9 ms·

Kaketsugi – A technique for repairing holes or tears in fabric (2021) [video]

531 points by zdw 5y ago

Steltek 5y ago
I hate to be that comment but that site on mobile is ridiculous. Scroll down just a little bit and your view of the article is reduced to a tiny porthole that's maybe 5 lines tall. Everything else is occupied by a banner video thing and a cookie footer.
- colanderman 5y ago
  In this case, that video is the story. The "article" is not much more than a caption.
  - Steltek 5y ago
    Yeah, I realized that when I got back to a computer. The video had an exaggerated "Close" button next to it and I was expecting more of a text article. On my phone, I had hit "back" before digging deeper due the poor site layout.
- deleted 5y ago
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- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
tomlin 5y ago
Seeing someone have to repair a Supreme hoodie kinda ruined it for me, not gonna lie.
- pigtailgirl 5y ago
  Supreme make great quality clothes - you might not like the hype around them but their box logo hoodies will last years - they are not cheaply made - that's the trick here tho - fast fashion - zara, h&m etc - is low cost but unlikely repairable - Anything Rei Kawakubo (CGD) - Raf Simons - Acne Studios - Thom Browne can all last a lifetime if maintained and repaired correctly -
  - frostburg 5y ago
    I really like Comme des Garcons (especially shirts, even if lately I'm wearing more Paul Smith and Etro) but it's very expensive (and like with many other high fashion brands only mainline items should be bought in most cases). Acne is great and almost reasonably priced in context.
    - pigtailgirl 5y ago
      two of my CDG SHIRT Shirts from 2014 - two CDG Play Shirts (not polo) from 2016 - still wear them regularly - black play one I had professionally redyed last year for $15 - looks brand new -
  - tomlin 5y ago
    This is the company that asks teens to spend their last dollar on a brick with a Supreme sticker on it, right? Or am I mixing that up with another brand manipulating children for cash?
    - pigtailgirl 5y ago
      this is a lazy comment - I believe it was in conjunction with another new york artist who's studio is in the same building - Tom Sachs - he's an installation artist - and the brick was $30 - not accounting for taste huh- never the less - your point is extremely poorly made -
      - tomlin 5y ago
        I think you've let your brand loyalty blind you from a lot of the damage that brand has objectively caused.
        pigtailgirl 5y ago
        looking at your history of comments- you might consider acquainting yourself with the guidelines - otherwise i'd suggest HN maybe isn't the right community for you - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
shijie 5y ago
I’m not aware how prevalent this technique is in Japan, but here in the US it is totally unheard of. I watched the whole video. What an exquisite result. So impressive. It makes me realize the level to which some people dedicate toward their craft. I am not at the Katetsugi level of craftsmanship in my own profession, but this documentary inspires me to get there!
- redweer 5y ago
  https://scienceandkindness.net/ https://scienceandkindness.net/ is out of St. Paul, MN. I believe you can send them your clothing. I follow them on instagram because I think they do some really cool repairs.
- abirch 5y ago
  I loved the Art and Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance and this here is pure quality. Creating quality makes me happy but it's a shame that I don't get to always create quality at my current job.
  - colechristensen 5y ago
    Persig’s wife just released a book of unpublished writings of his On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence: Unpublished and Selected Writings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063084643/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063084643/
- joeblubaugh 5y ago
  It’s not unheard of - in the US this type of repair is called “reweaving” https://mensfashion.thefuntimesguide.com/mens-suit-repair-reweaving/ https://mensfashion.thefuntimesguide.com/mens-suit-repair-re...
  - hangonhn 5y ago
    It's not unheard of but I had a really hard time finding anyone capable of doing that kind of work in the Bay Area. Even when I did find someone the work was not great. Maybe I would have better luck in a bigger city like NYC? I think perhaps people being unaware of this technique has lead to a drop in demand over time and thus a diminishing supply of practitioners.
kelvinquee 5y ago
Reminds me of this absolutely fascinating video of restoration of antiques (few centuries old) into "like new" condition for museums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIoi-DSm0e4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIoi-DSm0e4
dekken_ 5y ago
seems similar to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi
- Steltek 5y ago
  I mistook the name for that technique as well and my first thought was, "I thought the whole point is to not be invisible?"
- _Microft 5y ago
  Kintsugi seems to be more about owning the mistake while this is meant to be as little noticable as possible.
praptak 5y ago
This craft was quite popular in Poland back in the day and went by the name "cerowanie artystyczne". People earned like 20 USD a month. You ripped the pair of jeans your Uncle from America (archetypal figure from that time) sent you? Cerowanie artystyczne to the rescue.
- alerolp 5y ago
- User23 5y ago
  Whenever we visited Germany in the 80s we pretty much took orders. We brought a lot of levis and cartons of cigarettes. And athletic socks for some reason.
vjvj 5y ago
I got a shabby and scuffed up 10 year old leather jacket cleaned recently. It cost me less than £50 and came out great. Buying a new one would have cost £250+ I wonder where the biggest opportunities are to get people reusing and repairing their things rather than buying new ones. It's satisfying, usually functionally-equivalent and cheaper once you know where or how to get it done.
- supertofu 5y ago
  I have a 12 year old all-season jacket from LL Bean that is full of holes. It has survived a decade of winters in NYC and upstate NY. It has a removable lining so the coat also works in Spring and Fall. In the summer I can use it as a small backyard picnic blanket. I love it so much and it is so functional that I refuse to replace it. I wish I could just mail it to a service that would fix all the holes, clean it, and mail it back. I'm sure I could find a local tailor, but local tailors aren't always easy to find, and the whole process is such a hassle. Seamstress-as-a-service? Any takers?
  - jjice 5y ago
    Might be able to go to the local tailor. Definitely depends on the place, but a tailor is likely to do that kind of work for you. A lot of tailors I know also have professional cleaning equipment, so that might be the double whammy.
  - 0x0000000 5y ago
    It's too bad that scumbags took advantage of LLBean's lifetime warranty so they ended it. You may still be able to send it back to them to repair, but a few years ago it wouldn't have cost you anything. Maybe worth a shot if you really love it!
    - dekhn 5y ago
      Aahaha, my parents used to abuse that service (finding old jackets abandoned by students at the end of the school year) and I told them to stop because it was taking advantage.
zerof1l 5y ago
I found their website. https://www.oriwa.net/ https://www.oriwa.net/ The pricing seems quite reasonable considering the skill and time required. For example, about 42 USD for up to 5mm in diameter hole in a suit.
- coolspot 5y ago
  Now when it is on the HN frontpage, many SV folks will send their Patagonia jackets to this shop.
  - Bost 5y ago
    I think the Mars Colonists will really benefit from learning this craft. Or maybe even the ISS astronauts... you know just in case, your trip home gets postponed.
JPKab 5y ago
This reminds me of a product that I'm not sure exists that I want sooo bad. I've got a precious pair of jeans, and a hole right in the crotch. I want a patch I can glue on, no needle required, that is stronger than the existing cloth. Is this a thing?
- jjice 5y ago
  I know there are some places that will make the jeans with a reinforced crotch for this very reason (helpful for riding bikes). I think a lot of larger brands that user to make jeans like this have stopped, likely to increase profits unfortunately. I've sewn up crotch holes in the past with some scrap fabric and it's not bad, but it is a bit tedious. I'm wondering if sewing in a simple piece of scrap fabric and then adding a small iron on patch would provide decent reinforcement.
- _Microft 5y ago
  "Fusible interfacing" is the search term for "patchs that glue on". From my experiene the connection is not as durable as the existing cloth (especially the edges come off easily) and I'd still seam it with a line of stitches.
- quesera 5y ago
  The product exists. Fusible interfacing is a sheet of heat-activated glue. But beware repairing with stronger materials. This shifts the stress to the interface between the two fabrics, often at an already-weakened-but-not-yet-failed part of the old fabric, hastening a failure in the new location. Also some locations in clothing are more amenable to the increased bulk/stiffness. These are unfortunately not usually wear points. Good luck though, sometimes it works out!
ben30 5y ago
I'm glad I've learnt how to sew. - Repaired a rucksack - sports kit - night clothes - ripped jeans - I've fixed my son's pricelessly irreplaceable red toy dog. (We joke (not joke), car, or toy dog, we save the dog) Each time has been rewarding, and calming in the repetitive nature of the task. I followed the instructions here: https://www.instructables.com/Finishing-the-Case-With-a-Slip-Stitch/ https://www.instructables.com/Finishing-the-Case-With-a-Slip...
gonzo41 5y ago
Poor form smoking in a suit! Those people are doing what art restorers do when canvas paintings get damaged and they weave the canvas back together. Its amazingly impressive.
- Annatar 5y ago
  Smoking is very common in Japan and especially during after hours with coworkers.
yboris 5y ago
An amazing series of videos of Japanese professional repairs: Shuuri, Misemasu - or The Fascinating Repairmen https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVZvdZul6yhFTkZyGiXjhAQE3QeptxWmZ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVZvdZul6yhFTkZyGiXjh...
- robocat 5y ago
  Thanks! I loved this one of a guy fixing a 70’s(?) suitcase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRzy7LJXYVg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRzy7LJXYVg He has a huge workshop full of suitcase parts, so must do many per workday at a guess. Serious skills - I loved the careful masking of the existing stickers when he repainted it. Although he did leave the castors on when spray painting, which seemed odd to me. And this guy is fixing kitchen graters (although for a short moment they show him making new ones too). Perhaps used by chefs, since it looks like he has about 5 of the same type to fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_XeZZkff0g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_XeZZkff0g Although they show a lady at the end opening the mail for her fixed one. Made from copper, and I guess he is puts a zinc coating on it (over a charcoal fire no less!) I wish I understood Japanese so I could get more of the context.
Shadonototra 5y ago
Why name a something that's been a thing in the west since the beginning of time with a japanese buzz name? what's the goal?
- 0xbadcafebee 5y ago
  it's just the Japanese name for it
- msie 5y ago
  Because English is not their primary language and the world doesn't revolve around the English language???
- werdnapk 5y ago
  That Japanese "buzz name" is just what it's called in Japanese for "invisible mending". What do you want them to call it in their native language?
- goodpoint 5y ago
  Those foreigners speaking unamerican languages!
- Annatar 5y ago
  For you and anyone else to expand their foreign language vocabulary.
probotect0r 5y ago
If this is interesting to you, check out r/invisiblemending and r/visiblemending communities on Reddit. Folks on there are pretty creative!
jjice 5y ago
I've always been interested in repair and have done a good bit of mending on my own clothes. I have a few black tee shirts from Target from about six or seven years ago that have just gotten a few small holes that I've repaired and you can't notice. Takes less than 5 minutes after a while from getting the thread out all the way to cutting it at the end. For down jackets, you can get yourself a roll of repair tape for ~$5 that's as simple as cut and place. I used to work for a large outdoors retailer and we had access to damaged and returned goods at crazy discounts. I got a $200 down jacket for $2.50. Add the $5 roll of repair tape that I still have and we've got a great jacket that I've worn for about four years now. It's kind of fun to do as well. Having sentimental value with the things you use is kind of nice, as long as you don't go overboard.
dirtyid 5y ago
It's reweaving but seems like the duo are pioneer in developing methods for repairing different materials. Almost like bespoke art restoration. The work on extra fine tshirts was impressive. I do some basic mending for clothes that gets retired to gym use, little obvious patches/sewing with slightly off color material and pretend it's knockoff Kintsugi. But I also learned value not being precious/sentimental with clothes and enjoy wear them pretty hard. Personally it feels better to just wear new clothes, especially now that performance fabrics are becoming popular. Won't wear anything without elastane if I could hep it.
dehrmann 5y ago
I've had a reweaver mend holes in a sweater. It came out well, but it's not cheap, and it works better for some patterns than others. I'd really only recommend it if the clothing item would cost more than $200 to replace.
- pvillano 5y ago
  or if it's priceless
kretaceous 5y ago
That was one of the most beautiful videos I've ever watched. Thanks for this!
klik99 5y ago
For those who don't want to watch the whole thing - check out the repair @ 9:54 - truly amazing work - they show the detailed work leading up if you rewind from there. Personally I have a bunch of patches I like that I sew over holes - we use flowers for our AirBnB sheets and it can really add to the personality. It's also a lot less time consuming than this work!
sedatk 5y ago
This is an interesting contrast to kintsugi in which you repair broken ceramic with gold paste, to make the damage even more visible to appreciate its part in the history of the object.
TrackerFF 5y ago
I had this beautiful bespoke suit which had just been hanging in the closet, due to me gaining some weight. After slimming down I wanted to wear it again, only to find a couple of large and very noticeable moth holes on one of the lapels. Welp, money down the drain I thought. Local dry-cleaner tipped me about "invisible mending", so I did some research. Ended up shipping it to the UK, and paid around £120 for getting the jacket repaired - with excellent results. Some might say that's a steep price, but the alternative was binning a £4000 garment.
- donthellbanme 5y ago
  I can add this to those that gained a bit of weight, and have a sewing machine, or just a needle and thread. Most pants, even the cheap pants at Costco, have about a 1" to 2" at the back seam of excess fabric. Be it cheap, or expensive, most brands have a bit of material to make the waist bigger. Use a razor, or sewing thread cutter (I don't know the name, but you guys have seen the tool before. They are everywhere, including Safeaway). You carefully cut the fabric from the backside of the trousers. Use a magnifying glass, or I use a stereoscope, in order to not tear the delicate fabric, cut the thread. Then sew the elongated pieces together. You don't need to worry about serging the material in most cases. In the end, if you are a 38w you can go to a 40w in an hour. (This does not work with most jeans though. Just slacks. I'm very interested in the technique this family uses to repair fabric. I kinda know what they are doing in their repairs, but I would like to know more. If anyone knows more about this technique, I'd appreciate any instruction, or further information on this technique of weaving. I need extra income, and I'm in the Bay Area.)
  - smegsicle 5y ago
    > sewing thread cutter "threadripper"- you know, like the workstation cpu
    - account42 5y ago
      But the threadripper uses a LGA and doesn't have any sharp edges. It does come with a torque screw driver though which you might be able to use to rip apart threads.
thunderbong 5y ago
All comments here are about the technique. But I found the video to be quite different. Yes, the method of repairing clothes like this takes a lot of effort, time, and huge amount of practice. For me, the video was about many other things. It was about skill and craftsmanship, of course. It was also about apprenticeship, about a master and his protégé. But it was also about love and affection and a father's guarded praise about his daughter. And a daughter's delight in becoming as skilled as her father. And about two craftsmen who take a lot of pride in their work and use it as a medium to make their customers very happy. This is rare in today's world. It was also about calm and peace, an almost meditative state that one gets into, when one is deeply immersed. A really beautiful video. It's not often that one gets to pause, reflect and be touched while constantly being swept in this river of information. Thank you.
- xcambar 5y ago
  Seeing the customers bring their garments alongside their story was beautiful. They don't just get their clothes repaired, they get their memories alive, they care for the past events, good or bad. The father and daughter team in fact goes way beyond working on the clothes, they somehow heal the customers as well. A beautiful documentary, really.
- iancmceachern 5y ago
  I recently had the exact same thought watching this video of Billy Strings and his father playing together. https://www.google.com/search?q=billy+strings+akd.his+dad&oq=billy+strings+akd.his+dad&aqs=chrome..69i57.5169j0j7&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8# https://www.google.com/search?q=billy+strings+akd.his+dad&oq...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
abetusk 5y ago
Wow this is awesome. Here's a random YouTube link I found [0]. I guess the basic idea is to get a patch of the same material, line up the pattern (if any) and fray the ends of the patch to have the threads expose. Then go through and interleave the frayed thread ends to seamlessly fold into the garment's fabric. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haiA_4tBrjw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haiA_4tBrjw
kuon 5y ago
I think this is awesome. The technique is really mindblowing. I really enjoy seeing passionate and precise crafts. But it's not for me, I only wear old T-shirts I don't care about that are full of holes.
kinow 5y ago
I tried learning invisible stiches to repair some clothes - nothing as hard as kaketsugi - but later found out about easier techniques that leave the the results are visible but still looks good. - Sashiko https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko - Boro https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boro_(textile) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boro_(textile) - And this sub with heaps of exampled and tips https://www.reddit.com/r/visiblemending/ https://www.reddit.com/r/visiblemending/
Annatar 5y ago
These two are takumi in every traditional sense of that word.
coryfklein 5y ago
If you didn't watch the entire video, I highly recommend it. What a beautiful style of story-telling; I was expecting a quick explanation of what kaketsugi is, but instead I got so much more. It was an inspiring look at the relationship between a mother and father, and between people and their clothes, and it was utterly heartwarming.
- an_ko 5y ago
  If you or others wish for more of this type of optimistic slow mini-documentary, NHK's "Document 72 Hours" is a show which camera crew stay in 1 ordinary public place continuously for the titular 72 hours, at all hours of the day. They interview people they come across, and collect small and honest stories of people's lives. The show has been going for a long time, and they consistently manage to find heartwarming little stories in places you wouldn't expect to find them, with nothing but kindness and attention. One of my favourites so far was at a coin-operated hot ramen vending machine at the side of a road. The English narration is pretty cheesy, but I suppose it's part of the style. You can watch the most recent episode here: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/72hours/ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/72hours/ For archives and discussion, have a look into https://www.reddit.com/r/NHKWorldFans/ https://www.reddit.com/r/NHKWorldFans/.
- stevenwoo 5y ago
  I was super impressed the father taught himself everything (when he realized his tailor business was going defunct) and became a student of fabric in order to repair it. That is some incredible grit.
rodneyzeng 5y ago
Love this video and the people in the movie! Thanks for recommendation. It's really beautiful and warm.
- throwntoday 5y ago
  If you enjoyed that there is a lovely series about old crafts in Japan that I watch periodically. This first video is about a man who repairs old books for his clients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnPiOIqHkdI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnPiOIqHkdI
rukuu001 5y ago
NHK World has some great content. When I stayed in Hanoi for a couple months, the Japanese international TV channel was one of the few things I could watch. There were tons of great stories on travel in Japan, people who make everything from whisky to bespoke prosthetics. All kinds of fun stuff. Really made me want to visit.
jmcguckin 5y ago
Wow!
uwagar 5y ago
are there any examples of japanese doing a bad job at things. kinda like gory dolphin hunting they do but wonder if there's others.
rasengan0 5y ago
Heartwarming, sincere, self-taught, intense tradition: Absolute magic. Cherished repair is what the world needs more of --- to appreciate craft and the people who make it happen. It would take a while before Shima Seki can hack that, if ever.
zhenghao1 5y ago
This is madness...and the fact it's done manually! Wow! I wonder how much this type of service costs?

531 points by zdw 5y ago

I hate to be that comment but that site on mobile is ridiculous. Scroll down just a little bit and your view of the article is reduced to a tiny porthole that's maybe 5 lines tall. Everything else is occupied by a banner video thing and a cookie footer.

colanderman 5y ago
In this case, that video is the story. The "article" is not much more than a caption.
- Steltek 5y ago
  Yeah, I realized that when I got back to a computer. The video had an exaggerated "Close" button next to it and I was expecting more of a text article. On my phone, I had hit "back" before digging deeper due the poor site layout.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

tomlin 5y ago

Seeing someone have to repair a Supreme hoodie kinda ruined it for me, not gonna lie.

pigtailgirl 5y ago
Supreme make great quality clothes - you might not like the hype around them but their box logo hoodies will last years - they are not cheaply made - that's the trick here tho - fast fashion - zara, h&m etc - is low cost but unlikely repairable - Anything Rei Kawakubo (CGD) - Raf Simons - Acne Studios - Thom Browne can all last a lifetime if maintained and repaired correctly -
- frostburg 5y ago
  I really like Comme des Garcons (especially shirts, even if lately I'm wearing more Paul Smith and Etro) but it's very expensive (and like with many other high fashion brands only mainline items should be bought in most cases). Acne is great and almost reasonably priced in context.
  - pigtailgirl 5y ago
    two of my CDG SHIRT Shirts from 2014 - two CDG Play Shirts (not polo) from 2016 - still wear them regularly - black play one I had professionally redyed last year for $15 - looks brand new -
- tomlin 5y ago
  This is the company that asks teens to spend their last dollar on a brick with a Supreme sticker on it, right? Or am I mixing that up with another brand manipulating children for cash?
  - pigtailgirl 5y ago
    this is a lazy comment - I believe it was in conjunction with another new york artist who's studio is in the same building - Tom Sachs - he's an installation artist - and the brick was $30 - not accounting for taste huh- never the less - your point is extremely poorly made -
    - tomlin 5y ago
      I think you've let your brand loyalty blind you from a lot of the damage that brand has objectively caused.
      - pigtailgirl 5y ago
        looking at your history of comments- you might consider acquainting yourself with the guidelines - otherwise i'd suggest HN maybe isn't the right community for you - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

shijie 5y ago

I’m not aware how prevalent this technique is in Japan, but here in the US it is totally unheard of. I watched the whole video. What an exquisite result. So impressive. It makes me realize the level to which some people dedicate toward their craft. I am not at the Katetsugi level of craftsmanship in my own profession, but this documentary inspires me to get there!

redweer 5y ago
https://scienceandkindness.net/ https://scienceandkindness.net/ is out of St. Paul, MN. I believe you can send them your clothing. I follow them on instagram because I think they do some really cool repairs.
abirch 5y ago
I loved the Art and Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance and this here is pure quality. Creating quality makes me happy but it's a shame that I don't get to always create quality at my current job.
- colechristensen 5y ago
  Persig’s wife just released a book of unpublished writings of his On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence: Unpublished and Selected Writings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063084643/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063084643/
joeblubaugh 5y ago
It’s not unheard of - in the US this type of repair is called “reweaving” https://mensfashion.thefuntimesguide.com/mens-suit-repair-reweaving/ https://mensfashion.thefuntimesguide.com/mens-suit-repair-re...
- hangonhn 5y ago
  It's not unheard of but I had a really hard time finding anyone capable of doing that kind of work in the Bay Area. Even when I did find someone the work was not great. Maybe I would have better luck in a bigger city like NYC? I think perhaps people being unaware of this technique has lead to a drop in demand over time and thus a diminishing supply of practitioners.

kelvinquee 5y ago

Reminds me of this absolutely fascinating video of restoration of antiques (few centuries old) into "like new" condition for museums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIoi-DSm0e4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIoi-DSm0e4

dekken_ 5y ago

seems similar to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

Steltek 5y ago
I mistook the name for that technique as well and my first thought was, "I thought the whole point is to not be invisible?"
_Microft 5y ago
Kintsugi seems to be more about owning the mistake while this is meant to be as little noticable as possible.

praptak 5y ago

This craft was quite popular in Poland back in the day and went by the name "cerowanie artystyczne". People earned like 20 USD a month. You ripped the pair of jeans your Uncle from America (archetypal figure from that time) sent you? Cerowanie artystyczne to the rescue.

alerolp 5y ago
User23 5y ago
Whenever we visited Germany in the 80s we pretty much took orders. We brought a lot of levis and cartons of cigarettes. And athletic socks for some reason.

vjvj 5y ago

I got a shabby and scuffed up 10 year old leather jacket cleaned recently. It cost me less than £50 and came out great. Buying a new one would have cost £250+ I wonder where the biggest opportunities are to get people reusing and repairing their things rather than buying new ones. It's satisfying, usually functionally-equivalent and cheaper once you know where or how to get it done.

supertofu 5y ago
I have a 12 year old all-season jacket from LL Bean that is full of holes. It has survived a decade of winters in NYC and upstate NY. It has a removable lining so the coat also works in Spring and Fall. In the summer I can use it as a small backyard picnic blanket. I love it so much and it is so functional that I refuse to replace it. I wish I could just mail it to a service that would fix all the holes, clean it, and mail it back. I'm sure I could find a local tailor, but local tailors aren't always easy to find, and the whole process is such a hassle. Seamstress-as-a-service? Any takers?
- jjice 5y ago
  Might be able to go to the local tailor. Definitely depends on the place, but a tailor is likely to do that kind of work for you. A lot of tailors I know also have professional cleaning equipment, so that might be the double whammy.
- 0x0000000 5y ago
  It's too bad that scumbags took advantage of LLBean's lifetime warranty so they ended it. You may still be able to send it back to them to repair, but a few years ago it wouldn't have cost you anything. Maybe worth a shot if you really love it!
  - dekhn 5y ago
    Aahaha, my parents used to abuse that service (finding old jackets abandoned by students at the end of the school year) and I told them to stop because it was taking advantage.

zerof1l 5y ago

I found their website. https://www.oriwa.net/ https://www.oriwa.net/ The pricing seems quite reasonable considering the skill and time required. For example, about 42 USD for up to 5mm in diameter hole in a suit.

coolspot 5y ago
Now when it is on the HN frontpage, many SV folks will send their Patagonia jackets to this shop.
- Bost 5y ago
  I think the Mars Colonists will really benefit from learning this craft. Or maybe even the ISS astronauts... you know just in case, your trip home gets postponed.

JPKab 5y ago

This reminds me of a product that I'm not sure exists that I want sooo bad. I've got a precious pair of jeans, and a hole right in the crotch. I want a patch I can glue on, no needle required, that is stronger than the existing cloth. Is this a thing?

jjice 5y ago
I know there are some places that will make the jeans with a reinforced crotch for this very reason (helpful for riding bikes). I think a lot of larger brands that user to make jeans like this have stopped, likely to increase profits unfortunately. I've sewn up crotch holes in the past with some scrap fabric and it's not bad, but it is a bit tedious. I'm wondering if sewing in a simple piece of scrap fabric and then adding a small iron on patch would provide decent reinforcement.
_Microft 5y ago
"Fusible interfacing" is the search term for "patchs that glue on". From my experiene the connection is not as durable as the existing cloth (especially the edges come off easily) and I'd still seam it with a line of stitches.
quesera 5y ago
The product exists. Fusible interfacing is a sheet of heat-activated glue. But beware repairing with stronger materials. This shifts the stress to the interface between the two fabrics, often at an already-weakened-but-not-yet-failed part of the old fabric, hastening a failure in the new location. Also some locations in clothing are more amenable to the increased bulk/stiffness. These are unfortunately not usually wear points. Good luck though, sometimes it works out!

ben30 5y ago

I'm glad I've learnt how to sew. - Repaired a rucksack - sports kit - night clothes - ripped jeans - I've fixed my son's pricelessly irreplaceable red toy dog. (We joke (not joke), car, or toy dog, we save the dog) Each time has been rewarding, and calming in the repetitive nature of the task. I followed the instructions here: https://www.instructables.com/Finishing-the-Case-With-a-Slip-Stitch/ https://www.instructables.com/Finishing-the-Case-With-a-Slip...

gonzo41 5y ago

Poor form smoking in a suit! Those people are doing what art restorers do when canvas paintings get damaged and they weave the canvas back together. Its amazingly impressive.

Annatar 5y ago
Smoking is very common in Japan and especially during after hours with coworkers.

yboris 5y ago

An amazing series of videos of Japanese professional repairs: Shuuri, Misemasu - or The Fascinating Repairmen https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVZvdZul6yhFTkZyGiXjhAQE3QeptxWmZ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVZvdZul6yhFTkZyGiXjh...

robocat 5y ago
Thanks! I loved this one of a guy fixing a 70’s(?) suitcase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRzy7LJXYVg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRzy7LJXYVg He has a huge workshop full of suitcase parts, so must do many per workday at a guess. Serious skills - I loved the careful masking of the existing stickers when he repainted it. Although he did leave the castors on when spray painting, which seemed odd to me. And this guy is fixing kitchen graters (although for a short moment they show him making new ones too). Perhaps used by chefs, since it looks like he has about 5 of the same type to fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_XeZZkff0g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_XeZZkff0g Although they show a lady at the end opening the mail for her fixed one. Made from copper, and I guess he is puts a zinc coating on it (over a charcoal fire no less!) I wish I understood Japanese so I could get more of the context.

Shadonototra 5y ago

Why name a something that's been a thing in the west since the beginning of time with a japanese buzz name? what's the goal?

0xbadcafebee 5y ago
it's just the Japanese name for it
msie 5y ago
Because English is not their primary language and the world doesn't revolve around the English language???
werdnapk 5y ago
That Japanese "buzz name" is just what it's called in Japanese for "invisible mending". What do you want them to call it in their native language?
goodpoint 5y ago
Those foreigners speaking unamerican languages!
Annatar 5y ago
For you and anyone else to expand their foreign language vocabulary.

probotect0r 5y ago

If this is interesting to you, check out r/invisiblemending and r/visiblemending communities on Reddit. Folks on there are pretty creative!

jjice 5y ago

I've always been interested in repair and have done a good bit of mending on my own clothes. I have a few black tee shirts from Target from about six or seven years ago that have just gotten a few small holes that I've repaired and you can't notice. Takes less than 5 minutes after a while from getting the thread out all the way to cutting it at the end. For down jackets, you can get yourself a roll of repair tape for ~$5 that's as simple as cut and place. I used to work for a large outdoors retailer and we had access to damaged and returned goods at crazy discounts. I got a $200 down jacket for $2.50. Add the $5 roll of repair tape that I still have and we've got a great jacket that I've worn for about four years now. It's kind of fun to do as well. Having sentimental value with the things you use is kind of nice, as long as you don't go overboard.

dirtyid 5y ago

It's reweaving but seems like the duo are pioneer in developing methods for repairing different materials. Almost like bespoke art restoration. The work on extra fine tshirts was impressive. I do some basic mending for clothes that gets retired to gym use, little obvious patches/sewing with slightly off color material and pretend it's knockoff Kintsugi. But I also learned value not being precious/sentimental with clothes and enjoy wear them pretty hard. Personally it feels better to just wear new clothes, especially now that performance fabrics are becoming popular. Won't wear anything without elastane if I could hep it.

dehrmann 5y ago

I've had a reweaver mend holes in a sweater. It came out well, but it's not cheap, and it works better for some patterns than others. I'd really only recommend it if the clothing item would cost more than $200 to replace.

pvillano 5y ago
or if it's priceless

kretaceous 5y ago

That was one of the most beautiful videos I've ever watched. Thanks for this!

klik99 5y ago

For those who don't want to watch the whole thing - check out the repair @ 9:54 - truly amazing work - they show the detailed work leading up if you rewind from there. Personally I have a bunch of patches I like that I sew over holes - we use flowers for our AirBnB sheets and it can really add to the personality. It's also a lot less time consuming than this work!

sedatk 5y ago

This is an interesting contrast to kintsugi in which you repair broken ceramic with gold paste, to make the damage even more visible to appreciate its part in the history of the object.

TrackerFF 5y ago

I had this beautiful bespoke suit which had just been hanging in the closet, due to me gaining some weight. After slimming down I wanted to wear it again, only to find a couple of large and very noticeable moth holes on one of the lapels. Welp, money down the drain I thought. Local dry-cleaner tipped me about "invisible mending", so I did some research. Ended up shipping it to the UK, and paid around £120 for getting the jacket repaired - with excellent results. Some might say that's a steep price, but the alternative was binning a £4000 garment.

donthellbanme 5y ago
I can add this to those that gained a bit of weight, and have a sewing machine, or just a needle and thread. Most pants, even the cheap pants at Costco, have about a 1" to 2" at the back seam of excess fabric. Be it cheap, or expensive, most brands have a bit of material to make the waist bigger. Use a razor, or sewing thread cutter (I don't know the name, but you guys have seen the tool before. They are everywhere, including Safeaway). You carefully cut the fabric from the backside of the trousers. Use a magnifying glass, or I use a stereoscope, in order to not tear the delicate fabric, cut the thread. Then sew the elongated pieces together. You don't need to worry about serging the material in most cases. In the end, if you are a 38w you can go to a 40w in an hour. (This does not work with most jeans though. Just slacks. I'm very interested in the technique this family uses to repair fabric. I kinda know what they are doing in their repairs, but I would like to know more. If anyone knows more about this technique, I'd appreciate any instruction, or further information on this technique of weaving. I need extra income, and I'm in the Bay Area.)
- smegsicle 5y ago
  > sewing thread cutter "threadripper"- you know, like the workstation cpu
  - account42 5y ago
    But the threadripper uses a LGA and doesn't have any sharp edges. It does come with a torque screw driver though which you might be able to use to rip apart threads.

thunderbong 5y ago

All comments here are about the technique. But I found the video to be quite different. Yes, the method of repairing clothes like this takes a lot of effort, time, and huge amount of practice. For me, the video was about many other things. It was about skill and craftsmanship, of course. It was also about apprenticeship, about a master and his protégé. But it was also about love and affection and a father's guarded praise about his daughter. And a daughter's delight in becoming as skilled as her father. And about two craftsmen who take a lot of pride in their work and use it as a medium to make their customers very happy. This is rare in today's world. It was also about calm and peace, an almost meditative state that one gets into, when one is deeply immersed. A really beautiful video. It's not often that one gets to pause, reflect and be touched while constantly being swept in this river of information. Thank you.

xcambar 5y ago
Seeing the customers bring their garments alongside their story was beautiful. They don't just get their clothes repaired, they get their memories alive, they care for the past events, good or bad. The father and daughter team in fact goes way beyond working on the clothes, they somehow heal the customers as well. A beautiful documentary, really.
iancmceachern 5y ago
I recently had the exact same thought watching this video of Billy Strings and his father playing together. https://www.google.com/search?q=billy+strings+akd.his+dad&oq=billy+strings+akd.his+dad&aqs=chrome..69i57.5169j0j7&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8# https://www.google.com/search?q=billy+strings+akd.his+dad&oq...
deleted 5y ago
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abetusk 5y ago

Wow this is awesome. Here's a random YouTube link I found [0]. I guess the basic idea is to get a patch of the same material, line up the pattern (if any) and fray the ends of the patch to have the threads expose. Then go through and interleave the frayed thread ends to seamlessly fold into the garment's fabric. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haiA_4tBrjw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haiA_4tBrjw

kuon 5y ago

I think this is awesome. The technique is really mindblowing. I really enjoy seeing passionate and precise crafts. But it's not for me, I only wear old T-shirts I don't care about that are full of holes.

kinow 5y ago

I tried learning invisible stiches to repair some clothes - nothing as hard as kaketsugi - but later found out about easier techniques that leave the the results are visible but still looks good. - Sashiko https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko - Boro https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boro_(textile) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boro_(textile) - And this sub with heaps of exampled and tips https://www.reddit.com/r/visiblemending/ https://www.reddit.com/r/visiblemending/

Annatar 5y ago

These two are takumi in every traditional sense of that word.

coryfklein 5y ago

If you didn't watch the entire video, I highly recommend it. What a beautiful style of story-telling; I was expecting a quick explanation of what kaketsugi is, but instead I got so much more. It was an inspiring look at the relationship between a mother and father, and between people and their clothes, and it was utterly heartwarming.

an_ko 5y ago
If you or others wish for more of this type of optimistic slow mini-documentary, NHK's "Document 72 Hours" is a show which camera crew stay in 1 ordinary public place continuously for the titular 72 hours, at all hours of the day. They interview people they come across, and collect small and honest stories of people's lives. The show has been going for a long time, and they consistently manage to find heartwarming little stories in places you wouldn't expect to find them, with nothing but kindness and attention. One of my favourites so far was at a coin-operated hot ramen vending machine at the side of a road. The English narration is pretty cheesy, but I suppose it's part of the style. You can watch the most recent episode here: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/72hours/ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/72hours/ For archives and discussion, have a look into https://www.reddit.com/r/NHKWorldFans/ https://www.reddit.com/r/NHKWorldFans/.
stevenwoo 5y ago
I was super impressed the father taught himself everything (when he realized his tailor business was going defunct) and became a student of fabric in order to repair it. That is some incredible grit.

rodneyzeng 5y ago

Love this video and the people in the movie! Thanks for recommendation. It's really beautiful and warm.

throwntoday 5y ago
If you enjoyed that there is a lovely series about old crafts in Japan that I watch periodically. This first video is about a man who repairs old books for his clients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnPiOIqHkdI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnPiOIqHkdI

rukuu001 5y ago

NHK World has some great content. When I stayed in Hanoi for a couple months, the Japanese international TV channel was one of the few things I could watch. There were tons of great stories on travel in Japan, people who make everything from whisky to bespoke prosthetics. All kinds of fun stuff. Really made me want to visit.

jmcguckin 5y ago

Wow!

uwagar 5y ago

are there any examples of japanese doing a bad job at things. kinda like gory dolphin hunting they do but wonder if there's others.

rasengan0 5y ago

Heartwarming, sincere, self-taught, intense tradition: Absolute magic. Cherished repair is what the world needs more of --- to appreciate craft and the people who make it happen. It would take a while before Shima Seki can hack that, if ever.

zhenghao1 5y ago

This is madness...and the fact it's done manually! Wow! I wonder how much this type of service costs?