We have teamed up in an exciting collaboration with traditional Dine silversmith Jon-Michael Lister to produce a beautiful and effective line of gentle treatment tools. These are tools of rare quality - their character sets them completely apart from others available. We have shown them to several Japanese masters who were deeply impressed. Jon-Michael has a large Japanese customer base because he masterfully combines his traditional aesthetic with a keen sense of the Japanese wabi-sabi sensibility.
Whereas most teishin makers start with silver wire and then fashion their unique designs from that, Jon-Michael starts with rough silver ingot. After that it is a matter of hammer and heat repeatedly being used to forge the tool. This involves a lot more work than most artisans are willing to invest, but the result is well worth it. Some call this “hammering the spirit into the teishin,” and we think this an apt description. Jon-Michael explains that he forges these tools for practitioners, under the special guidance of his spiritual practice, with our healing work in mind.
Most of our teishin avoid the strict tapered cylindrical shape common to other teishin and instead offer a unique shape that allows for easy stroking technique as well as the usual point-specific work. Our Gentle Spirit tool that comes closest to the traditional teishin shape is the Born of Water Teishin.
Whereas most teishin makers start with silver wire and then fashion their unique designs from that, Jon-Michael starts with rough silver ingot. After that it is a matter of hammer and heat repeatedly being used to forge the tool. This involves a lot more work than most artisans are willing to invest, but the result is well worth it. Some call this “hammering the spirit into the teishin,” and we think this an apt description. Jon-Michael explains that he forges these tools for practitioners, under the special guidance of his spiritual practice, with our healing work in mind.
Most of our teishin avoid the strict tapered cylindrical shape common to other teishin and instead offer a unique shape that allows for easy stroking technique as well as the usual point-specific work. Our Gentle Spirit tool that comes closest to the traditional teishin shape is the Born of Water Teishin.