Comments on: How chopsticks are made http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 22:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Sarah Neptune http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1686600 Sarah Neptune Sat, 23 Mar 2013 20:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1686600 "Land can be used as chopsticks chopsticks to carry both ends mouth heaven and earth have become thin, take heaven," that whole quote is a diagonal cut of heaven. “Land can be used as chopsticks chopsticks to carry both ends mouth heaven and earth have become thin, take heaven,”
that whole quote is a diagonal cut of heaven.

]]> By: Wayne Dyer http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1686308 Wayne Dyer Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1686308 And the new ones with Zac Fine aren't as gentle and soothing.  Still, they could be making ICBMs and I'd just be sitting there with a placid grin on my face watching things get made. And the new ones with Zac Fine aren’t as gentle and soothing.  Still, they could be making ICBMs and I’d just be sitting there with a placid grin on my face watching things get made.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685997 Antinous / Moderator Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685997 Just saying that it's a meaningless abbreviation. Just saying that it’s a meaningless abbreviation.

]]> By: Urbane_Gorilla http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685837 Urbane_Gorilla Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685837 Bamboo chopsticks are readily available and common in Chinese Restaurants on the West Coast : Amazon.com: Disposable Bamboo Chopsticks 100 Sets: Kitchen & Dining - http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Bamboo-Chopsticks-100-Sets/dp/B0051S8KJO Bamboo chopsticks are readily available and common in Chinese Restaurants on the West Coast :

Amazon.com: Disposable Bamboo Chopsticks 100 Sets: Kitchen & Dining – http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Bamboo-Chopsticks-100-Sets/dp/B0051S8KJO

]]> By: gjbloom http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685674 gjbloom Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685674 Since they don't have voiceover, they could trivially substitute English subtitles and open their program to a much wider audience.  I wonder why they don't? Since they don’t have voiceover, they could trivially substitute English subtitles and open their program to a much wider audience.  I wonder why they don’t?

]]> By: SuperFunVarietyShow http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685605 SuperFunVarietyShow Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685605 I'm ex ex-pat of that country, and hugely sensitive to undue criticisms or stereotypings of Japan, so I sympathize with your desire here to make sure that China's deforestation practices aren't being unfairly conflated with Japan's ... but on this one, it's pots and kettles calling each other black. Japan doesn't deforest inside its own borders as much as China does, but the disposable chopsticks it uses by the untold badrillions every day come from appallingly deforested tracks of land in China, Canada, and Russia, in an enterprise dominated by the mega-companies Mitsubishi and Daishowa Keiretsu. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/disposable-chopsticks-strip-asian-forests/ http://www.awarenessmag.com/sepoct6/SO6_MITSU.HTML http://www.studymode.com/essays/Wooden-Chopsticks-1147215.html I’m ex ex-pat of that country, and hugely sensitive to undue criticisms or stereotypings of Japan, so I sympathize with your desire here to make sure that China’s deforestation practices aren’t being unfairly conflated with Japan’s … but on this one, it’s pots and kettles calling each other black.

Japan doesn’t deforest inside its own borders as much as China does, but the disposable chopsticks it uses by the untold badrillions every day come from appallingly deforested tracks of land in China, Canada, and Russia, in an enterprise dominated by the mega-companies Mitsubishi and Daishowa Keiretsu.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/disposable-chopsticks-strip-asian-forests/

http://www.awarenessmag.com/sepoct6/SO6_MITSU.HTML

http://www.studymode.com/essays/Wooden-Chopsticks-1147215.html

]]> By: jhoosier http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685506 jhoosier Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685506  Because Asians consume a truly MASSIVE number of disposable chopsticks.  China is another huge consumer of them, which has to be taken into account.  Bamboo can only grow so fast. While travelling in Vietnam, I had the opportunity to visit several small family-owned operations (chopstick manufactory, coffee farm, tea dryer, a place that bought shrapnel farmers ploughed up in their fields) and it was quite interesting.  The machine they used was a hand-crank machine to carve out chopsticks and looked quite fun to use for about 10 minutes.  As a career, I don't think I'd have liked it, though.  Because Asians consume a truly MASSIVE number of disposable chopsticks.  China is another huge consumer of them, which has to be taken into account.  Bamboo can only grow so fast.

While travelling in Vietnam, I had the opportunity to visit several small family-owned operations (chopstick manufactory, coffee farm, tea dryer, a place that bought shrapnel farmers ploughed up in their fields) and it was quite interesting.  The machine they used was a hand-crank machine to carve out chopsticks and looked quite fun to use for about 10 minutes.  As a career, I don’t think I’d have liked it, though.

]]> By: napstimpy http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685372 napstimpy Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685372 http://www.brooksmoore.com/ http://www.brooksmoore.com/

]]> By: Alan http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685346 Alan Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685346 Remember when Mr. Rogers would go the the little painting and it would show those videos of things being made?  I loved those.  This brings all that back. Remember when Mr. Rogers would go the the little painting and it would show those videos of things being made?  I loved those.  This brings all that back.

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685298 Paul Renault Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685298 And for 33 million of us, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia" rel="nofollow">this</a> is BC. And for 33 million of us, this is BC.

]]> By: John Treiber http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685249 John Treiber Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685249 I'm surprised to see that this story is suggesting a connection between disposable chopstick production and deforestation in Japan. Nothing could be further from the truth, so let's not confuse China with Japan. Despite using many trees to make chopsticks, according to a 2009 Japan Forestry Agency report Japan is two-thirds forested covering about 25 million hectares. Leave Tokyo and almost everywhere one goes is covered with trees. Unlike China, a country with a long history of environmental destruction (far predating the current scourge of disposable chopsticks), Japan has a clear record of forestry dating back to its premodern period. See Conrad Totman's book Green Archipelago: Forestry in Pre-Industrial Japan.   I’m surprised to see that this story is suggesting a connection between disposable chopstick production and deforestation in Japan. Nothing could be further from the truth, so let’s not confuse China with Japan. Despite using many trees to make chopsticks, according to a 2009 Japan Forestry Agency report Japan is two-thirds forested covering about 25 million hectares. Leave Tokyo and almost everywhere one goes is covered with trees. Unlike China, a country with a long history of environmental destruction (far predating the current scourge of disposable chopsticks), Japan has a clear record of forestry dating back to its premodern period. See Conrad Totman’s book Green Archipelago: Forestry in Pre-Industrial Japan.  

]]> By: Kevin Pierce http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685153 Kevin Pierce Fri, 22 Mar 2013 03:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685153 I really liked the final minute recap - nice touch I really liked the final minute recap – nice touch

]]> By: jansob1 http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685106 jansob1 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685106  Yeah, I used to teach English at a factory in Japan where they made furniture. On one piece of cutting equipment there was a "safety bar" that had to be lowered before the blade moved...it had a a strong spring and slammed into the bench when it closed.They didn't have anyone lose a hand, but about twice a year someone broke a couple of fingers on this fiendish contraption. A couple of well.placed blocks of wood and 10 minutes of installation would have fixed it, but it being Japan, this 60-year-old-machine had never been modified, and never will be.  Yeah, I used to teach English at a factory in Japan where they made furniture. On one piece of cutting equipment there was a “safety bar” that had to be lowered before the blade moved…it had a a strong spring and slammed into the bench when it closed.They didn’t have anyone lose a hand, but about twice a year someone broke a couple of fingers on this fiendish contraption. A couple of well.placed blocks of wood and 10 minutes of installation would have fixed it, but it being Japan, this 60-year-old-machine had never been modified, and never will be.

]]> By: tvkirby http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685102 tvkirby Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685102 The Japanese site was very slow for me. I thought I found the same video on youtube and posted it here, but I was incorrect. sorry. The Japanese site was very slow for me. I thought I found the same video on youtube and posted it here, but I was incorrect. sorry.

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685049 Nathan Hornby Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685049 Actually I'm more versed in the UK version, but they're much the same as the Canadian one (in some cases the same footage re narrated) - but after watching a few of these Japanese ones I must say I'm a fan of the format! I like being able to hear all the machinery sounds, it's much more immersive than corny puns and lift music (not that I don't enjoy that too). An omission I'd never really noticed before. Actually I’m more versed in the UK version, but they’re much the same as the Canadian one (in some cases the same footage re narrated) – but after watching a few of these Japanese ones I must say I’m a fan of the format!
I like being able to hear all the machinery sounds, it’s much more immersive than corny puns and lift music (not that I don’t enjoy that too). An omission I’d never really noticed before.

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685043 penguinchris Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685043 +1 on this, but I'd like to add that this is slower paced and more methodical than the original Canadian version, which is both good and bad - good because it shows little details that the original show would have skipped over, but bad because I now may not be able to get anything done for a while... +1 on this, but I’d like to add that this is slower paced and more methodical than the original Canadian version, which is both good and bad – good because it shows little details that the original show would have skipped over, but bad because I now may not be able to get anything done for a while…

]]> By: Wayne Dyer http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685035 Wayne Dyer Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685035 It's interesting, but I'd prefer the soothing voiceover of the Canadian show.  If I'm sick for any reason if there's a How It's Made marathon on, I am set for the day. It’s interesting, but I’d prefer the soothing voiceover of the Canadian show.  If I’m sick for any reason if there’s a How It’s Made marathon on, I am set for the day.

]]> By: joe blough http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685013 joe blough Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685013 i did kendo for many years and while it's nice to see all the craftsmanship and hand-work that goes into making the bogu, kendobogu (gear/armor) really needs to come up to the 21st century. getting hit on the head all the time with only a 3/4" thick piece of (admittedly very heavy) cotton between the shinai and your skull is... well, bad for you. had to stop when i realized that feeling hung over twice a week the day after practice is probably not a good thing if you think for a living... i did kendo for many years and while it’s nice to see all the craftsmanship and hand-work that goes into making the bogu, kendobogu (gear/armor) really needs to come up to the 21st century. getting hit on the head all the time with only a 3/4″ thick piece of (admittedly very heavy) cotton between the shinai and your skull is… well, bad for you.

had to stop when i realized that feeling hung over twice a week the day after practice is probably not a good thing if you think for a living…

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1685000 Antinous / Moderator Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1685000 FYI - for about 50 million of us, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baja_California" rel="nofollow">this</a> is BC. FYI – for about 50 million of us, this is BC.

]]> By: MonkeyBoy http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684999 MonkeyBoy Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684999  Steaming the wood makes it temporarily flexible which means those rather thick ribbons which are shaved off the logs can be bent without cracking. Its the principle behind "bent wood chairs".  Steaming the wood makes it temporarily flexible which means those rather thick ribbons which are shaved off the logs can be bent without cracking.

Its the principle behind “bent wood chairs”.

]]> By: Robert Sexton http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684997 Robert Sexton Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684997 To make the wood flexible. To make the wood flexible.

]]> By: Robert Sexton http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684992 Robert Sexton Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684992 So much for workplace safety. So much for workplace safety.

]]> By: Disqus1000 http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684959 Disqus1000 Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684959 My understanding is that bamboo is a fairly environmentally friendly material, it grows fast and ties up CO2 in the process. The factory in the video below looks like something that could be set up all over the Asian country side for relatively little money, creating jobs where the bamboo grows rather than in cities and sweatshops. Any reason why we couldn't create a big enough demand for bamboo chopsticks to stop the aforementioned threat to trees? http://youtu.be/cyy_TT1fEqg My understanding is that bamboo is a fairly environmentally friendly material, it grows fast and ties up CO2 in the process.
The factory in the video below looks like something that could be set up all over the Asian country side for relatively little money, creating jobs where the bamboo grows rather than in cities and sweatshops. Any reason why we couldn’t create a big enough demand for bamboo chopsticks to stop the aforementioned threat to trees?
http://youtu.be/cyy_TT1fEqg

]]> By: FrancesTheMute http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684938 FrancesTheMute Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684938 Anyone know why the logs are steamed before they are cut? Anyone know why the logs are steamed before they are cut?

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684932 Nathan Hornby Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684932 As a huge fan of How It's Made and Japan, I'm really looking forward to watching every single one of these. Thanks, Mark! As a huge fan of How It’s Made and Japan, I’m really looking forward to watching every single one of these. Thanks, Mark!

]]> By: Nadreck http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684915 Nadreck Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684915 The hideous waste of disposable chopsticks is why I always carry around my good chopsticks with me.  You can get a stylish "Hello, Kitty" carrier or, if that's not available in your area, the artist's brush holders that are available at any arts supply store are just the right size. The hideous waste of disposable chopsticks is why I always carry around my good chopsticks with me.  You can get a stylish “Hello, Kitty” carrier or, if that’s not available in your area, the artist’s brush holders that are available at any arts supply store are just the right size.

]]> By: Nadreck http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684910 Nadreck Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684910 There's a big, repurposed popsicle stick factory in BC that exports a lot of chopsticks too. There’s a big, repurposed popsicle stick factory in BC that exports a lot of chopsticks too.

]]> By: PJG Hendry http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/how-chopsticks-are-made.html#comment-1684905 PJG Hendry Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220201#comment-1684905 As I have posted before:-  http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/02/smallbusiness/georgia_chopsticks/index.htm As I have posted before:-  http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/02/smallbusiness/georgia_chopsticks/index.htm

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