Leica M in Urushi finish

[coelacanth]

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1047606.html (Japanese)

The 50 unit limited edition is for the 300 year anniversary of a department store chain in Japan.

It's a real hand applied Wajima-nuri Urushi process completely done by hand. It will take 3-4 months for the lacquering job.

It's yours for 1,350,000 yen.

For the target audience, I think they should have done this with M-A instead of digital M (it's not even M10 but 240).

 

[coelacanth]

I wonder if one can ask a Urushi meister to do similar finish on a film M. Maybe you can do a Tamenuri finish with different color undercoat so you can see brassing or rather, "Urushing" happening over time a la Nakaya fountain pens.

 

[kshapero]

Not really sure what I am looking at. Maybe its the photo. Just looks like a black paint body with the red dot smeared.

 

[Ronald M]

Not really sure what I am looking at. Maybe its the photo. Just looks like a black paint body with the red dot smeared.

Don`t really know but would guess it is a 10/20 coat lacquer finish hand rubbed /buffed between each coat. Result is a black finish that looks glossy and deep, almost liquid. Actually like a black jewel. Custom cars were done this way way back when.

The time is to allow the different coats to dry so they can be individually polished.

240 or M8 it does not matter as it will live in the velvet lined box.

Google is your friend
http://www.kenjitoki.com/ukproject/urushi.html

 

[rbiemer]

I wonder if one can ask a Urushi meister to do similar finish on a film M. Maybe you can do a Tamenuri finish with different color undercoat so you can see brassing or rather, "Urushing" happening over time a la Nakaya fountain pens.

That would be honestly amazing to see! Maybe on an M6J? And which lens should be a part of that set?

Rob

 

[majid]

Not really sure what I am looking at. Maybe its the photo. Just looks like a black paint body with the red dot smeared.

It's genuine Japanese lacquer, which is made by applying a layer of sap from the lacquer tree, waiting for it to dry an polymerize, then repeating the process, sometimes incorporating inclusions like gold dust or mother of pearl for effect. Traditional Chinese and Japanese lacquerwork is incredibly artistic and beautiful. nothing to do with so-called lacquer finishes in paint. Considering the work involved, the $4,600 premium is actually a bargain.

 

[Keith]

Wow ... so what we see in the pic is the original? black finish under multiple coats of the clear lacquer. I'd love to see that in the flesh so to speak.

In theory you could get a tastefully brassed black paint MP done the same way ... if that was your thing.

 

[Pablito]

Considering the work involved, the $4,600 premium is actually a bargain.

Hee hee. I just made in my pants.

 

[majid]

Considering the work involved, the $4,600 premium is actually a bargain.

As a benchmark, a Namiki foountain pen in the same finish costs $2000. The pen/nib part itself is $500 at most.

A Leica M body has far more complex nooks and crannies for the Urushi artist to deal with.

Most Leica special editions have minimally costlier materials than a production model. I doubt the olive drab leather and paint in the Safari edition cost any more than the regular black. This is one of the few cases I have seen where there is actually any real justification for the price premium other than rarity.

 

[Hern]

I've been considering a Urushi repaint of a film body myself, but there has been very few leads on how to get such a job done. Well, at least the official Leica product shows that it is possible to do it on brass...

 

[infrequent]

Seiko make watches with Urushi dials. Their artisan makes only a few hundred each year because it is such a long process.

 

[Rob-F]

I'd be afraid to touch it, let alone shoot with it. It's black paint or black chrome for me. Well, I like bright chrome on the M2, M3, and M4.

 

[michaelwj]

That would be honestly amazing to see! Maybe on an M6J? And which lens should be a part of that set?

Rob

On an MP3 re-issue (but with self timer instead of light meter) including the Leicavit, and paired with a similar finished 50 Summilux in the same body shape as the recent black chrome edition. Sexy times!

 

[peterm1]

This is very similar to the style of urushi lacquer called "ishime" (meaning "stone" in Japanese) which is often applied to the scabbard of samurai swords. Ishime urushi in particular, is very robust as it does not show minor scuffs etc like a polished lacquer would. Urishi is in any event remarkably stable and resilient once it has hardened. It is, incidentally, this curing process that is one of the things that takes so much time when completing a urushi finish. Each coat (and there are many) must be allowed to cure for weeks between coats. And urushi does not "dry" in the sense that most modern lacquers do - they cure into something very like an ultra high quality polymer / plastic, by a catalytic action between the urushi and moisture in the air and in this sense they have more similarity to a modern epoxy resin. But the interesting thing is that urushi actually needs a moist environment to cure and will not do so in a perfectly dry environment. Not sure how the Leica shell handles this moisture though.

While some here seem to say they would not touch it even when dry assuming this is motivated by fear of toxicity (not cost or questions of robustness) the truth is when cured it is perfectly safe and extraordinarily tough - the Japanese have for generations used it to coat and decorate food bowls and drinking vessels. In that form it is perfectly stable and harmless unlike in its raw form where it is still quite toxic. BTW the color in urushi is not inherent in the raw lacquer which is more or less clear - the Japanese add additives like charcoal (black) or clay (brown) or various oxides for other colors. And of course they famously add finely ground precious metal dust for gold, silver etc highlights.

I have not used traditional urushi for making my own sword fixtures (another hobby of mine......) but I have made some very nice sword scabbards which I have coated in the ishime style using more modern materials and traditional Japanese techniques. It looks very like the sample shown below.

Here is a photo of a Japanese saya (sword scabbard) in an ishime urushi finish.

http://www.ryujinswords.com/Pictures/Services/DSC_0088.JPG

 

[infrequent]

Peter dropping some knowledge here. I need an iPhone with a Urishi finish now!

 

[Archiver]

Man, now this is a limited edition Leica with real skill and cachet. Not just the name of a Leica store engraved on it (I'm looking at you, Oslo).

 

[noisycheese]

No doubt each and every image made with an Urushi finish M will be met by an insatiable buying rampage - and at a price of 1,350,000 yen ($12,184.88 USD) per print, too. 😀 (yes, yes, I know - it's not always about money)