From natural latex mattresses and bespoke dress shoes to handmade calligraphy ink and ancient Tyrian purple dye, we traveled the globe to uncover the stories behind some of the world’s most expensive items. Our first stop is New Hampshire in the United States, where a master bladesmith has perfected the art of folding thousands of layers of white-hot steel into a Damascus knife.
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00:00:00 From natural latex mattresses and bespoke dress shoes,
00:00:05 to handmade calligraphy ink and ancient Tyrian purple dye,
00:00:10 we travel to the globe to uncover the stories behind some of the world's most expensive items.
00:00:16 Our first stop is New Hampshire in the United States,
00:00:20 where a master bladesmith has perfected the art of folding thousands of layers of white hot steel into a Damascus knife.
00:00:28 This is a Damascus knife.
00:00:32 Master bladesmith Zach Jonas is twisting a fusion of steels to make one of its trademark swirl patterns.
00:00:41 But these unique swirls are more than just decorative.
00:00:46 Successfully welding dozens or even thousands of steel layers creates some of the strongest and sharpest knives money can buy.
00:00:56 What starts as individual layers of two different alloys transforms into this.
00:01:02 A seven inch chef's knife that retails for $700.
00:01:07 Some of Zach's knives cost $5,000 and commissions can reach well over $17,000.
00:01:14 So how are swirl patterns made from steel?
00:01:18 And why are Damascus knives so expensive?
00:01:25 What people tend to notice right away when looking at Damascus is that visual pattern.
00:01:29 And it ranges from very, very bold and big layers to very, very fine and shimmery layers.
00:01:34 And you're going to see that pattern jump out at you and you're going to see the way the light plays off of it.
00:01:39 And it's going to shimmer and look almost holographic at times.
00:01:43 The bladesmithing community refers to this effect as a chateauience, or the shine of a cat's eye.
00:01:49 Aside from the striking pattern, quality Damascus knives are known to be hard but flexible and able to maintain a sharp edge.
00:01:57 To make Damascus steel, Zach starts by layering two different kinds of high carbon steel.
00:02:07 Managing the layers means more work for the smith.
00:02:10 And while high-end mono-steel knives may perform similarly, Damascus knives are coveted for their striking appearance and the craftsmanship required to achieve it.
00:02:20 After tacking the layers together, Zach puts the stack in the forge and heats it to about 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:02:35 He needs an experienced eye to judge when the steel is ready, because it's at risk of breaking off the handle while the layers are not yet forge-welded together.
00:02:44 Zach needs to consider the kind of pattern he wants to make before he can begin forging.
00:02:53 A bold pattern means fewer layers, and a more intricate pattern can require several thousand.
00:03:01 And working with so many layers to achieve his intended design means lots of things can go wrong.
00:03:06 Out of thousands of hammer strikes, a single blow in the wrong place can ruin the pattern.
00:03:13 Even when the pattern is done to perfection, Zach has to forge the steel into a knife without distorting the design.
00:03:20 And if he forges the steel when it's too cold, it can quack and he has to start over, which for Damascus steel can mean losing weeks worth of work.
00:03:32 Once he forge-welds the steel into a long bar, Zach can begin folding over the layers.
00:03:44 The layer count has the most effect on the price. The more layers, the more folding and work for Zach, which means a higher price point.
00:03:54 The pattern on this particular knife, called Texas Wind, has only 45 layers, which is why Zach sells it for just under $1,000.
00:04:04 But his more expensive knives can have 5,000 layers, and that can take a month to complete, giving it a higher price tag.
00:04:14 So you can see I'm twisting the steel with this wrench. It's got to be real hot.
00:04:20 If it gets too cool, the layers will want to shear and come apart, and then the piece is trash.
00:04:26 I'm keeping track of the rate that I'm twisting at and counting as I go.
00:04:32 This technique is specific to twist Damascus, and it creates star-like patterns on the steel.
00:04:40 Too much twisting and the steel will want to shear, but the tighter the twist, the more dramatic the pattern. And that'll do it.
00:04:48 When Zach is making a standard Damascus wave pattern, he continues to work on elongating and thinning the bar using a power hammer.
00:04:58 Zach's larger power hammer cost him $20,000, but that's just a drop in the bucket.
00:05:05 He spent at least $100,000 on specialized machinery, but this large investment allows Zach to produce high-quality Damascus knives.
00:05:15 Once Zach forges the tip of the blade, he cross-checks it with his template to ensure the knife looks exactly as it should.
00:05:25 Now it needs to undergo a metallurgical change, which is called heat treatment, and this part is hardening.
00:05:33 And without doing this, the thing might be shaped like a knife, but it won't behave like a knife.
00:05:39 It won't take an edge, it won't hold an edge, so the heat treatment is really, really a critical process,
00:05:44 and it determines the metallurgy and therefore the performance of the finished knife.
00:05:48 But it's the quenching that makes or breaks the knife.
00:05:52 Sometimes a blade will fail in the quench by cracking or warping irretrievably.
00:06:00 Looks like the blade came through the hardening process really well.
00:06:03 It's straight, it doesn't have much warping.
00:06:06 Little warps can be corrected, and I can see that the scale has blown away from the surface of the steel here,
00:06:12 which tells me that the steel has contracted and become hard, and that's what I was looking for.
00:06:17 So now this is ready for finished grinding and then a handle.
00:06:21 The grinding operation is one of the areas where the skill is kind of most important and most obvious,
00:06:27 and this is one of the things that really drives the cost. A single slip can ruin the piece in an instant.
00:06:32 The handle is also an important factor when pricing the final product.
00:06:39 Some materials, like local maple, are more affordable for Zak, but this Arizona ironwood costs him ten times as much.
00:06:48 It's also a harder wood than maple and requires more work to shape.
00:06:55 Zak designs the handles so they serve the purpose of the knife.
00:06:58 He makes kitchen knife handles slim, but large enough for the chef to have a firm grip.
00:07:03 A hunting knife, on the other hand, requires different properties.
00:07:07 It might be used with cold or wet hands, which can cause them to slip.
00:07:11 The final step in creating a Damascus knife is the etching, which makes the pattern bolder to the eye.
00:07:20 Once dipped in the etchant mixture, one of the alloys oxidises and turns darker,
00:07:25 while the other alloy resists, maintaining its colour.
00:07:29 Now the Damascus pattern is revealed.
00:07:32 But Zak isn't done yet. He needs to assess the quality of his creation.
00:07:38 I've tested the edge. I'm going to use paper for this. This is a simple test.
00:07:42 It should glide through with no problem.
00:07:46 This knife is razor sharp, with no dullness that needs adjusting.
00:07:50 It's ready to sell to chefs like Diego Moya.
00:07:53 Diego has been a chef for 27 years and focuses on vegetable cookery.
00:07:59 I've had some sharp knives, but this one, kind of out of the gate,
00:08:02 just feels like it glides through without any resistance at all. It's pretty amazing.
00:08:08 You basically, it just does exactly what your arm wants it to do. You don't have to fight it.
00:08:15 He's using a 10-inch chef's knife made by Zak, which costs $1,200.
00:08:21 I think the experience is one of effortlessness. I think you just forget that you're using a knife.
00:08:27 And I think that when you forget you're using a knife and you use your arm to produce the cutting motion,
00:08:34 that's pure bliss.
00:08:36 For this kind of experience, you have to pay the price.
00:08:40 Zak's buyers typically know the work that's gone into the knife they purchase.
00:08:44 And the skill level required to make a quality Damascus knife.
00:08:47 Zak is one of the fewer than 200 master bladesmiths designated by the American Bladesmith Society.
00:08:55 To earn the title, they must successfully produce a Damascus blade with a minimum of 300 layers.
00:09:01 The blade must be strong, tough, sharp and balanced.
00:09:06 In Zak's case, he had to take the test twice before getting the Master Smith title.
00:09:12 The knife performance test includes cutting through a 2x4 and even shaving hair off his arm.
00:09:18 But it was the presentation test that set Zak back because of a 10-degree misalignment in the handle.
00:09:24 Since becoming a Master Smith, Zak has continued to evolve his skills in Damascus making.
00:09:30 One of his current projects might sell for over $100,000 if it's officially commissioned.
00:09:36 So this is a project that I've been working on designing for quite a while.
00:09:40 It's a very elaborate Middle Eastern sword, a type of scimitar.
00:09:44 This is a rough ground blade that I've forged out of 1500-layer Damascus.
00:09:49 The demand for Damascus knives has created a market for fake Damascus,
00:09:54 where manufacturers imprint the swirl patterns on the knife and sell it at a more affordable price.
00:09:59 You can get a Damascus knife for $30, but it will not cut anything for you.
00:10:03 There's definitely a growing demand for Damascus steel.
00:10:08 When I started out knife making, it was not super well known,
00:10:10 and I've really seen it myself in the last 15 years or so,
00:10:14 as the cultural awareness has come up and people really understand what they're looking at.
00:10:18 This gooey white foam is about to become the core of one of the most expensive mattresses you can buy.
00:10:29 It's made from natural latex harvested by hand from rubber trees in Guatemala.
00:10:37 Unlike memory foam, natural latex cores are biodegradable and longer-lasting.
00:10:44 But those features come with a high price tag.
00:10:48 A king-size mattress made with one of these cores can cost $2,600.
00:10:55 A memory foam mattress of the same size costs less than half that.
00:11:01 So how does tree sap become a bed? And what makes these mattresses so expensive?
00:11:07 He wakes at 3am in Xuchitepequez, Guatemala.
00:11:13 Most of the country is asleep, but this is when latex tree tappers like Doroteo Blanco start their day.
00:11:22 We use the humidity of the morning. The more humid the tree is, the more latex grows.
00:11:29 And the heat is very intense, so it dries out and doesn't produce latex.
00:11:35 On the contrary, it coagulates and doesn't grow.
00:11:37 There are over a million rubber trees on the Guatelinda plantation where Doroteo works.
00:11:43 In the next four hours, he'll extract latex sap from around 700 of them.
00:11:51 It smells good when it's just come out of the tree.
00:11:55 The tools I carry here to work are the knife we use to work,
00:12:01 and a disinfectant that we carry here to disinfect the knife.
00:12:06 If the tree is sick, it disinfects itself so it doesn't infect the other tree.
00:12:12 And with this hook we have here, we use it to mark the line
00:12:18 and not abuse the established consumption.
00:12:21 Because remember, this year we eat here, and the next year, after here, we eat this again.
00:12:30 Doroteo carves a careful spiral in the bark of this tree, letting the sap drip out.
00:12:44 His technique is incredibly precise, something he's honed over 20 years on the job.
00:12:50 If we get in the way, the sap will suck up the tree, and it will crack and damage the tree.
00:12:56 It will form knots and we won't be able to cut it in the following years.
00:13:01 It would be a problem for us.
00:13:04 So the depth we have to work with is 2mm.
00:13:09 Then he waits.
00:13:14 We have a period of 4-5 hours of dripping, and the tree releases what it has,
00:13:21 and we manage to collect up to 1-1.5 litres per tree.
00:13:26 But judging how long that break should be is a balancing act.
00:13:31 It's not a simple task, and it's not easy.
00:13:36 If he collects the liquid latex too late, it may congeal into less valuable crumb rubber,
00:13:42 a material good for things like car toys, but useless for mattresses.
00:13:47 During the summer low season, an average of 140 litres of natural latex slowly seep into Doroteo's bucket.
00:13:58 Double that in winter.
00:14:07 They are cutting between 600 and 700 trees.
00:14:10 They cut about 3 trees per minute, depending on the speed of the worker.
00:14:16 Sometimes we get to cut 4.
00:14:19 By cutting a tree, I don't mean I can cut it.
00:14:23 I have to know everything about the tree to be a good cutter.
00:14:27 I can come and cut the tree, but I don't know what I'm doing.
00:14:32 To get into the tree, you have to give it your heart and focus.
00:14:38 It took me a month to learn, and I still do, because you never know if you're learning.
00:14:48 Everything the tappers collect then goes straight to a nearby processing facility.
00:15:00 Factory workers consolidate the morning's haul into tanks.
00:15:05 They let it sit for 12 hours before processing it in a centrifuge to separate the rubber from the water.
00:15:19 Then they wait another 45 days for this concentrated latex to stabilise.
00:15:27 This will be turned into foam through a method called the Dunlop process.
00:15:32 It's based on a 19th century process for turning liquid latex into foam and is the most energy efficient method.
00:15:40 It involves first mixing the liquid latex with a combination of stabilisers.
00:15:46 This concoction is then whipped up into foam in this machine until it's the preferred density.
00:15:54 Then workers add a gelling agent and heat the foam with radio waves to harden or vulcanise the latex.
00:16:01 Every week, about 40 tonnes of liquid latex foam moves from the processing facility to the mattress core factory.
00:16:11 They need about 50 kilos of liquid latex to make one 30 kilo mattress.
00:16:22 Once the core sets, workers wash, dry and squish the mattress core's packaging.
00:16:30 This factory produces around 600 mattresses per week.
00:16:35 These particular cores will be shipped to a facility in Los Angeles where they'll be processed into the final mattresses and sold by the company Avocado.
00:16:49 This core factory, centrifuge facility and plantation are all part of Grupo Fortaleza,
00:16:55 a group dedicated to the sustainable production of liquid latex in southern Guatemala.
00:17:01 Christian Close's family has run Guatelinda for over 50 years, only a decade longer than the average rubber tree can be tapped.
00:17:10 Workers take care of Guatelinda's 2,000 acres of rubber trees.
00:17:17 We are certified FSC. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council.
00:17:24 Basically, you have to have no child labour, you have to only use organic products,
00:17:29 you have to abide the laws of your country and different things to certify that you're sustainable.
00:17:35 The facilities are also GOALS or Global Organic Latex Standard certified.
00:17:42 Products that carry the label must be made from 95% or more certified organic latex.
00:17:49 These certifications add value to the final product and consequently, zeros to the price tag.
00:17:56 The rise of the auto industry in the early 1900s caused the demand for rubber to explode
00:18:04 and plantations to pop up in places like Southeast Asia and Central and South America.
00:18:11 But a rapid increase in production quickly led to falling prices,
00:18:15 which often came at the expense of indigenous populations forced to work these forests,
00:18:21 sometimes at the threat of violence.
00:18:24 Since then, the world market for natural rubber has fluctuated greatly,
00:18:29 usually moving in tandem with the demand for automobiles.
00:18:35 In 2010, the price was very high, so a lot of people started planting rubbers,
00:18:41 started buying a lot of land and started acquiring a lot of debt.
00:18:45 In the last 10 years, it's been fluctuating and right now, it's not at career low,
00:18:52 but I would say there are very low prices right now because of all the war in Russia and Ukraine
00:18:58 and all the sanctions being put in China and the lack of production in China as well.
00:19:04 It has reduced the commodity price of natural rubber.
00:19:07 It's times like these that plantation workers are most at risk of exploitation,
00:19:13 which is what certifications like GOLS attempt to incentivize companies not to do.
00:19:19 In 2021, the global latex mattress market was valued at $9.7 billion.
00:19:29 By 2030, that number could double to around $20 billion.
00:19:34 But maintaining the high standards that justify the mattress' final price tag isn't easy.
00:19:41 In our history of planting trees, we've been through two or three hurricanes.
00:19:47 When there's too much rain, you can't really harvest anything.
00:19:50 You cannot tap because all the sap that's coming out of the tree, it turns to wash off.
00:19:57 Second thing, it destroys roads, so you can't really transport anything.
00:20:00 And third, well, people suffer a lot when the rivers tend to grow
00:20:05 and they cannot go to work because everything is flooded.
00:20:08 The opposite can also be devastating.
00:20:11 If there is drought, if it's too dry, the rubber trees cannot produce enough latex for us to tap.
00:20:22 Workers on unregulated plantations can be exposed to harsh working conditions
00:20:27 like 12-hour days, below minimum wages and toxic chemicals.
00:20:32 Because we're keen on getting premiums, we are usually profitable.
00:20:37 So we can keep the jobs of our workers, we can keep tapping,
00:20:41 and we can keep adding value to our latex.
00:20:44 This is ink.
00:20:49 Mitsugu Okabe is kneading it until it's as soft as a rice cake.
00:20:53 It's imperative for him to be as thorough as possible
00:20:57 because a well-kneaded mixture becomes high-quality calligraphy ink.
00:21:01 It takes at least four years of ageing before these solid ink sticks can be sold
00:21:07 and even longer for the most expensive ones.
00:21:10 A 200-gram high-grade ink stick from this producer, Kobayen, costs over $1,000.
00:21:18 Like some other brands, prices can reach almost $2,000.
00:21:22 Meanwhile, almost double the amount of commercial liquid India ink can go for less than $9.
00:21:28 So why are solid ink sticks so sought-after?
00:21:32 And why are they so expensive?
00:21:35 It's January in Japan's narrow prefecture.
00:21:40 Ink producer Kobayen has been making Japanese calligraphy ink for 450 years.
00:21:47 This type of ink, also known as sumi, is traditionally sold in the form of handmade solid ink sticks.
00:21:55 To use the dry ink stick, calligraphers rub it on an ink stone to mix it with water.
00:22:01 Sumi ink is typically black, but it can also be tinted brown or blue.
00:22:06 The ingredients are simple – soot, animal glue, and perfume.
00:22:13 But the quality of these materials, and the time-intensive techniques required to collect and process them,
00:22:19 have a large impact on the final price.
00:22:22 It starts in this room, lit by 100 oil lamps.
00:22:29 This workshop has four rooms like this, where artisans produce all the soot they require to make ink.
00:22:37 Two workers are in charge of this stage, each overseeing two rooms and 200 oil lamps.
00:22:43 They carefully manage the vegetable oil in the lamps, and gradually collect soot throughout the day.
00:22:49 In Japan, this process is called "catching smoke."
00:22:54 Every day, artisans light all 400 lamps and cover each with a lid,
00:23:01 the underside of which collects soot as the oil burns.
00:23:06 But they can't just leave the lid in the same place for hours,
00:23:09 because overheating it will prevent soot from accumulating.
00:23:12 The flame must be off-centre, and the artisans must rotate the lid every 20 minutes for two hours.
00:23:19 The artisans scrape the soot off the top of the lid,
00:23:24 they replenish the oil, and the process starts all over,
00:23:28 for a total of five times a day for each lamp.
00:23:33 These lamps contain rapeseed oil, the most common choice when producing high-grade ink sticks.
00:23:38 Ink sticks made of soot from even more expensive oils like polonia, camellia or sesame,
00:23:45 can easily cost up to four times as much.
00:23:48 But artisans must also consider other details,
00:23:52 like the containers that hold the oil and the material of the wig.
00:23:56 To ensure the quality of the soot, they use non-porous earthenware containers.
00:24:02 Craftspeople in this workshop even weave the wicks themselves to exacting specifications.
00:24:09 The wick is made of a very thin core, and when heated over a small flame,
00:24:15 the soot is made into very fine particles.
00:24:22 The soot is very deep, and the particles are absorbed by the paper.
00:24:30 The ink is made of fine particles, and the colour is very vivid and three-dimensional.
00:24:42 The fineness of the soot grains determines the final price.
00:24:46 Then there's the binding agent, animal glue.
00:24:50 Unlike most of its modern liquid ink counterparts, which use shellac,
00:24:54 Sumi ink typically uses cattle glue.
00:24:58 For the most expensive ink sticks, artisans sometimes mix in other types of glue,
00:25:03 such as donkey, deer and goat.
00:25:06 Corbayen says this improves the ink's glossiness and texture.
00:25:11 The company buys glue specially made for Sumi ink, which comes in a dry, board-like form.
00:25:18 Artisans dissolve it by mixing it with 70-degree Celsius water, which takes over an hour and a half.
00:25:26 According to Corbayen, dissolving the glue slowly at a low temperature is key to producing quality ink.
00:25:55 But animal glue can have a bad smell, so Sumi ink makers add fragrance like Borneol and musk to counteract it.
00:26:03 The next step is to knead the soot, glue and fragrance into a soft dough.
00:26:25 The dough is kneaded every morning, by hand and foot.
00:26:32 Toshitsugu takes care to knead it thoroughly so the soot and glue are evenly distributed.
00:26:40 That way, the solid stick can eventually dissolve into homogenous liquid ink.
00:26:50 Once he's properly kneaded the dough, Toshitsugu cuts it into balls and weighs them for consistency.
00:26:57 Then he places the balls into moulds and uses a machine to press them into shape.
00:27:06 Improperly kneaded dough results in ink sticks that don't produce rich colour.
00:27:14 If you don't place the balls into the moulds right away,
00:27:19 it will take a long time to dry out the outside and the inside won't be properly kneaded.
00:27:32 So you have to be a little bit quick.
00:27:40 Kobayen makes about 6,000 of its smallest, highest quality ink sticks a month.
00:27:46 It employs a handful of artisans for this, and the ones tasked with kneading require the most experience.
00:27:54 It takes five years to train as a Sumi ink craftsperson, but ten years before they're allowed to make high quality ink.
00:28:04 Kobayen produces almost 40,000 of its smallest Sumi ink sticks between October and April,
00:28:11 when the cooler weather of winter ensures the glue can harden during shaping.
00:28:17 But the work isn't done yet.
00:28:22 Drying the ink sticks too quickly will cause them to crack, making them unsellable.
00:28:29 So artisans rely on a traditional technique using oak ash to slowly absorb moisture from the sticks over a long period of time.
00:28:37 They start by covering the sticks in moist ashes.
00:28:41 Each day, they swap yesterday's ashes with drier ones.
00:28:46 They repeat this process for up to 40 days, until the ink sticks are about 70% dry.
00:28:54 After, they hang the sticks with straw and air dry them in-house for up to six months.
00:29:00 Properly drying and maturing an ink stick takes at least four years.
00:29:05 The longer the sticks dry and age, the better they perform and the more expensive they become.
00:29:12 Kobayen itself has ink sticks that are hundreds of years old,
00:29:18 but as I said, the older they get, the more expensive they get.
00:29:24 You can find them at drugstores and specialty stores,
00:29:30 whether they're old Japanese ink sticks or old Chinese ink sticks.
00:29:35 They're very expensive.
00:29:38 The more expensive they get, the more expensive they get.
00:29:44 Whether they're old Japanese or old Chinese ink sticks,
00:29:48 I've seen a few million of them.
00:29:55 Finally, artisans polish them and apply the finishing touches.
00:30:01 Now they're ready to be sold to calligraphers like Sho Azakami.
00:30:06 Calligraphers like Sho traditionally prefer ink sticks to liquid ink.
00:30:13 But in order to write with a Sumi ink stick, he must first transform it into a liquid.
00:30:18 This requires an ink stone and water.
00:30:22 Sho adds a small amount of water and rubs the ink stick on the stone, breaking it apart.
00:30:27 He mixes the two to make the liquid ink, adding more water or more dry ink,
00:30:33 until he gets the consistency he needs.
00:30:37 By writing with a Sumi ink stick, I calm my mind and focus on my writing.
00:30:49 By writing with a liquid ink stick, I can write with a different feel.
00:30:54 I can understand the beauty of ink sticks and use them.
00:31:03 But not all Sumi inks provide him with the same writing experience.
00:31:07 The writing experience is different.
00:31:10 The ink is smooth and the ink is long.
00:31:20 The ink is black, so the ink is more deep.
00:31:28 95% of Japan's Sumi ink is made here, in Nara Prefecture.
00:31:38 Sumi ink production in Japan is said to have begun in the 7th century,
00:31:43 when Chinese ink-making methods were introduced by monks.
00:31:47 By the 14th century, Sumi ink use was flourishing in Japan.
00:31:53 Though its primary use is for calligraphy, it's also often used for ink paintings, known as Sumie.
00:31:59 And because Kobayen must age its ink sticks for several years before it can sell them,
00:32:05 consistent production is necessary or else its supply won't meet the demand.
00:32:10 But that doesn't mean the company wants to ramp up its production.
00:32:15 It's important to make something with efficiency in mind,
00:32:23 but it's impossible to make something good with just efficiency.
00:32:28 Kobayen strives to continue making calligraphy ink using the same techniques
00:32:33 and of the same quality as its founders.
00:32:37 If we want to continue making ink, we need to invest a lot of time and effort.
00:32:45 Even if we lose something, we need to continue making it.
00:32:51 This is a rare Ayam Semone chicken.
00:33:01 And if everything down to its beak and tongue is black, a chicken can sell for up to $6,000.
00:33:07 And its eggs can sell for up to $16 each.
00:33:11 They are incredibly difficult to find, but if you can find a good one, then you hold on to them like gold.
00:33:20 That means taking care of these chickens is a full-time job.
00:33:28 And they're rarely eaten. So why do people buy Ayam Semone chickens?
00:33:32 And why are they so expensive?
00:33:54 The story of Ayam Semone chickens starts in Indonesia.
00:33:58 But even here in Java, where the chickens are native, it still takes work to breed a top-notch all-black chicken.
00:34:05 The unique colouring of Ayam Semone chickens comes from a genetic mutation called fibromyalinosis.
00:34:12 In other chickens, only certain cells release pigmentation.
00:34:16 Fibromyalinosis, however, causes nearly all the cells in Ayam Semone chickens to release pigmentation,
00:34:23 resulting in dark black feathers, beaks, bones and even organs.
00:34:27 But this requires the right pair of chickens, which breeders in the US, like Rachel Stewart, are hard-pressed to find.
00:34:36 To start a flock, you're probably looking at $15,000 to $20,000 to get a good group of birds,
00:34:43 the housing and the feed and everything that you need for them.
00:34:50 If a chicken doesn't have two copies of the genetic mutation,
00:34:53 it can end up with undesirable characteristics like white feathers, lighter toe pads or pink mouths.
00:34:59 You want to not ever have a pink mouth. You want to have, if not anything, an oyster mouth, which is like a greyish.
00:35:07 While most of her chickens sell for $2,000 or $3,000,
00:35:11 Rachel says a high-quality rooster with a completely black mouth would go for $9,000 or even $10,000.
00:35:19 The Ayam Semone chickens that weren't bred on Rachel's farm came from Indonesia, but not directly.
00:35:25 Because of government restrictions on both sides, breeders in the US can't get their hands on these chickens easily.
00:35:31 So what you have to do typically is find somebody in a different hub, a different country, that allows for you to import from them.
00:35:38 So, for example, my line was imported from Canada.
00:35:43 As a result of all the export restrictions, the quality and price of Ayam Semone chickens outside of Indonesia can range widely.
00:35:51 This is why chicks from different American farms are listed online for anywhere between $35 and $90.
00:35:58 But who exactly is buying these chickens?
00:36:01 I've noticed that the people who purchase from us are rare breed collectors of different avian species.
00:36:09 So, imagine in comparison to an Amazon parrot. If you get a parrot, it's going to cost you at least $5,000, right?
00:36:15 So these are rarer and more difficult to create in general than even a high-quality parrot.
00:36:22 Back in Indonesia, customers come from all over the world.
00:36:28 People from China, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Netherlands have come here to buy Ayam Semone eggs from our farm.
00:36:45 Surprisingly, Ayam Semone eggs aren't black.
00:36:49 Despite all the pigmentation in their bodies, the eggs they lay are a standard of white colour.
00:36:56 Here, Anas sells his best chickens for up to $6,000, sometimes to other breeders, but mainly to Javanese locals, like Ari.
00:37:05 On the island of Java, these chickens have long been kept as pets.
00:37:10 Ari has spent 30 million rupiah, about $2,000, on two Ayam Semone chickens.
00:37:18 If you buy Ayam Semone, you get a bonus. Maybe you get a bonus from your children.
00:37:29 Some locals believe the chickens' jet-black colouring allows them to travel between the human world and the supernatural one.
00:37:39 Another mystical belief is that consuming the very first egg one lays will help you conceive a child.
00:37:48 Although Semone chicken eggs are highly valuable, breeders will give these first eggs away for free, either to couples in need or to healers like Fethiyatun.
00:37:56 Here in the Tamangung Regency, Fethiyatun roasts the egg until it becomes a fine powder.
00:38:04 Once it becomes a fine powder, it is mixed with honey and consumed by the couple, namely the wife and husband.
00:38:13 Then, it is consumed only once. So, one egg is consumed once.
00:38:19 There is no fee. We give it away for free because this is a very important and special breed.
00:38:28 We call it Tembayan, because it is a very rare breed.
00:38:36 Despite being used for healing, Semone chickens themselves tend to have weak immune systems.
00:38:47 And if a chicken gets sick, its black colour can fade and become dull.
00:38:53 But keeping Semone chickens healthy can get tricky, especially when there is no official guide on how to breed them.
00:38:59 So, breeders rely on their shared knowledge, as well as constant trial and error, to breed healthy, high-quality birds.
00:39:06 The chickens are bathed every week. This helps prevent bacterial infections.
00:39:21 The coops are sprayed down for the same reason.
00:39:24 Spacious coops help create a stress-free environment, but also help maintain the chickens' genetic lines.
00:39:32 A nurse also provides the chickens with vitamins and vaccines, and adjusts their feed as they develop.
00:39:41 Sometimes, the chickens are released to the wild, without knowing which female they will be.
00:39:47 The chickens' diet depends on their breeder.
00:40:03 In New Jersey, Rachel adds special supplements to improve her flock's intestinal health.
00:40:10 One of the things we have here is the crushed chilies. They go crazy for them.
00:40:14 Chickens do not have the ability to taste spicy, so for them that's just like a really yummy additive.
00:40:22 They do better to have extra protein. They just are a little bit hardier, and they lay better, you know, more eggs.
00:40:29 The form of protein that we use are dried soldier fly larvae.
00:40:36 They are 36% protein, and they love them.
00:40:40 Oregano leaves are antimicrobial and are super good for the chickens' intestinal health as well, so we like to add that as well.
00:40:47 So basically, they're just getting something that smells like a huge pizza.
00:40:51 In Indonesia, Anas feeds his chickens a special mix of feed twice a day to help them gain weight.
00:41:04 He also likes to add papaya and taro leaves to their food.
00:41:08 We add papaya to our food to increase our appetite, to increase our stamina, and especially to get rid of worms in the chickens.
00:41:24 We use the leaves to help the eggs hatch, so that the eggs are healthy and have a good routine.
00:41:40 And it also helps to increase productivity.
00:41:52 A healthy Oemsemani hen lays around 100 eggs a year, which is only 40% of what most laying hens produce.
00:42:00 These eggs can sell for as much as Rp250,000, or about $16.
00:42:07 However, breeders prefer to keep most of the eggs because not every one is guaranteed to hatch.
00:42:18 Some of the eggs die within seven days, some die within ten days, and so on.
00:42:28 Some are already chickens, but die within eggs.
00:42:35 So it's more cost-effective to incubate the eggs and to maximise the overall chances of getting healthy chicks.
00:42:47 If the eggs are taken, it only takes two to three weeks to hatch.
00:42:52 If the eggs are hatched, the hen must recover its health first.
00:43:01 The hen can eat more than four weeks to lay eggs again.
00:43:07 More eggs also means more chances to breed high-quality, all-black birds.
00:43:16 For high-quality Oemsemani chickens, the bigger the eggs, the better the quality.
00:43:28 But the maximum age of hatching is around seven to eight months.
00:43:37 Sometimes, the shape of the wings can affect the quality of the eggs.
00:43:49 Roosters are more valuable than hens because they have wider combs.
00:43:55 Although the COVID-19 pandemic did cause prices to drop, they've now bounced back.
00:44:03 Business is very beneficial for the animals.
00:44:11 It's good for the livestock and for the co-workers.
00:44:21 Shaving off a millimetre too much of leather could ruin the fit of this bespoke shoe.
00:44:30 To make a finished pair, artisans must carve, hammer and stitch each detail to the exact specifications of a customer's foot.
00:44:40 Twice!
00:44:42 One pair can cost over £5,000.
00:44:45 Some designs cost over £12,000.
00:44:48 So what's so special about how bespoke dress shoes are made?
00:44:52 And is that what makes them so expensive?
00:44:56 Canons of London make some of the world's most expensive bespoke shoes, all by hand, using traditional techniques.
00:45:04 Even the thread the artisans use is hand-spun.
00:45:08 You could bring a craftsperson in here that made our shoes 100 years ago and they'd be able to start work probably straight away.
00:45:16 That's Simon. He's been making shoes for over 15 years.
00:45:23 The fit is tailored completely to each person, whereas a ready-made shoe is essentially a generic shape.
00:45:29 It will either fit your right foot or your left foot, but it won't perfectly fit both.
00:45:33 The key difference is this, the last.
00:45:36 It's a wooden mould carved to the exact measurements and features of the customer's foot.
00:45:41 It's the foundation of the whole shoe. It determines whether the shoe's going to be comfortable. It's also the style.
00:45:50 He starts by cutting away large amounts of wood, then makes small adjustments with hand tools.
00:45:56 Even the smallest little half a millimetre sometimes can just make all the difference. It can just throw the whole thing off.
00:46:04 The easiest thing for me to do would be to just make a beautiful last. The challenge is to make it beautiful and actually make it fit.
00:46:10 Last making is Simon's specialty. He inherited this workbench from the shoemaker who trained him.
00:46:19 This has been in the business for forever. I believe it was with the business before he came into it, which was in the 1950s.
00:46:26 Making a last can take days. It's a constant process of carving wood and checking the measurements.
00:46:33 But that effort is worth it, because a last can be reused for future pairs, saving time and bringing down the cost.
00:46:43 This workshop has thousands of lasts, some over 100 years old.
00:46:49 We're lucky enough to have many famous lasts. We've got Franklin D. Roosevelt's, Charlie Chaplin's one, really amazing shape as well, very high arch there.
00:46:57 We also have Fred Astaire. These are very, very elegant. If they're done right, they have the character of the person, so you can almost see everyone's character really.
00:47:09 It's very fun working in a workshop. Bespoke Shoemaking Workshop has a particular smell to it. There's the oak bark tan leather. Almost everybody comments on that when they first enter the workshop.
00:47:20 The most popular material for bespoke shoes is leather. And the more expensive the leather, the pricier the shoe.
00:47:28 I think our most expensive shoe, well, they're always ones made of crocodile or alligator. They generally cost around £11,000 or £12,000.
00:47:38 Before cutting, Rhys examines the leather for any defects.
00:47:42 As I go through the skin, I pull up every section of the skin and examine it. And what I'm looking for is a blemish-free section.
00:47:50 So it can't have any tick marks, tick bites, any stretch marks, because that will show up when the shoe is lasted and spoil the look of the shoe.
00:48:02 At this level, anything like that is unacceptable. We have to have perfect skin. Often we only cut one pair per skin.
00:48:10 This leather will become the upper, the top part of the shoe. Artisans pull it tightly over the last and carefully work it into shape to ensure there's no excess material or wrinkles.
00:48:26 This step alone can take two days. It's a constant process of stretching, hammering and scraping.
00:48:36 Yasu has been a shoemaker for over 25 years. He works quickly, but each motion is intentional, bringing the shoe closer to its final shape.
00:48:51 Achieving a clean fit is essential for premium bespoke shoes. But the upper isn't the only part of the shoe that needs a clean fit.
00:48:59 The bottom of the shoe has two parts. The outer sole, which touches the ground, and the inner sole, which sits under your foot.
00:49:08 To make the inner sole, artisans cut out leather and meticulously tack it around the last.
00:49:13 As with the upper part of the shoe, artisans shape this material to perfectly match the customer's foot.
00:49:20 So this customer's got a really high arch in here, so we're going to do an insole up for support.
00:49:25 And he's also got this pocket here where his joint sits that's been added. So basically this is going to be moulded completely to the last.
00:49:32 And this is one of the fundamental things that separates ready-to-wear or factory-made shoes from bespoke shoes.
00:49:39 For each step, shoemakers work with the shoe on their lap.
00:49:46 It basically just gives you control. You're able to switch back and forth, you can change the position of this quite freely.
00:49:52 You can check how it's sitting, check the movement of the leather. I think if you've got it in a held position, you just don't have that flexibility.
00:49:59 To fuse all of these pieces together, shoemakers use a sewing technique called welting.
00:50:07 They sew a strip of leather around the shoe to attach the sole to the upper.
00:50:13 Some shoe manufacturers use glue to combine all of the parts, but Simon says a stitched welt like this makes the shoe easier to repair.
00:50:21 It's ideal actually because the outsole can be stripped off. You can just take another piece of leather and stitch back through the welt again.
00:50:30 So it's almost infinitely repairable. As long as the upper is kept in reasonable condition, the shoe really can last a lifetime.
00:50:40 [Sound of shoe being tapped on]
00:50:46 All of the time and materials that go into making a bespoke shoe are reflected in the price.
00:50:53 A well-made pair can easily cost five to ten times more than ready-to-wear shoes.
00:50:59 A ready-made shoe would easily be made in a day, if it's made in a factory environment, you could quite easily notice the difference.
00:51:08 When you put your feet into the shoe, you'll lock into a bespoke shoe. It's because the insole has been blocked to the shape of the bottom of your foot.
00:51:17 For Simon, crafting the perfect fit for a client makes all the effort worth it.
00:51:23 I like the journey that it takes. You go on a journey with each of these individual people, which might last for many, many years. It could last for your whole career when you're doing it.
00:51:36 For centuries, the UK was a hub for all kinds of shoemaking. But in the late 20th century, the industry struggled to compete with cheaper mass-produced shoes.
00:51:46 Today, there is far less demand and far fewer shoemakers. Simon makes around 200 bespoke pairs each year.
00:51:55 But the industry isn't gone yet. Over the past decade, there has been increased demand for bespoke shoes from Japan and the US.
00:52:04 Many bespoke shoemakers in the UK now rely on their international clients.
00:52:09 And Simon says there has been an increase in young craftspeople looking to learn the trade.
00:52:15 When I started, I was told by the master lastmaker that it was a dying trade. And actually, the complete opposite has happened.
00:52:23 There's so many young people now that are coming into the craft and learning about it and wanting to get involved and become shoemakers or lastmakers.
00:52:32 Making authentic Tyrian purple dye starts here, with extracting a Murex snail gland.
00:52:39 It takes nearly 45 kilograms of these snails to produce a single gram of pure Tyrian purple extract.
00:52:48 It's a painstaking and pungent process.
00:52:53 And the result? This single gram of dye that can fetch nearly $3,000.
00:52:58 By comparison, five grams of a synthetic version sells for under $4.
00:53:04 Tyrian purple can be used to dye clothes or create paints.
00:53:09 In the ancient world, it was so rare that only royalty could afford to wear clothes dyed with it.
00:53:17 Even today, at such an astronomical price, Tyrian purple pigment is mostly a collector's item.
00:53:23 So, what makes real Tyrian purple so hard to make? And why is it so expensive?
00:53:30 This is Mohamed Ghassan Nwira.
00:53:38 He's been making Tyrian purple dye in his home in Tunisia for 15 years.
00:53:45 Today, Ghassan is one of a handful of producers in the world bringing this ancient dye back to life.
00:53:52 Ghassan learned how to make this dye through an excruciating process of trial and error.
00:53:57 Because there's no instruction manual, he reconstructed the techniques he uses from first-century texts.
00:54:04 Oh my god, I must say that I have gone through a lot of failures.
00:54:09 The historical texts about the process of making Tyrian purple are very rare and quite vague.
00:54:15 You have to start everything from scratch and learn everything on your own.
00:54:20 To make the extract, Ghassan must navigate a complex process.
00:54:26 And it's this extensive labor that accounts for much of the final price.
00:54:31 The part of the Murex snail that contains the pigment is called the hyperbranchial gland.
00:54:38 The good thing is that the gland is located right under the shell, which helps a little bit in the extraction.
00:54:45 It's the only part of the snail used to make Tyrian purple, and each gland contains only a few drops of pigment.
00:54:52 But before he can extract the gland, Ghassan has to wash, scrub and sort the snails by size.
00:55:00 You don't really want all of this mud and sand to interfere with the dye when you crush it.
00:55:07 So this is the first step, and it's a very important step.
00:55:10 You really have to clean your snails very, very well.
00:55:14 Ghassan can now extract the gland from the clean snails.
00:55:18 If he hammers each shell too lightly, it'll take too long.
00:55:25 But if he hits it too hard, he'll crush the gland.
00:55:35 It took Ghassan two years to learn how to do this efficiently.
00:55:39 And of course, the snail is not wasted. Then it will be cooked for dinner. Everything is basically recycled.
00:55:45 To make the extract, Ghassan first macerates the fresh glands in cold water and lets them ferment in an airtight container.
00:55:53 Once the glands release their colorant, Ghassan gently washes and filters the mixture to separate the dye from the flesh.
00:56:01 This is the first of six separate rounds of purification necessary to make a pure Tyrian purple extract.
00:56:08 Now Ghassan can dry the pigment mixture.
00:56:12 He applies it to a sheet of glass and lets it dry under the sun.
00:56:16 He uses glass because it won't absorb any of the valuable pigment.
00:56:21 So these glands have been drying for three days. They are half dry now. They are still malleable, as you can see.
00:56:29 This is the pure colorant, or more or less pure.
00:56:32 Once the pure colorant mixture is dried, he scrapes it off the glass with a razor, making sure to get every last bit.
00:56:40 And the whole process, from the liquid colorant up until the dried pure powder, the whole mass will have lost at least 98% of its weight.
00:56:56 The dry pigment is now purified five more times in a grinding and sieving process to remove any detritus.
00:57:03 The nearly 100 pounds of Murex snails are finally transformed into one gram of pure Tyrian purple extract.
00:57:11 And acquiring enough snails is another challenge, an expensive one.
00:57:16 Ghassan can spend hundreds of dollars sourcing the snails he needs for his dye.
00:57:22 That's because finding these snails requires experienced fishers.
00:57:26 One of the fishers Ghassan works with is Salim bin Milad.
00:57:31 He harvests Murex snails from Solomon Beach.
00:57:34 Like Ghassan, Salim and his team have perfected their technique over time.
00:57:39 It can take Salim four hours to find the right snails, or he can dive for a whole day to no avail.
00:57:46 It can take Salim four hours to find the right snails, or he can dive for a whole day to no avail.
00:58:05 The most important thing in our job is to keep the weather good and the water clear.
00:58:18 The bloodmouth snail is particularly difficult to catch, and requires Salim to dive 15 metres deep, which makes it more expensive.
00:58:26 And if the weather is consistently bad, the price goes up even more.
00:58:32 Sometimes, conditions force Salim and his team to go a whole month without fishing.
00:58:36 But it's out of their control.
00:58:39 It's dangerous for the snails too, which are highly sensitive to climate change.
00:58:50 Since the early 1970s, the population of Murex snails has steeply declined due to temperature changes in the water and over-harvesting.
00:59:00 We have to be very cautious not to be engaged in over-harvesting, to make sure that the small specimens are put back into the sea to preserve the species.
00:59:08 So this is why it takes a lot of time.
00:59:10 And careful management of the snail population is vital, as Ghassan and his divers attempt to revive Tunisia's thousands-year-old dye-making tradition.
00:59:19 Ghassan doesn't use all the fresh snails to make extract.
00:59:25 He reserves some to dye fabric directly.
00:59:29 This time, he mixes the snail glands with water and a reducing agent and lets them ferment.
00:59:34 The mixture goes from a colourless liquid to green before it turns purple.
00:59:39 Finding the right pH balance in this step is crucial.
00:59:45 If it's too acidic, the wool may burn, and if it's too basic, it may cause the wool to felt.
00:59:53 So now we're just monitoring the pH. It's about 8, which is perfect.
01:00:00 This is also the moment when the soluble dye is the most light-sensitive.
01:00:05 Ghassan must cover the dye vat immediately to avoid too much exposure to light.
01:00:10 Too much light can turn the dye from purple to blue, destroying a week's worth of work.
01:00:17 When the material has soaked for the appropriate amount of time, Ghassan lifts the vat lid, exposing the mixture to lightened air.
01:00:24 This allows the mixture to oxidise.
01:00:27 And this is how the colour will gradually start to develop.
01:00:31 But one round of vat dyeing won't always do the trick. Like with this silk scarf.
01:00:37 It took me like eight months to produce, and it required like 800 pounds of fresh snails. And this is still not completed.
01:00:46 And it's not always guaranteed that the colour will come out the same shade.
01:00:50 Historically speaking, there isn't a single hue or shade of Tyrian purple.
01:00:55 It's a range of shades that ranges from the colour of clotted blood to the colour of red purple.
01:01:00 This range is the result of mixing three different subspecies of Murex snails.
01:01:05 Hexaplex trunculus, which produces a violet-blue colour.
01:01:09 Bolinus brandaris, which secretes the colour of clotted blood.
01:01:14 And the bloodmouth, or Stromonitor humastima, which releases a rich red-purple colour.
01:01:20 Tyrian purple dye dates back to the Bronze Age, and is named after the Phoenician city of Tyre.
01:01:27 Some historians believe it was produced as early as the 21st century BC.
01:01:32 Ancient civilisations from Phoenicia to the Carthaginian and Roman Empires prospered by producing and trading this dye.
01:01:42 One of the production sites was Meninx, on the island of Jerba, which is now an archaeological site.
01:01:48 A text from the 4th century states that a single pound of Tyrian purple dye costs three pounds of gold.
01:02:09 But production of this dye came to a screeching halt in the 15th century, after the fall of the Byzantine Empire.
01:02:15 Ali says he's grateful that Ghusin is reviving this culturally valuable dye, so Tunisians can reconnect with their ancestry.
01:02:38 Ghusin learned about the dye at the age of 14, and was enthralled by its history in Carthage.
01:02:44 Over a decade later, he found a Murex snail on the shore, oozing purple.
01:02:49 Now he hopes to ramp up his production, offering more shades of pigment.
01:03:07 Well, of course my dream is to enlarge this project and to create an old-fashioned dye factory and to produce more.
01:03:15 But as I said, the main concern should always be to preserve the species, because if there is no Murex, there is no dye.
01:03:22 To make a Patan Patola Sari, each section of each bundle of silk is meticulously dyed a specific colour.
01:03:35 But it's only when the threads are woven together and the pattern is revealed, that artisans will know if their mathematical precision worked.
01:03:43 Most other saris are embroidered during weaving, but the intricate designs in Patan Patola are dyed directly onto the silk.
01:03:52 So any mistake artisans make is irreversible, risking months worth of work.
01:03:59 When it's complete, which can take over a year, a Patan Patola Sari can cost over $8,000.
01:04:07 So why does it take so long to make a Patan Patola Sari? And what makes it so expensive?
01:04:16 In the Indian state of Gujarat, the Salvi family's company, Patola House, is one of only a handful of producers of authentic Patan Patola.
01:04:29 Because of the time-intensive process, Patola House makes an average of only 15 Patola Saris a month.
01:04:37 Even among expensive woven textiles, Patan Patola Saris are unique.
01:04:43 Whereas most textiles are elaborately embroidered on a loom, Patan Patola uses what's called a double-icat design.
01:04:52 The weft, or horizontal, and warp, or vertical threads, are painstakingly dyed separately.
01:04:59 Only when the weft and warp are woven together will the final design reveal itself.
01:05:05 The months-long process begins with high-quality raw silk, purchased for up to $110 a kilogram.
01:05:16 A single sari requires just under a kilogram of silk.
01:05:22 These threads are as fine as hair, so the artisans must combine them to create a stronger thread they can use for weaving.
01:05:29 They clean the silk and bleach it so it is bright white to best absorb the dye.
01:05:35 Meanwhile, designers like Mehul Salvi create detailed sketches on graph paper for the dyers and weavers to follow.
01:05:43 The measurements can be as small as one hundredth of an inch.
01:05:48 It takes Mehul up to ten days to finish a pattern.
01:05:51 The sketch is passed on to artisans like Limbachiya Priya Ashwin Kumar, who translates the specifications to the warp and weft threads.
01:06:13 She does this by marking the different sections onto the silk with a single string dipped in coal.
01:06:20 Priya says this is the most challenging part of her work.
01:06:26 When she's done, Priya prepares the threads for resist dyeing.
01:06:39 She tightly wraps cotton string around certain sections of the silk thread according to her markings.
01:06:44 Priya covers the parts that shouldn't be dyed, leaving only the parts that will be dyed exposed.
01:06:51 Multiple layers of tightly wound cotton thread ensure that liquid cannot get through.
01:06:58 I hold the thread like this, but it shouldn't move.
01:07:02 The thread should stay in this position.
01:07:05 If I do this, it will make a noise.
01:07:10 If it doesn't make a noise, we will know that we have tied the thread loosely.
01:07:16 Dyeing the threads is the most time-consuming part of the process,
01:07:22 taking several months to over a year to complete, depending on the complexity of the design.
01:07:27 The background colour, usually red, is dyed first.
01:07:31 The thread must dry completely before another colour can be added,
01:07:35 and Patola House says its sarees typically have at least five colours.
01:07:40 More complex designs can have even more.
01:07:44 When we tie the threads,
01:07:47 we have to make sure that the threads are of the same size,
01:07:52 and that the bunches are of the same size.
01:07:55 There are 300 threads in a bunch.
01:07:58 So, the colours should be in the same place, in the same thread.
01:08:02 That's the most challenging part.
01:08:05 The dyed sections are wrapped, while the parts that need to be coloured next are unravelled,
01:08:12 and the cycle repeats.
01:08:14 Once all the colours have been dyed,
01:08:40 it takes a team of five people two days to detangle the knots and prepare the silk for weaving.
01:08:46 The looms used for Potan Patola are unique.
01:08:56 Whereas most looms stand upright and can be operated by a single person with a foot pedal,
01:09:01 Potan Patola requires a slanted hanging loom and two workers to operate it.
01:09:08 Hanging looms allow more light to pass,
01:09:10 so the weavers can keep a close eye on the design.
01:09:14 To weave just six inches, they must work for two and a half hours.
01:09:22 If the tension in the threads is too tight, the threads will move upwards,
01:09:27 and if it's too loose, they'll move downwards, compromising the accuracy of the design.
01:09:35 So every six inches, weavers pause to adjust the tension of the threads using ballpoint needles,
01:09:41 which takes another two and a half hours.
01:09:44 Then they spend the same amount of time ensuring the warp and weft match perfectly before continuing.
01:09:50 That's almost eight hours of work for only six inches of Potan Patola.
01:09:55 A Potan Patola saree is typically 5.5 metres long and a little over a metre wide.
01:10:03 But in this process, the threads can break.
01:10:06 The weaving process takes about a month to finish.
01:10:26 A design with a lot of repetition is easier to make and can be finished in as little as four months.
01:10:32 These designs usually cost slightly over $1,500.
01:10:36 But more complex designs with no repeating patterns can take a year and a half and go for over $8,500.
01:10:45 But over the years, Mehul says, costs of production have increased.
01:10:53 If you look at labour, the salary we used to pay has doubled.
01:10:59 So everything has improved.
01:11:02 Before COVID-19, Patola House would buy silk for $73 a kilogram, but now it pays $110.
01:11:11 And the dyes it uses aren't cheap either.
01:11:15 Some cost $24 a kilogram, while others cost over $120.
01:11:21 And imported dyes like indigo can cost the company over $300 a kilo.
01:11:27 Patola House produces Potan Patola the same way it was done centuries ago, by hand, with no mechanisation.
01:11:38 Though there are conflicting origin stories for the fabric, it's believed to have gained importance in India between the 11th and 13th centuries.
01:11:48 The Rani Kuvav stepwell, built in the 11th century in Patan, depicts traditional Patan Patola designs.
01:11:54 These saris were a status symbol, worn by aristocrats and royalty.
01:11:59 Even today, the high price tag means they're only worn by those who can afford it.
01:12:05 Patola House has seen demand for its saris continue to increase as the fabric is getting more attention.
01:12:11 Once a dying craft, Patan Patola has been featured in Luck Me Fashion Week.
01:12:18 To meet the demand, Patola House employs more than 250 people.
01:12:24 You can recognise a piece of water-buried crystal by how it looks.
01:12:29 Sharp cuts are used to make the design.
01:12:34 The design is then cut to size.
01:12:38 The design is then cut to size.
01:12:42 The design is then cut to size.
01:12:46 The design is then cut to size.
01:12:51 Sharp cuts, detailed patterns, or maybe even by how it sounds.
01:12:58 The Queen actually said, "I do love these clinking glasses."
01:13:03 A single wine glass costs around $150.
01:13:09 And limited edition items like this globe sell for as much as $30,000.
01:13:16 Waterford even created the crystal chandeliers that hang in Westminster Abbey and the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball.
01:13:23 But it's the craftsmanship that makes Waterford crystal so desirable.
01:13:28 Artisans must memorise hundreds of patterns, work with extreme heat,
01:13:33 and maintain a steady hand to make sure that only the highest quality pieces make it to the shelves.
01:13:41 So why is Waterford crystal a cut above other types of glassware? And why is it so expensive?
01:13:48 Edgar Evans has worked as a master blower with Waterford crystal for 39 years.
01:13:58 I started when I was 15, left school on a Friday and into Waterford crystal on a Monday.
01:14:04 He is one of about 70 master crafts people who work at the company's headquarters in Waterford, Ireland,
01:14:11 many of whom are following in their parents' footsteps.
01:14:15 I had brothers, uncles, dad was in here, so you kind of always want to follow your family job.
01:14:22 But becoming a master craftsperson is no easy feat.
01:14:26 Candidates must first graduate from Waterford's eight-year-long apprenticeship programme,
01:14:32 working directly with certified artisans at the facilities.
01:14:35 A single handmade piece of Waterford crystal will pass through the hands of about 10 master crafts people,
01:14:42 like Edgar, before it can be shipped and sold.
01:14:45 It's handmade start to finish, so it's your own breath, your own hands, all the way through.
01:14:50 Even the initial design is analogue. Every piece begins its life as a hand-drawn sketch.
01:14:57 I still go back to the old pencil and paper at the start. You have to, because that's how to get your ideas down fast.
01:15:03 Matt Kehoe, a senior designer, has worked at Waterford for 30 years.
01:15:08 I choose Waterford because I'm a Waterford man. I'm born and bred.
01:15:13 I'm always proud of being from Waterford and the fact that we had a luxury brand on our doorstep.
01:15:19 Waterford has released hundreds of designs since it was established in 1783.
01:15:26 The most iconic is the Lismo pattern, which debuted in 1952.
01:15:30 But the most popular design today, according to Matt, is this one.
01:15:35 Irish lace, a modern design inspired by traditional Irish needlework.
01:15:40 It took probably a year and a half to develop because of the shape.
01:15:43 We knew the pattern, but we didn't know the shape at the time.
01:15:47 A pair of red wine glasses in Irish lace costs $380.
01:15:54 A bowl with the design goes for $675.
01:15:57 Matt works closely with the rest of the team throughout the production process to ensure the designs fit his vision.
01:16:05 There's various 3D modelling packages to bring it to life.
01:16:09 It helps me see, even though from experience I know what it's going to look like,
01:16:13 but it helps me let other people see what it's going to look like before we make a prototype.
01:16:18 They have to be able to get into your head and I have to be able to get into their head and how they can perform.
01:16:23 Different blowers, different cutters will produce different things in different ways.
01:16:28 So for example, if I was to design a bespoke piece, I would probably go to a particular cutter.
01:16:35 Once he has finalised a design and shape, his first stop is the mould room.
01:16:41 I start a mould and I give the mould maker a template.
01:16:44 I'll say this, for example, is the Irish lace.
01:16:47 So he'll take that, he'll make the mould and get it ready for the blower.
01:16:51 There are two types of moulds, wooden and steel.
01:16:54 The wooden moulds can only be used 10 to 15 times because the extreme heat from the molten crystal breaks them down.
01:17:01 Once the mould is ready, the next stop is the blower, who breathes life into Matt's designs.
01:17:09 It's a pull stem and it's usually done by a machine, but here in Watford it's made by hand and it's a team of four people.
01:17:19 One of those four people is Edgar.
01:17:21 He's typically accompanied by a master stemmer and two apprentices,
01:17:24 who assist with tasks like creating the ball of glass the master blower will use for the piece.
01:17:30 There's no individuals in here. It's teamwork all the way through.
01:17:34 We often even socialise together, kill each other, make up again.
01:17:38 Crystal contains a small percentage of minerals, often lead, to make it more durable than glass.
01:17:46 Watford recently transitioned from lead-based crystal to a new recyclable lead-free formula containing barium oxide,
01:17:52 which the company says is twice as durable and more heat resistant.
01:17:57 It says both formulas are regularly tested and are safe for use.
01:18:02 Before they can begin blowing the mixture, artisans heat it to around 1,100 degrees in a kiln.
01:18:10 And by the time I get it to the mould, it's probably 400 or 500 degrees.
01:18:15 Edgar says staying safe when working with such high temperatures comes down to years of experience and careful teamwork.
01:18:22 Edgar estimates he blows 300 to 350 pieces of stemware a day.
01:18:28 When working on large pieces like vases, he blows around 50 to 60.
01:18:33 After blowing, the pieces are put through a special kneeling process that gradually cools the glass over 24 hours.
01:18:43 Cooling the glass slowly is essential to prevent it from breaking.
01:18:46 The rims are then polished and any extra bits are cut off, smashed and melted back into the raw mixture.
01:18:54 After the blowing side of things, we'll bring it down to the cutting shop and we'll get the pattern marked up on the glass.
01:19:01 I generally, when it's a prototype, I'll mark up the glass, mark the pattern and give it to the cutter and talk to the cutter and discuss exactly what I would like.
01:19:10 Though these marks serve as a basic guide, each cutter is expected to memorise over 100 designs.
01:19:17 And the designs are far from simple.
01:19:20 Some of the pieces could have up to 96 cuts on them.
01:19:23 David Boyce is a master cutter who has worked for Waterford for 37 years.
01:19:29 He was initially part of a group of seven apprentices accepted into the programme in 1986.
01:19:35 We were called throughout the whole factory, the Magnificent Seven.
01:19:39 Like Edgar, David's father also worked at Waterford.
01:19:43 I was very interested in the crystal.
01:19:46 So one day he brought me in on a tour of the factory and while I was in on the tour of the factory I said to Dad, this is what I want to be, he says.
01:19:53 Cutting requires careful focus and a steady hand.
01:19:57 Artisans must apply just enough pressure to make the cut without shattering the piece.
01:20:04 We'd be nervous cutting the pieces, but after you've done hundreds of these pieces down through the years,
01:20:12 you're so used to them now that you can cut them with your eyes closed.
01:20:16 They use diamond-tipped wheels for speed and precision.
01:20:20 The wheel is kept wet at all times with a constant flow of water.
01:20:25 The reason why the water is on the wheel is to keep the wheel from heating up, not to burn into the glass.
01:20:33 If the wheel gets too hot, if you don't have enough water on the wheel, the glass can actually shatter on the wheel.
01:20:37 In a single day, the cutters can go through as many as 120 pieces of stemware.
01:20:44 It's important to say that all of those processes that we do, from the hand carving of the mould making,
01:20:50 to the mouth blowing, to the marking and then to the hand cutting using diamond-tipped wheels,
01:20:55 are ancient craft techniques that have been used for centuries.
01:20:59 So while we evolve in terms of some materials that we may use, we're still leaning back into the ancient craft of crystal making.
01:21:06 For prototypes, Matt makes sure they match his vision and are up to his standard.
01:21:11 I review each piece when it's cut to see if it's what I want.
01:21:15 And if it's not, we literally go back to the drawing board.
01:21:20 In addition to cutters who work on the tableware,
01:21:26 Waterford employs sculptors and engravers who can create custom art pieces,
01:21:30 like this ocean sculpture which costs about $33,000.
01:21:34 The finished product is sold in Waterford's in-house store or shipped all over the world.
01:21:40 Waterford says the biggest buyer of its crystal is the United States.
01:21:46 And one of the most prominent pieces Waterford has made there is the Times Square Ball in New York City.
01:21:54 It's about 12 feet in diameter and consists of 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles.
01:22:02 Waterford also makes custom pieces for high-profile institutions such as the British Royal Family.
01:22:09 We had no less than Prince Charles, now King Charles of England, and Camilla come to visit us here at Waterford.
01:22:18 So it was an exciting visit to welcome royalty and again they're very familiar with the Waterford brand.
01:22:24 But it's not just royalty who are fans of the crystal. Many of the craftspeople themselves are also avid collectors.
01:22:31 I have many, many pieces going back down through the years to Waterford. I constantly use them at home as well.
01:22:38 I think everything in my house that I drink out is Waterford. I don't drink out of anything else.
01:22:44 And Matt says he can't imagine going anywhere else anytime soon either.
01:22:51 I can't see myself ever working for any other company. I think designing for Waterford is something special.
01:22:58 This swampy mush is about to become some of the world's most expensive paper.
01:23:08 At first, hanji is barely visible and once it emerges from this bath, it's delicate.
01:23:17 But after it dries, Korean paper can last thousands of years.
01:23:22 The most expensive version of a single sheet this size costs over $22.
01:23:29 So what makes hanji so long-lasting? And why is it so expensive?
01:23:35 Kang Kapsuk has been making hanji for 45 years.
01:23:44 The fibres he's washing were once the bark of a paper mulberry tree.
01:23:52 Hanji is a versatile material that's prized within Korea.
01:24:06 Today, it's used for everything from calligraphy to clothing.
01:24:11 And because of its strength, institutions like the Library of Congress and the Louvre have used hanji to restore centuries-old books.
01:24:20 The secret to its strength are these long, web-like fibres and the traditional method of sheet-forming.
01:24:28 After boiling, bleaching and painstakingly cleaning each fibre, it's time to head inside.
01:24:37 Kang uses this machine to transform the tough fibres into a mushy pulp.
01:24:47 Now, it's time to turn pulp into paper.
01:25:05 Fibres flow across the bamboo frame and settle into transparent layers, almost invisible to the naked eye.
01:25:14 But Kang sees what we can't.
01:25:17 He knows the exact moment when a sheet is fully formed.
01:25:22 After decades of papermaking, he's able to produce 350 sheets per day.
01:25:30 The amount of fibres on a sheet and their direction determines the strength of the paper.
01:25:36 Moving the frame in one direction aligns the grain.
01:25:40 But the most expensive paper is made by agitating the fibres in multiple directions.
01:25:47 This is slower, but it evenly distributes the fibres, yielding stronger paper.
01:25:53 Each weight of paper requires a different amount of pressure.
01:25:59 Each weight of paper requires a different amount of pulp.
01:26:02 And Kang's experience is the key to getting good results.
01:26:06 Careful sheet-forming is important because the fibre structure determines how a paper holds up over time, especially if it's being folded.
01:26:21 Kang says this process can take four years to learn.
01:26:27 But he must be careful, because at this stage, hanji is still delicate.
01:26:32 He uses an automated pump to speed up the process, but it still requires close attention.
01:26:56 Despite hanji's versatility, the ingredients are simple – water, fibre and glue.
01:27:02 Premium conservation-grade hanji uses a natural glue made from hibiscus root, which disperses the fibres across a sheet.
01:27:12 This type of hanji has a neutral pH, which is one of the requirements to be classified as permanent paper, and it's ideal for restoring old documents.
01:27:24 In fact, one study found that hanji aged two to three times slower than paper from medieval Europe.
01:27:31 For less expensive hanji, Kang uses a chemical glue.
01:27:36 While Kang immerses himself in flowing water, the other side of the workshop is dedicated to drying the freshly formed sheets.
01:27:47 Yoon Chung-ae tears the crisp, clean hanji off a hot plate set to 88 degrees Celsius.
01:27:54 She's been working with hanji for 40 years.
01:27:59 In the past, we used to dry hanji by taking it off a tree or by using briquettes.
01:28:07 Thick hanji is dried at high temperatures, and thin hanji is dried at low temperatures.
01:28:16 We use this paper for writing and for writing on a paper, but it's a bit thick.
01:28:25 She dries paper used for conservation at a lower temperature, around 40 to 50 degrees.
01:28:32 After a lifetime of working with hanji, this process has become muscle memory.
01:28:42 Her horsehair brush is an extension of her hand, used to smooth out hanji without scratching it.
01:28:50 Kang's hanji is a symbol of the hard work of the people of Korea.
01:28:56 This workshop used to be bustling with dozens of employees, but Kang says he's had to downsize as demand has decreased.
01:29:10 We used to have more hanji than we do now. We used to have more than a hundred.
01:29:21 Artisans sell the most expensive hanji to institutions and museums that use it for conservation,
01:29:27 like repairing pages in books or even fixing sculptures.
01:29:31 But Kang says demand for this type of hanji isn't that high.
01:29:37 It's also more expensive and labor-intensive to make, since he must beat the fibers by hand instead of pulverizing them in this machine.
01:29:46 In Korea, hanji has been used for over a thousand years, but in the West, conservationists often train on washi paper from Japan.
01:29:56 And while some Western institutions have recognized hanji's quality, widespread use abroad isn't common.
01:30:05 Kang says he's stopped exporting hanji and only sells domestically.
01:30:10 In recent years, the South Korean government has started initiatives to increase demand for hanji,
01:30:16 but it will take time before artisans feel the benefits of these programs.
01:30:22 I chose this trade, but I didn't know it would become a trade.
01:30:27 It's a shame that it's disappearing.
01:30:33 I don't think it will disappear.
01:30:36 But it's not profitable, so it's a problem for the maker if he can't make money.
01:30:43 We can't just make it and keep collecting it. We have to sell it to make a living.
01:30:50 Despite hanji's uncertain future, artisans like Kang continue to maintain this ancient craft,
01:30:59 and many are working tirelessly to bring new uses and awareness,
01:31:03 hopeful that the hanji industry can last as long as the paper itself.
01:31:08 This pair of professional hair scissors costs almost $2,200.
01:31:18 When it's customized further, it can reach nearly $3,000.
01:31:25 Compare that to a standard pair of hair shears that costs under $10.
01:31:29 The main reason for this stark difference is a specialized design
01:31:34 that ensures the blades don't wear down and can last decades.
01:31:39 Artisans spend hours shaping, hammering, and adjusting two blades by hand
01:31:46 to create shears that rarely need to be sharpened.
01:31:51 So how do they create a pair of scissors that stay so sharp for so long?
01:31:56 And what makes them so expensive?
01:31:59 Hiromi Iida has been a professional hairdresser for 10 years.
01:32:10 During this time, she has invested thousands of dollars in high-end hair scissors.
01:32:17 But those made by Naruto Scissors in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture stand out.
01:32:44 When selecting scissors, professional stylists look for three qualities -
01:32:48 sharpness, longevity, and ergonomic fit.
01:32:52 The scissors need precision to enable various techniques like feathering or blunt cuts,
01:32:59 while making the experience comfortable for the stylist.
01:33:02 And they shouldn't require frequent maintenance.
01:33:05 High-end hair scissor producers like Naruto have solved all three problems
01:33:13 by ensuring the blades have only one point of contact -
01:33:16 the exact location where the user wants to make a cut.
01:33:20 When using a standard pair of scissors,
01:33:25 the hinge connecting the two flat blades can wear down over time,
01:33:29 throwing off the alignment.
01:33:31 That means the user sometimes has to grind the blades against each other
01:33:35 to achieve a clean cut.
01:33:37 The consistent metal-to-metal contact wears the blade edge down over time.
01:33:42 A damaged edge has to be sharpened more often,
01:33:45 thinning the blade further and eventually making the scissors unusable.
01:33:50 To avoid this kind of damage,
01:33:52 high-end hair scissor producers ensure that the blades only have a touch
01:33:56 where they need to make a cut.
01:33:58 One way they accomplish this precision is by warping the blades.
01:34:03 Constructing blades with the correct warp and twist requires careful shaping.
01:34:11 Artisans shape the outer blade at a fixed angle of 45 degrees
01:34:16 from the base to the tip.
01:34:18 The angle is the same throughout the blade,
01:34:22 allowing for consistent cuts without deviation or snagging.
01:34:28 Compared to standard scissors,
01:34:30 the warp and twist of a single blade is tighter.
01:34:34 The blades are not layered like this,
01:34:38 but in this extreme way.
01:34:41 By tightening the warp and twist,
01:34:44 it is easier to hold the hair,
01:34:47 and the blades are closed with the same force.
01:34:51 As with the entire process of making these scissors,
01:34:56 artisans judge when it's ready by eye.
01:34:59 After the first round of shaping,
01:35:02 the blades are buffed and polished.
01:35:06 Then they're ready to be warped.
01:35:09 Adjusting the warp requires mathematical precision and undivided attention.
01:35:15 The warp is achieved by delicate hammer strikes to the inside of the blade.
01:35:21 The high-quality metal Naruto uses,
01:35:25 a martensitic special alloy,
01:35:27 is strong but elastic,
01:35:29 allowing artisans to warp the blades as needed.
01:35:32 The curve of each blade is about 0.03 mm,
01:35:36 small enough to catch a single hair.
01:35:39 But artisans don't use any measuring instruments.
01:35:43 Instead, they rely solely on experience.
01:35:47 Next, the blade is sharpened in increments.
01:35:53 In the first round, artisans sharpen the edge to 70%,
01:35:57 and repeat it two or three times until the blade reaches its optimal sharpness.
01:36:03 But this may alter the warp of the blade,
01:36:06 so they must continuously address any defects
01:36:09 with careful hammer strikes between rounds of sharpening.
01:36:13 We will check the sharpness of the previous round of sharpening.
01:36:22 Shintaro has been working at Naruto for 19 years,
01:36:27 18 of which he has spent in the adjusting department,
01:36:30 working on the warping of the blades.
01:36:33 Even with all this experience,
01:36:36 Shintaro doesn't view himself as an expert.
01:36:40 But his skill in warping the blades directly contributes
01:36:43 to the high price of the scissors he produces.
01:36:46 In fact, the cost of labour accounts for up to 40% of Naruto's expenses.
01:36:53 This is where the mechanism connecting the blades is made.
01:36:59 It's a crucial part of the scissors' design
01:37:02 that also ensures a single contact point while cutting.
01:37:07 In Naruto's case, the mechanism is called the three-dimensional circular ride.
01:37:14 Inside, we put a bearing packing like this
01:37:18 so that the blades don't touch each other directly
01:37:22 and the scissors can rotate smoothly.
01:37:28 This reduces the warping of the center part
01:37:32 and makes it difficult for the scissors to balance.
01:37:36 This makes the scissors last longer.
01:37:40 When the ride is installed, artisans prepare to test the scissors.
01:37:44 All this meticulous attention pays off,
01:38:01 not only in the cutting performance of the scissors,
01:38:04 but also in their longevity.
01:38:08 Because Naruto's design places less force on the blades,
01:38:11 the scissors don't need to be sharpened as often
01:38:14 and last longer compared to ordinary scissors.
01:38:17 Naruto says well-designed scissors last so long
01:38:28 that some clients still bring in scissors for maintenance that are decades old.
01:38:33 But for Hiromi, sharpness and longevity
01:38:36 aren't the only reasons professional hair shears are worth the price.
01:38:41 I think the most important thing is to choose the right scissors
01:38:44 that suit your needs.
01:38:47 I think the most important thing is to choose the right scissors
01:38:51 that suit your needs.
01:38:54 I think the most important thing is to choose the right scissors
01:38:57 that suit your needs.
01:39:00 I think the most important thing is to choose the right scissors
01:39:03 that suit your needs.
01:39:07 I think the most important thing is to choose the right scissors that suit your needs.
01:39:10 Stylists request scissor types and shapes
01:39:13 tailored to their specific needs,
01:39:16 and ergonomics are paramount.
01:39:19 Some producers even adjust the handles
01:39:22 to the exact measurements of their clients' hands
01:39:25 and their style of cutting.
01:39:28 While Naruto's most expensive base model costs around $2,000,
01:39:32 Hiromi requested an arabesque pattern,
01:39:36 a design that brought the price of her scissors to almost $3,000.
01:39:42 But there's no shortage of clients willing to pay the price.
01:39:46 Naruto sells about 6,000 of its scissors a year,
01:39:51 and sales are increasing.
01:39:54 In fact, the global market for hair scissors
01:39:57 is set to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%
01:40:02 between now and 2030.
01:40:05 But the biggest threat to the professional hair shears industry
01:40:08 is knock-offs.
01:40:10 But these fakes don't perform nearly as well as the originals,
01:40:31 and producers of professional hair scissors
01:40:34 know their buyers appreciate the difference.
01:40:36 This is not a real baby.
01:40:53 It's a silicon-based, hyper-realistic doll.
01:40:59 But just like a baby,
01:41:02 it can move its eyes, change facial expressions, and even breathe.
01:41:06 Hyper-realistic baby doll producers like BabyKlon
01:41:10 spend months hand-making convincing look-a-likes.
01:41:14 Dolls like these sell for a minimum of 1,700 euros.
01:41:19 The most expensive models can reach upwards of 15,000.
01:41:24 Every last detail, from the texture of the skin
01:41:27 to the hair on the doll's head, is hand-crafted.
01:41:32 These dolls are often collect as items,
01:41:34 but they're also used in medical settings,
01:41:37 like midwifery training and therapy.
01:41:40 So what makes these baby dolls so lifelike?
01:41:44 And why are they so expensive?
01:41:47 In Catalonia, Spain,
01:41:51 Cristina Iglesias and a small team of artisans at BabyKlon
01:41:55 are making some of the world's most realistic and expensive baby dolls.
01:42:01 I started in my profession when I was 19,
01:42:04 specifically in the special effects of makeup for movies.
01:42:08 That's where I adopted the hyper-realism technique.
01:42:12 Cristina drew on her nearly two decades of experience
01:42:16 creating hyper-realistic effects for zombie and fantasy movies
01:42:21 to found BabyKlon a decade ago.
01:42:24 Also known as reborn dolls,
01:42:28 these dolls have an eerily lifelike quality
01:42:30 that allows the company to sell them for top dollar.
01:42:33 The basic model for BabyKlon's most popular line,
01:42:37 Newborns, starts at just under 2,000 euros.
01:42:41 And adding more features can increase the price significantly.
01:42:46 The hyper-realistic eyes,
01:42:48 you can add animatronics that breathe and move their mouths.
01:42:55 A baby can cost you 10, 12,000, 15,000 euros.
01:43:00 Even if you want to do it with a realistic internal skeleton,
01:43:04 you can feel the bones when you touch it.
01:43:07 You can get to the price that the collector wants.
01:43:13 But BabyKlon doesn't just work on human baby dolls.
01:43:17 They also sell infant versions of beloved characters
01:43:20 like E.T. or the Na'vi from Avatar.
01:43:23 Creating these lifelike dolls is a four-month long process
01:43:28 and it all starts with sculpting the prototype.
01:43:31 This prototype will be used to create a mould for the final silicon doll.
01:43:37 Standard models already have moulds that are reused,
01:43:42 but any dolls with customisations need to be designed from the ground up.
01:43:46 Today, the BabyKlon team is sculpting its E.T. doll.
01:43:50 When finished, it'll sell for 1,650 euros.
01:43:55 Like most of their dolls, this one is being sculpted out of plasticine clay.
01:44:00 Craftspeople perfect the folds on the skin and even the skin's texture.
01:44:06 These details are directly transferred onto the mould,
01:44:11 so it's imperative that every last square millimetre is hyper-detailed.
01:44:16 That's why this step requires the most skill.
01:44:20 Without extreme attention to realism here, the subsequent mould is useless.
01:44:26 In the process of making the mould, the sculpture is destroyed.
01:44:32 That's why it's important Eugenie works carefully,
01:44:38 because any mistake in the mould means the sculpture will have to be redone.
01:44:42 One of the main reasons for BabyKlon dolls' high price point is the silicon they're made from.
01:45:05 It's medical-grade platinum silicon, which is often used in implants and prosthetics.
01:45:09 According to Christina, this silicon provides the most durability and realism possible.
01:45:16 That's why the company is willing to spend 300 euros on silicon alone for each baby.
01:45:22 In fact, the cost of materials can reach 450 euros per doll.
01:45:30 Eugenie uses a special formulation for the silicon mixture to achieve the most realistic-looking skin, weight and texture.
01:45:39 This extreme attention to detail accounts for up to 80% of the value of the dolls BabyKlon sells.
01:45:47 Over half of the product's price is attributed to the cost of labour alone.
01:45:55 Once the injection is complete, Eugenie lets the silicon dry for 24 hours.
01:46:00 He carefully opens the mould to reveal the doll inside.
01:46:05 But the moulds don't include all the parts of the doll, like the hands or feet.
01:46:24 Those are assembled together, here.
01:46:27 Joining the body and limbs of the dolls is the most challenging part of the process.
01:46:34 You can't sand the silicon. You have to cut it, so that you can still see the lines.
01:46:38 It's a thin line, which is at the base of the silicon, so you can still see the line.
01:46:42 You have to cut it a little more inward.
01:46:46 Then you have to fix it with thick silicone on top.
01:46:50 It's very difficult to integrate that thick silicone with the rest of the piece.
01:46:54 It's a very complicated process, so that the joint doesn't show in the end.
01:47:01 Artisans carefully remove excess silicon, making sure not to cut too deeply and damage the doll's skin.
01:47:08 The realism of the doll's physical structure hinges on how seamless they can make the joints look.
01:47:15 Once this is accomplished, the doll is ready to come to life in the painting and hair department.
01:47:24 Here, craftspeople meticulously work on the cosmetic details, from the texture of the skin to the shine of the nails and the colour variation in the mouth.
01:47:35 Various changes in complexion and veining on the body are all painted on.
01:47:42 Depending on the hair style and age of the baby, we use different types of hair.
01:47:50 Normally, we use Moire hair, which is a very fine hair and simulates the hair of a baby.
01:47:57 But when we use hair that is extremely fine, like baby hair, or for the eyebrows, we use alpaca hair.
01:48:10 Because they are very cool animals.
01:48:12 Each strand of hair is individually inserted into the doll's head until artisans achieve the desired look.
01:48:20 Many of Baby Klon's clients, as with other reborn dolls, are collectors and enthusiasts.
01:48:28 However, these hyper-realistic dolls are also used in other settings, such as therapy for grieving parents and medical training, like that provided by Michelle Beacock.
01:48:39 The examination that I teach is a speciality midwifery exam, which all students now have to do.
01:48:45 If, as a midwife, we need to learn how to do a neonatal examination, I feel that we need to do it on a really realistic baby.
01:48:53 Because it's a really, really important thing that we're looking at this baby and trying to confirm normality or not.
01:48:59 So if you're learning normal on a baby doll that doesn't look normal, how are you ever going to know normal?
01:49:07 I think it's really, really important that we have dolls like this, so that it's nearly as good as that real-life baby in front of you.
01:49:15 Michelle worked closely with Baby Klon to design male and female dolls that are as anatomically accurate as possible, including clavicles and pelvic bones.
01:49:26 They're called Olivia and John because they arrived on the day that Olivia Newton-John died, and I think our technician was a fan.
01:49:37 Though Olivia and John cost around 11,000 euros together, these dolls offer the most realistic experience Michelle could find on the market.
01:49:46 And even on this you can see how hard it is to do the hip exam, as opposed to that, that's just a lot more realistic.
01:49:56 Students training on a stiffer, less accurate doll won't know exactly what to look for until they do their first examination on a real baby.
01:50:05 That's a huge chance to take when teaching midwives.
01:50:08 And it's a gamble every time because you're lovely, but no.
01:50:13 The more realistic the doll, the more prepared the midwives will be to thoroughly assess the health of the baby.
01:50:21 So basically all babies have what we call suture lines and fontanelles, little gaps in the scalp basically.
01:50:29 You can feel there, and you can feel the suture lines there, and there's a bigger fontanelle at the front that doesn't normally close until about 18 months.
01:50:36 Students need to be used to feeling that fontanelle.
01:50:39 If that was smaller or fused or closed, it could indicate that there's a problem with the brain not being able to grow because of the gaps in the head not being there.
01:50:48 But the hyper-realism doesn't end at the look and feel of the doll.
01:50:53 BabyClon also offers animatronic dolls priced at just under 5,000 euros.
01:50:59 These dolls can mimic breathing, suckling and eye movements.
01:51:05 And for an extra few hundred euros, buyers can also add a drink and wet system or eat and poo, just as a real baby would.
01:51:14 You can see how the baby is actually drinking the drink and how the diaper has gotten wet, and you have to change it.
01:51:24 BabyClon is even experimenting with AI, saying it could foster a more realistic interaction between doll and human.
01:51:33 It's complicated, the issue of AI in babies, because babies, AI is something that learns from their experiences.
01:51:40 A baby has very few experiences to learn from, so we're in a complicated situation.
01:51:45 But it will have to evolve towards digital, virtual, technological, because I think it's the future.
01:51:54 As technology evolves, so will life-like dolls and the uses their customers dream up.
01:52:02 I just didn't think that I'd ever get a doll like this to teach with, and I'm absolutely thrilled that we have.
01:52:09 So if you think we've gone, in my time of teaching, from that to that, it's just the difference is incredible.
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