shin-type chasen suitable both for whipping up a fine, foamy usucha and kneading a thick, rich koicha.Chikumeido is headed by Kubo Sabun (久保左文), a 24th generation chasen maker who has carried on his family's 500 year old tradition and is one of the only 18 remaining chasen masters. These whisks are made from locally grown bamboo in the small village of Takayama (高山) in northwest Nara prefecture, famed as the only chasen making village in Japan.Unlike mass-produced