Susuzome (Soot Dye)
Susuzome (Soot Dye)
Create deep and strong colors with smoked soot dye. Susuzome is a textile dye made from turpentine soot from burned pinewood, forming “SUMI” (traditional Japanese drawing ink). You can overdye or mix with Bengala colors to enjoy the variation of browns and blacks.
100ml Susuzome can dye approx. 1 T-shirt or 0.6 lbs (300g) of cloth.
500ml Susuzome can dye approx. 15 T-shirts or 3.3-4.4 lbs (1.5kg-2kg) of cloth.
Recommended: Pre-fixer >>
Before dyeing
We recommend pre-fixing the fabric. Pre-fixer helps the fabric absorb the dye well so that the water becomes clear as you dye.
Put just enough tap water in a bucket to cover the fabric.
Tip: The approximate amount of water is 10 times the weight of the fabric.
Pre-wet the entire fabric well in water and squeeze it lightly before dyeing.
Tip: Use hot water for a low water-permeable fabric.
Shake the bottle of Susuzome well before use because the soot settles on the bottom.
Pour an appropriate amount of Susuzome into the water and mix it well.
Tip: Start with a smaller amount of the dye. If you want a deeper color, add some Susuzome little by little to the dye bath and continue dyeing.
Tip: Soot tends to lump up. When solids or grains of sumi are formed, filter them with a cloth or a fine mesh strainer before use to prevent unevenness in the color. The solid left in the strainer also can be used by smashing and dissolving it well.
Knead the fabric well in the dye bath for 1-2 minutes.
Tip: Kneading the fabric allows the dye to get into the fiber deeply and makes the color long lasting.
Roll and squeeze or spin-dry the dyed fabric, then dry it completely in the sun.
Tip: The color is stable once the fabric is well dried.
Leftover dye solution can be safely drained or discharged into the ground because it is made from components that dissolve in the soil.
天然ゴムラテックスはアレルギー性となるたんぱく質を除去しています。アレルギーの方でも安心して染めていただけます。
Materials good for dyeing
Cotton, linen, hemp, paper, rayon, wool, silk, etc.
Dyes approx. 3 T-shirts with one 100ml bottle
Ingredients
Turpentine soot, Water, Natural rubber latex
Caution
Natural rubber latex is used as a fixing agent. Although the protein which is an allergen is suppressed, there are individual differences. So, if you are allergic to latex, please refrain from using the product.
Note for dyeing
Shake the bottle of Susuzome well before use because the pigment settles on the bottom. Pour Susuzome into the water and mix it well before dyeing. Dyeing without mixing the dye solution causes partial unevenness in the dyed color.
About the color run
The dyed fabric needs to be dried for fixing the color. Hand-wash it separately from other items for the first couple of times.
How to store the Susuzome dye
Soot tends to settle on the bottom and lump up. In case solids of Sumi are formed, filter them with a cloth such as Tenugui, a Japanese towel, before use to prevent partial unevenness.
Store the Susuzome dye in a cool and dark place. Please keep in mind that it may deteriorate/perish when stored at high temperature during the hot season or in a place exposed to direct sunlight.
