Get to Know your Sarong - The Batik Tools

So if you're well informed, you'll know that Batik is a traditional art medium and methodology for creating designs on cloth. It is a technique of applying wax to portions of the material and then dyeing it with colors, followed by removing the wax. We do realize that there's a lot of intricate craftsmanship being put into each sarong piece!

Now the question is, how exactly are they applying wax to the cloth? To answer this question, we'd like to introduce two traditional instruments in the art of Batik making - the Tjanting (Canting) and the Tjaps (Chops).

A 'Tjanting' is a hand drawing tool that functions as a wax pen. This ancient Javanese gadget is used to hold hot wax in a tiny copper bowl attached to a wooden handle. This gives an artist better control and precision when hand crafting batik pattern lines or dots onto a sarong material.

The 'Tjaps' are Batik stamps which are made of copper, where each stamp consist of patterns or designs that are cut out and shaped in detail. The tool is then dipped into wax and used to stamp onto the sarong material to get the best results of aligned and accurate repeat patterns or design borders.

As we continue to run about and meet all the amazing people behind the scenes while sourcing and researching for the best sarong selections, we also like to understand and share knowledge of the production processes as well as cultural references. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Read more about 'What is Batik' or shop for an Indonesian Batik Cotton Sarong!

How Do We Make Sarongs? Discover: Screen Print and Batik Stamp Methods

Are you curious and want to know what goes on behind the scenes? 

Research and sourcing is a part of what we do to make sure that we deliver the best of the best sarongs to our customers. It helps us to give value to our products and appreciate the hard work of traditional craftsmanship.

So we've compiled some video snippets of what we've learned and really want to share this knowledge to all those who are passionate about our favorite island wear - Sarong.

Watch our video to discover these two hand made methods - Screen Print and Batik Stamp.


Got questions or comments? Leave your feedback and we'll be more than happy to answer!