Dupont Chinese Lacquer

Authentic Chinese lacquer comes from the sap of trees from South Asia. The species Rhus Vernicifera, Rhus Succedana and Melanorrhea Laccifera can grow up to 10 meters high with a diameter of 40 cm. In its natural state Chinese lacquer is a yellowish resin which becomes brown when exposed to air.

The sap is collected by tapping the trunk of the tree by different traditional versions. In Japan the koroshigaki method is used.
The 8- 9 year old tree is tapped every four days from June to November.
At the end of the season the tree is felled, the sap of the branches collected and new trees are planted.
In China and Vietnam the trees are not felled at the end of the season, but are tapped following the yojogaki method in which the trunk is tapped the 2 or three times during the collecting season once a year or once every two years. 

S.T. DUPONT CHINESE LACQUER

The resins are of varying quality, mainly depending on their urushiol content which is the main active component of the lacquer. Therefore S.T.Dupont carefully chooses resins in Japan and Taiwan which have the requirements of a great lacquer.
Each batch of lacquer possesses its own unique character.
S.T.Dupont maintains a three-year stock of lacquer in order to ensure the availability of a high quality lacquer.

 When the sap arrives in S.T.Dupont workshops it is transformed by a traditional process into Chinese lacquer.
After subsequent treatments, the sap becomes a translucid very dark brown resin which is always filtered before use.

After filtering it can be used as it is or mixed with other compounds in order to obtain a coloured paste.
The resin, the mineral pigment and Tung oil (used to allow the coating of the pigment with the lacquer) are roughly mixed by hand to begin with, and afterwards with a color grinder until the coating of the pigment is perfect.
After a final filtering through a very fine fabric the paste is ready for use.

The substrate has to be prepared, firstly by hollowing out the metal surface which will undergo mechanical and chemical preparation. The lacquer is applied in several layers (up to ten), after drying each layer is smoothed with charcoal and then polished.
Chinese lacquer is a living material that is resistant to handling and difficult to work with.
Only a master lacquer maker with a long experience and a confirmed know-how can master the craftsmanship and the techniques involved in the processing of Chinese lacquer.
All lacquer products are adorned with the authentic Chinese lacquer hallmark, the image of leaf of the Rhus vernicifera tree