Oikawa Sai, known as “Saihô,” was born in Mizusawa in 1935. He began his apprenticeship in making tetsubin kettles and kama pots at the age of 17. Today, his son, Oikawa Kôsei, who is also a certified traditional artisan, does most of the work.
This nanbu kettle with arare motifs was made from “satetsu” iron. Formerly widely used in making swords, satetsu is now scarce. In comparison with the iron used for ordinary cast iron, satetsu is harder and allows for no margin of error during molding. Only a new mold can be used, and only once for each satetsu kettle. Naturally, kettles made from this material are harder to come by.
Another feature of satetsu is that it becomes shiny when polished.
2.2 L

Use and maintenance:
- Before using for the first time, rinse the interior of the kettle with water several times. (Never touch the interior with your fingers. Never use detergent or abrasive materials to clean your tetsubin.)
- Next, fill it 2/3 full of water and boil it until the kettle is only 1/4 full. Do not close the lid completely to prevent the water from spurting out of the spout.
- Empty the kettle, and then repeat the process 2 or 3 times.
- You can now use your tetsubin kettle.
- If you use gas, never place the kettle in direct contact with the fire.
- Always use very low heat.
- Never allow water to cool in the kettle. When you have finished using the water, empty the kettle immediately and allow the tetsubin to dry thanks to residual heat.
- Some rust may appear at first. Do not try to remove it. Similarly, after use, tartar may appear. It protects your tetsubin.
- During the first month of use, it is recommended to heat water in the kettle every day

. *The real colours of the object may be slightly different from those in the photos. Thank you for your understanding.