Unlike western style scoop nets, which although can be very beautiful, tend to be made from highly machined and laminated hardwoods, my preference, in line with Japanese custom and convention, is for genuinely ‘hand’ made tamos, using Japanese hand tools and authentic materials to fashion ‘found’ natural wood.
Suitable wood is individually selected, from locally sourced areas in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, air dried and time seasoned. My stock includes timber with unusual growth formations, heavily knotted wood, bark inclusions, weather and water seasoned feral wood and wood with other so called defects. Using stock with these naturally occurring characteristics is no cause for apology, carefully worked, wood of this nature possesses the makings of a distinctive, unique and truly stunning tamo.
Each hand made, signed and numbered tamo is a unique object of functional art, its final profile and overall features being heavily influenced by the inherent and physiological characteristics of a chosen piece of wood. In order to preserve these characteristics it is necessary for me to adopt an appropriate resolution for each piece of wood rather than approach the work with a rigid, preconceived idea. In this way I aim to maintain and present the intrinsic beauty and ‘flow’ to be found within a natural piece of wood whilst fulfilling the practical requirements of a working tamo.
My tamos roughly fall into three size categories.
Note: Measurements in inches. All measurements are approximate.
1. The European.
Handle length 10 - 11. Hoop diameter 11
The European is slightly larger and more robust than would normally
be considered as standard in Japan. Designed to cope with the possibility
of larger fish, (up to about 3.5 lbs).
2. Traditional
Handle length 9.5 - 10.5. Hoop diameter 9.5 - 10.5.
More in line with a traditional Japanese tamo both in size and build.
3. The Syndicate.
Handle length 7 - 8. Hoop diameter 8 - 9.5.
A smaller unit capable of handling the occasional larger fish but designed
for small fish venues, such as the Discover Tenkara Syndicate waters.
Whilst retaining the character of a natural piece of wood, the handles are ergonomically shaped towards the head so that, when in use, they are balanced and sit comfortably in the hand. Being tapered towards the foot to a blunt and flattened point, facilitates easy removal and re-location of the tamo in one's belt.
Made from attractive pieces of close grained hardwood, the handles display wide variations in their natural shape, colour and texture, often displaying irregular growth formations around branch junctions and stress points; all of which have been carved in such a way to produce an even, smooth and pleasing finished surface.
The hoops are, in most cases, made of Willow, producing very even, strong and slightly flexible frames. The Willow is stripped of bark, soaked, steam bent to shape and air dried. Once fitted to the handle, the hoop is further strengthened by the addition of natural rattan binding to each side of the handle.
The decorative wraps are of hand made Japanese usuyo-shi, which is hand painted, cut into strips and wrapped around the hoop to produce various effects. Other decorative panels are formed using three colour gold leaf flake.
All decorative elements are trimmed with Japanese Miko-Yori metallic thread whippings.
Traditionally Japanese tamos were, and in many cases still are, finished with a very durable, natural lacquer made from a corrosive and toxic sap based product called arami.The refined and processed arami is known as urushiol, which is an unfriendly product to say the least, requiring very precise conditions for it to cure properly and a high degree of expertise in terms of application in order to secure acceptable results. The fully cured finish, however, known as urushi, provides an astonishingly hard wearing, very glossy and very beautiful waterproof coating.
My tamos are finished with spar varnish. This has the advantages of being flexible and of incorporating ultra violate filters; both very useful properties in terms of durability and appearance. However any varnish application is predominantly a surface treatment and, therefore, always in danger of becoming damaged thus threatening the integrity of the intended protection. In an attempt to counter this, all my tamos are treated with twelve coats of varnish thus reducing the possibility of exposing bare wood should the surface become scratched or chipped.
Nets, made by my wife, are pan shaped and individually made to measure. With fish welfare in mind, they are constructed from soft, knotless black mesh with an ultra fine, very soft, moisture retaining mesh base. The re-enforced rims and all seams are fully overlocked, trimmed and double stitched for neatness and strength.
