Description
What makes obi so stiff and solid and able to hold complex knots? The stiffener, of course! An obi stiffener is called an Obi-Shin. Vintage obi-shin are typically made of heavy-duty cotton in a dense, nearly indestructible weave. They’re basically coutil, which forms the foundation of the best corsets in the world. Y’know, the type opera singers wear as they perform at the best opera houses in the world. When we give presentations and classes about how kimono and obi are made (and by the way, have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Just search for Tangerine Mountain and you’ll find lots of cool stuff!), we like to bring an obi-shin to pass around and to try to pull apart (it’s impossible, even for the strongest cattle ranchers of Nebraska and Colorado–trust me, they’ve tried!) We like to joke that if we were ever on a third story and a fire broke out, we could just tie our obi together to make a rope to let ourselves out the window. That’s how strong obi-shin are!
Each obi-shin is roughly 350 cm x 32 cm, and about 1 lb. This 10-11 lb box is available in exceptionally limited quantity, because we don’t often get enough of these in good enough shape to be reused for corsets, new obi, or for making bags.
These are heavy cotton and were previously between two layers of obi fabric. Because obi often have metallic or foil-wrapped threads, some Obi-Shin will have spots of oxidization or discoloration. They are all undyed and have not been washed. They should ONLY be washed by hand in cold water and NEVER put in a dryer.
This bundle is roughly half the size of our Stuff-A-Cube Special! Instead of a roughly 19-20 pound box, you’re getting a roughly 11 pound box. Perfect for those who want traditional Japanese garments but find the shipping charges on the larger boxes to be outside their budget.
