[HN Gopher] Kintsugi - Art of Repair
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Kintsugi - Art of Repair
Author : smartmic
Score : 133 points
Date : 2021-12-13 19:51 UTC (3 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (traditionalkyoto.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (traditionalkyoto.com)
| zacharynewton wrote:
| Cloud/SaaS providers could learn a lot from this practice
| renewiltord wrote:
| See also: Wabi Sabi.
| ofrzeta wrote:
| That's mentioned in the article as well. It also mentions
| something called "mushin": the "Japanese philosophy of "no
| mind" (mushin), which encompasses the concepts of non-
| attachment, acceptance of change and fate as aspects of human
| life" although the Wikipedia article on that topic
| unfortunately focuses on mushin related to martial arts.
| Zababa wrote:
| I practice "shianoakuriretoJi gi", which is the same thing but
| using cyanoacrylate adhesives instead of gold. I'm not sure how
| food safe it is though.
| ofrzeta wrote:
| I bought some Urushi online in a tube but I am hesitant to use
| it on tableware due to the caveats on the packacking that say
| you should wear gloves and eye protection. It doesn't really
| sound more healthy than cyanoacrylate.
| renewiltord wrote:
| Would you kindly share a photograph of something you have made
| with this technique?
| colechristensen wrote:
| They do use CA glue directly on your body to do some bio patch
| work so the bulk ingredient is at least somewhat safe, though
| the medical grade stuff is crazy expensive and who knows what's
| in the $1 tube as additives. (Like plastic, often but not
| always the chemicals of concern aren't the main polymer but
| things added to it to improve its engineering qualities.)
| cwmoore wrote:
| > lacquer is the perfect adhesive for Japan's humid environment
| because it dries or hardens by absorbing moisture from the air
|
| What's old is new.
| washadjeffmad wrote:
| To non-kana readers, "shianoakurireeto tsugi", more literally
| cyanoacrylate "patch".
|
| Ji is used in ideas like inheritance, succession, relief
| (pitcher), and relays (the thing that provides continuity
| between things).
| kwhitefoot wrote:
| Better in what sense? It seems unlikely that a cup repaired with
| lacquer and gold dust would be suitable for hot liquids!
| foo_barrio wrote:
| I have tea cups repaired this way and have attempted to repair
| a few cups with lacquer. The cups work fine after 5+ years.
| ofrzeta wrote:
| The first time I read your comment I understood it as "it
| took the cup five years to reach a state that it could be
| used (again)" because the lacquer takes so long to dry. That
| would have added another fine twist (patience) to Kintsugi
| :-)
| almog wrote:
| Quite in the same spirit but for clothing:
| https://www.reddit.com/r/Visiblemending/
| ofrzeta wrote:
| Also available in Japanese under the term of Sashiko :-)
| asguy wrote:
| I don't know about "better". Anyone who has repaired a mug with
| kintsugi and then put a hot cup of coffee in it, knows what I'm
| talking about. You're living a perpetual gamble with the quality
| of your patchwork.
| piyh wrote:
| This is why I recently had to replace my glass trackpad
| lupire wrote:
| That's why it's important that the repair work is highly
| visible.
| xwdv wrote:
| If it breaks you do more kintsugi.
| eric__cartman wrote:
| can I do kintsugi on my crotch after spilling hot liquid over
| it when the mug breaks?
| thehappypm wrote:
| Then you sue Japan for millions.
| thecrumb wrote:
| The other thing think about is if to repair it so it is 'good
| enough' vs a 'perfect' repair.
| gregoire wrote:
| I'm slightly doubtful that this is an authentic thing (by which I
| mean: "actually practiced in the 15th/16th centuries"). Most of
| the content around this technique on the web is not in Japanese,
| and even the Japanese Wikipedia entry about it [0] is quite
| terse.
|
| Or maybe it's just that non-Japanese people have more interest in
| it than Japanese do?
|
| If anyone has more knowledge about kintsugi, I would love some
| historical references which confirm that this technique was
| actually used in the past.
|
| [0]: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%91%E7%B6%99%E3%81%8E
| brendoelfrendo wrote:
| As the other commenters have pointed out, "better" is kind of a
| weird take. I don't think the linked story uses the word "better"
| at all, and kintsugi isn't really about making something better -
| but rather about embracing imperfections and finding beauty in
| something that was broken and could have been discarded, but was
| instead restored to use.
| elif wrote:
| an object of history and with a story has necessarily more
| types of value. it is precisely through its salvage that it
| attains these qualities.
| akouri wrote:
| I have a slight obsession with fixing things. I think it's just
| in my engineering blood. Beyond software and other little
| trinkets, I've also taken a penchant for old houses. I just
| bought an old home and the amount of simple things that can be
| "kintsugi'ed" is astronomical. The house is chock full of broken
| old stuff that can be made better with some love.
|
| One cool example of the period charm is a "butler bell" in the
| dining room. I had never seen or heard of this concept before,
| but basically it's a rope/pulley system that rings a bell in the
| kitchen to notify your butler that you need him. That way, the
| butler can stay in the kitchen while the bourgeoisie feast in
| peace.
| themodelplumber wrote:
| Did you fix the bell? And have you seen a residential
| dumbwaiter yet?
| techbio wrote:
| "Why it will be years before robot butlers take over your
| household chores"
|
| https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/23/future-.
| ..
| mensetmanusman wrote:
| I have been thinking about this but for new things.
|
| It's interesting to consider that almost everything we purchase
| can be improved immediately. Usually there are cost savings that
| result in sub-par properties.
|
| Some random examples:
|
| -Injection molded kitchen ware can't easily have through holes to
| drain water during dishwashing. This can easily be fixed :)
|
| -New windows don't always have high quality silicone sealant at
| the interface between the window and the wood.One can add this to
| prevent condensation in the gaps (use blue tape to mask
| everywhere you don't want the silicone)
|
| -New clothes don't have extra anti-stain materials near the
| collars, which is where they wear out firstly
| Cerium wrote:
| A couple of my favorite new item todos:
|
| First thing I do with a trash can is drill some holes a few
| inches from the bottom. When the bag is full the holes will let
| in some air and make bag removal much easier. Keep the holes
| away from the bottom to reduce the risk of a broken bag leaking
| any spilled liquids.
|
| The containers of salt I buy have the classic flip top aluminum
| pour spout. The tip of the spout can be bent away from the lid
| to aid in opening and reduce the risk of fingernail injury.
| hellbannedguy wrote:
| Yea, whatever I buy, I'm usually thinking about how to make it
| better.
|
| Ever guy, expect the in excellent shape 20 year olds, should
| buy a sewing machine.
|
| Off the top of my head, Vector Lathes buys Sincere Lathes from
| China, and makes them better. Are they worth the thousands
| more, probally not. (This is a Watchmakers Lathe. Probally
| something you won't ever need.)
|
| A lot of us, especially old car guys, have been into this
| Japanese tradition for years, but didn't know it.
| johnklos wrote:
| I feel this. As someone who owns a forty-plus year old car that
| has more than 770,000 miles on it, I care much more about
| function than appearance. I don't want original - I want better.
| When something goes wrong, I see what, I see why, and I try to
| fix it so it's better and stronger than before.
|
| Likewise, I don't strive for authentic and original when fixing
| up old VAXen, Amigas, or Macs. I want functional, and I want new
| caps that're better than original.
|
| It's nice to know there's an appreciation for not original, but
| better.
| techbio wrote:
| That is impressive mileage. I've heard mention that classic car
| owners are especially excited to keep their show vehicles
| running indefinitely with new 3D printed parts.
| bigmattystyles wrote:
| If you like this and want a serving of 'the feels', check out
| 'Repair Shop' - it's from the BBC and you can't stream whole
| episodes, but check them out here
| https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRepairShop
| pkaye wrote:
| I prefer something similar from Japan. Its so soothing to
| watch.
|
| https://www.youtube.com/c/ShuuriMisemasuFansub/videos
| userbinator wrote:
| Relatedly, in a different country, 'Mustie1' on YouTube may
| also be to your liking.
| marshray wrote:
| 'Repair Shop' is on Netflix (in the US at least).
|
| Highly recommended.
| binarysolo wrote:
| The title on the article, "Kintsugi - Art of Repair" is different
| than the title in the submission.
|
| Came in to (also) say that kintsugi isn't about making things
| better, but more about the acceptance of the damage as part of
| the item's history which is sorta beautiful and poetic in its own
| way.
| dang wrote:
| Yes. Submitted title was "Kintsugi - The art of repair to make
| broken things better than before", which broke the site
| guideline against editorializing: " _Please use the original
| title, unless it is misleading or linkbait; don 't
| editorialize._" We've reverted it now. Thanks!
|
| https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
|
| p.s. Notice how many comments in this thread are making
| objections to the distracting and extraneous word 'better'
| (which was, in the submitted title, but nowhere in the original
| article) that's a good example of (one reason) why we have this
| rule.
| sysOpOpPERAND wrote:
| that is very cool, i didnt know there was a word for it. i
| remember when i was a boy i would take apart random electronics
| that my dad gave to me. it was so fun, i tell you what, if
| someone created a store like how they have make and paint your
| own pottery stores but for taking apart, rebuilding, or freshly
| assembling electronics like my dad coached me with, i think it
| would be very popular and also help peak interest in electronics.
| kinda like build a bear but build a bot/radio/computer/basic tv
| or whatever
| 1cvmask wrote:
| ESG before it became a buzzword and fashionable. I know see ESG
| in so many pitch decks even.
|
| I first learnt of Kintsugi from a ceramics artist. Truly
| fascinating.
| humanistbot wrote:
| ESG? Can't find anything on the Wikipedia disambig that makes
| sense in relation to kintsugi:
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESG
| 1cvmask wrote:
| ESG is primarily an acronym for sustainability and not
| throwing away things:
|
| Environmental, social and corporate governance
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social_and_corp.
| ..
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(page generated 2021-12-13 23:00 UTC)