Papermakers utilizing Eastern techniques to make characteristic thin sheets will find that a stamper allows larger amounts of fiber to be prepared more rapidly and with less labor than is possible by simply hand beating. The Eastern-style stamper evolved from stick and mallet hand beating via foot-powered trip hammers and became a tool used to prepare fibers not requiring the same violent action needed for processing Western fibers. The Western-style trip hammers, powered by water wheels, also evolved from foot-powered trip hammers, remaining similar in design, and enabled tough, woven fibers, such as cotton (a seed hair fiber) and flax (a bast fiber), to be processed effectively. Eastern stampers work well for many indigenous fibers found worldwide. Any fiber which can be processed by hand after cooking can be processed with a stamper. It can be worth the wait to process tough fibers, despite their long beating times (sometimes as much as twelve hours), as beautiful papers can be produced with the finesse achieved only by means of a stamper. The beating action works well on the group of fibers from the inner bark layers of herbaceous dicots, commonly called bast fibers. Kozo, gampi, and mitsumata are from this group. Flax, hemp, jute, ramie, and nettles are other examples. Leaf stem fibers, such as abaca and banana (petiole fibers) as well as yucca and sisal (leaf fibers) can be processed effectively with this method. Grass fibers (rice, wheat, straw, bagasse, and esparto) are also good candidates for stamper processing. Not all fibers from any group will break down easily, however. Stampers are unique in that they help to maintain fiber length without cutting. Fiber strands are loosened so that they can be easily dispersed in the vat. The tendency is toward a high drainage rate, which helps fibers to maintain their natural characteristics. Before sheet formation, the aggressive use of a maze on fibers prepared with a stamper will ensure even dispersion. A less traditional approach utilizes a Hollander beater with the roll raised from the bedplate or a naginata to loosen clumps. (Shake a glass jar filled with water and a small amount of pulp to see the progress of fiber preparation). The use of a stamper enables one to pay more attention to other steps in the process. It also saves a lot of back-breaking work and allows the papermaker to tackle projects which might not otherwise be undertaken. In the accompanying drawings I have taken the best of traditional designs and incorporated Western construction techniques for an easily assembled version using readily available materials. The stamper has a 1 lb fiber capacity. The fiber is placed and beaten in a concrete basin 12 inches in diameter. This basin is surrounded by a wooden structure of 4 x 4 timbers, bolted together. The stamping foot is made of hardwood attached to a leg of tubular steel. This leg is raised and allowed to drop by means of a lifting collar which a cam on a horizontal shaft engages. A unique unique feature Eastern stampers is that when the cam lifts, the leg turns a few degrees so that when it falls, the whole basin is stamped evenly. The leg falls fifty times per minute. A 1/2 hp 110/220 volt motor, with a gear-reducer and beltdrive, powers the lifting cam. The moving parts should be guarded by screen, mounted on the uprights to protect the operators. Please be sure to build them on your own machine. While the accompanying plans are clearly drawn with general directions, constructing this stamper is not a project for those without carpentry, electrical, and mechanical skills. Detailed step-by-step instructions are not provided. Parts for the stampers can be found or scavenged at places specializing in power transmission equipment (check your phone book). Most of the components are available from Grainger's, a nationwide wholesale company for commercial and industrial business, although you need to be a business to have access to it. If you cannot get access directly, ask someone like a tradesman to purchase the parts for you. Bibliography Barrett, Timothy, Japanese Papermaking: Traditions, Tools, and Techniques, New York, Weatherhill, 1983. Barrett, Timothy, Nagashizuki: The Japanese Craft of Hand Papermaking, North Hills, PA, Bird and Bull Press, 1979. Bell, Lilian, Plant Fibers for Papermaking, McMinnville, OR, Liliaceae Press, 1981. Hunter, Dard, Papermaking: The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft, New York, Dover Publications, 1978. McDonald, Lee Scott, "Bast Fiber Stamper", International Conference of Hand Papermakers, Boston, MA, Carriage House Press, 1981. Special thanks to Tim Barrett for his help with this article.
