traditional HANKO

Material (typical types of stamp materials)

ivory

dutch buffalo

black buffalo

Mototsuge

Learn more about materials

Hanko Shop 21's genuine ivory is an ivory stamp material certified by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Environment Agency of the Japanese government. Ivory is a highly rare and highly valuable stamp material, as the import and export of ivory was banned in 1989 by the Washington Convention, and the amount produced is extremely small. In addition, ivory is known as the ``king of stamps'' because it has a beautiful, lustrous appearance, is extremely durable, and is said to be a valuable item.

Stamp trivia/Unchiku

Bententsuge from Tokyo?
Boxwood (Tsuge family: Boxwood family) is famous in Satsuma (present-day western part of Kagoshima prefecture), but what a surprise! Trees are also being felled on Mikura Island in Tokyo. The boxwood found on Mikurajima has large, thick leaves and can grow up to 5m in height, and is called Benten boxwood. The origin of this name is said to have come from the fact that when boxwood from Mikurashima Island was used as a material for women's combs during the Edo period, the beauty of the material and the beauty of the wood captivated the ladies of the inner palace. Masu. It seems that the dense, hard, and glossy boxwood has been loved since ancient times.

Trivia about stamps

Stamp “Inaru History Museum”…
The beginning of the stamp system and civilization.
The origin of seals dates back to more than 7000 BC and is said to have originated in Mesopotamia. Furthermore, the ``stamp'' system was not introduced from China but from the West, and there are about 40 references to the system of registered seals and personal seals in the Old Testament. ...[ Read the rest of the story about Hanko's "Inaru History Museum" ]