Sitaram Saraf

Hand Made Shellac is a traditional, artisan-crafted form of shellac produced through a meticulous manual process that has been passed down for generations. The process begins with Seedlac, which is packed into long cloth bags. One end of the bag is held over a charcoal fire to gently melt the resin, while the other end is twisted, forcing the molten lac to filter out through the cloth, leaving behind most impurities and wax. The clean, hot lac is then collected, manually stretched, and pressed into thin sheets or molded into buttons—depending on the desired grade.

This handcrafted method allows for greater flexibility in tailoring the quality and characteristics of the shellac, producing various grades such as Lemon One, Standard One, Superior Kusmi, and others. The impurity content in hand made shellac usually ranges from 0.75% to 1.5%, depending on the grade.

Renowned for its natural origin, biodegradable nature, and unique aesthetic appeal, hand made shellac is widely used in wood finishing, musical instruments, art restoration, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Its warm tone, excellent adhesion, and polishability make it particularly prized by craftsmen, restorers, and finishers looking for authentic and time-tested materials.

Despite being labor-intensive, the hand made process preserves the organic integrity and traditional values of shellac, keeping alive a sustainable, eco-friendly craft that continues to find relevance in modern industries across the globe.