BLOG 19.  “Japanese could not make the steel spring for long time.”

In Karakuri Zui, author Hosokawa Hanzo explained that the mainspring of the tea serving doll should be made of whalebone. For example, the right whale has whalebones up to nearly three meters long. It could be the enough length to make the mainspring for the tea serving doll. As whale fishing was popular in Japan during Edo period, whalebone was able to get easily. Japanese could not make the good steel spring for long time.  Matchlock guns were mass-produced in Japan, but its spring for the parts of the trigger were made of brass.

The first photo here is an end part of whalebone. I got this at an antique market for many years ago. The whalebone was used not only spring but parts of fishing rod, fan bone, ornamental hair pin and so on in Japan. This whalebone I got may be leftovers from making such things. The second photo is a broken whalebone spring. It was used for a walking doll in Edo period. And the third photo is inside of the broken whalebone spring. Fourth photo is a real Japanese matchlock gun made in Edo period. I took this photo on a demonstration for a festival.