An 80-year-old Japanese chalk firm closed its doors last spring. Mathematicians who had developed an obsession with Hagoromo Fulltouch Chalk, the so-called "Rolls Royce of chalk," may have been the group most saddened by the company's demise.
The company's demise seemed to signal the end of an era, with whiteboards and now computers taking over classrooms.
Mathematicians referred to a certain brand of blackboard chalk that was produced for years by just one factory in Japan as "the Rolls-Royce of chalk" because of how highly regarded it was.
And other academics resorted to hoarding as many boxes as they could find when reports of the chalk's discontinuation appeared.
For more than 80 years, Hagoromo produced chalk, and Fulltouch was never easy to come by for people who weren't fortunate enough to reside in Japan. Then, when Hagoromo got ready to close in 2015, a lot of devoted fans started somberly getting ready for a future without Fulltouch. According to the film, they purchased dozens and hundreds of boxes, with some stockpiling enough chalk to last them till the end of their careers.
What Is Special About This Chalk?
Jeremy Kun, a Google developer with a Ph.D. in mathematics, stated in a 2015 blog post bidding farewell to Fulltouch that the chalk is durable, essentially unbreakable, brilliant and easy to see on a chalkboard, smooth as butter to write with, and practically dustless.
The chalk is so well-known among mathematicians that it even has its own urban legend: According to David Eisenbud, the head of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Oakland, California, it is impossible to write an incorrect theorem with it.
According to Brian Conrad, a lecturer at Stanford University in California, mathematicians experienced a "chalkapocalypse" after learning that Fulltouch's manufacturer was halting operations and closing its doors. In the film, Conrad and others described how they reacted to the shortage of chalk by stockpiling supplies to last up to 15 years in a chalk desert.
For those who lacked the wisdom to stock their cabinets and closets with Full touch when they had the chance, there is a glimmer of hope. Hagoromo sold the Korean business Sejongmall the Full touch recipe as well as two of the factory's original chalk-making equipment. The chalk is being produced once more under its original name and may be purchased on Amazon in the United States.
The outside has a clear, gleaming finish that feels like a thin layer of enamel. This is the first thing you notice. That may seem like a tiny design feature, but it lessens the chalk's biggest annoyance: dusty fingertips.
In addition, the chalk is a little bit thicker and more durable than standard American sticks. But I'm not an expert on chalk, and I'll admit that I didn't see any finer distinctions. Conrad stated, "It's hard to put into words, but I can feel it's nicer when I'm using it. "It flows well and lasts a lot longer as well."
The technique for producing Hagoromo chalk was given to Uma-jirushi, a sizable office supply company after the company's aging proprietor retired in March. Now, Uma-jirushi produces DC Chalk Deluxe, which it markets as a result of a partnership with Hagoromo.
A firm representative informed me that although the manufacturing process is slightly altered, clients can still anticipate the same high quality. However, the representative continued, Uma-jirushi will only produce half as much chalk as Hagoromo. These days, their main business is whiteboards.
This isn't simply the tale of a failing chalk company; it's also the tale of the chalkboard, a dying medium that has been replaced by tablets and whiteboards. But it's not difficult to imagine chalk having vintage charm, similar to vinyl records and masonry.
The company is made up of only one lady, a filmmaker who runs a side business selling chalk out of her Oakland loft. She became interested in it after meeting a Berkeley math professor while working on a movie.
On one of her journeys back to Japan, he questioned her about how to obtain his favorite Japanese chalk. Now, mathematicians make up the majority of her clients.
The firm's president, Takayasu Watanabe, declared in October 2014 that the company would cease making chalk in February 2015 and selling it in March 2015.
Watanabe, Ryuzo Watanabe's successor, stated that "blackboards are no longer the standard in classrooms" and that "the number of pupils is likewise on the wane" as grounds for the closure. Watanabe also mentioned his deteriorating health as a major factor in the closure in a 2015 interview.
Written by - Kritika Sharma
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