Alba grade Ceylon Cinnamon peeling: brass rod rubbing (Kochchiya) and feathering physics?

The artisanal production of Alba—the highest, most expensive commercial grade of true Ceylon cinnamon—demands strict metallurgical and physical protocols. Peeler artisans use smooth brass rods or rounded brass knives (Kochchiya) to firmly rub harvested stems. Brass does not oxidize or react with volatile cinnamaldehyde, whereas steel blades release iron ions that blacken and discolor the delicate inner phloem bark. The peeler slices paper-thin layers of sub-cambium, nesting small flakes inside a continuous outer casing like a fine cigar. The tube shrinks around concentric inner layers on wooden drying racks indoors, curing into a dense, fragrant quill with a diameter under 6mm.