Ronnie,
I guess if you keep the flutes "humidified" consistently they will
be fine. Also, theories are theories, but nothing works like success.
By the way, when I mail a flute to Japan that I don't want to buy, and
don't want to be responsible for if it cracks, I usually include a damp
sponge or piece of cloth in the plastic bag. So I do use that technique
at times. I guess the danger, like Monty implied, would be in putting
the flute in a wet and dry cycle, back and forth, which would cause
cracking.
I wondered why you don't oil your flutes. You say you never have for
many reasons. What are those reasons. Peter...
Ronald Seldin wrote:
> OK, all you guys, I've already answered Monty, and I guess I should
> explain why I tell all my students to use "Dampits"...
>
> Monty's answer makes sense...
> Monty's answer is logical..
> Monty has certainly handled enough flutes to know what he is talking
> about, and is unquestionably, a qualified expert in this area...
>
> The thing is, and I can't give as good of a scientific answer, the
> flutes
> that my students have that don't use "Dampits" crack often, and those
> who
> use Dampits, almost never develop cracks...Now this is true for the
> flutes
> from Japan (root-end), or for the wonderful TAIHEI flutes from Monty
> (which I use exclusively for all beginning students)..although the
> cracks
> develop more from the Root-end ones from Japan that don't use
> Dampits...
>
> Personally , I use a custom made, poly-urethene, large case with 4
> quadrants..There is a large bowl of water in each quadrant...The top
> has
> foam-rubber "gasgets"...There is a hygrometer in the case , which I
> keep
> over 95 Degress..IN ADDITION, I use Dampits in ALL of my personal
> flutes,
> and a lot of the others (there are ususally over 50 root-end flutes,
> of
> different lengths, at any given time)...The only time I ever develop
> cracks on these flutes, are on the ones that Don't have Dampits..
>
> Of course, I realize that I am keeping the humidity "unnaturally"
> high..But, by being very vigilant, and consitant in this way, I NEVER
> get
> cracks in my personal Flutes...
>
> I never oil my flutes...For many reasons...Never have...
>
> So, in closing, again I must say that I can't give a logical argument
> for
> Dampits (outside of 25 years of success with them!), and everyone will
>
> have to make their own decisions (again Monty's argumnets make sense,
> and
> are very well explained)..But I do know one thing:
>
> My teacher told me , 24 years ago,"Take wa waremono desu"...Which
> means,
> "Bamboo is something that breaks (cracks)"..So, very often , we can be
>
> thankful for the time that we have with our flutes UNTIL they crack,
> not
> IF they crack...This is the reason that we hardly ever see a
> Shakuhachi
> over 100 years old, although we do see many other musical instruments
> of
> old age..
>
> Fortunately, here in the USA, we have many excellent repair people who
> can
> do excellent "inlaid-bindings' repair jobs on Shakuhachi, which in
> some
> ways give the Shakuhachi a kind of "soulfulness", when done well..And
> people like Monty and Peter Ross on the west -coast, as well as David
> Duncavage, and David Press on the East coast, can all do as good a
> repair
> job as top Japanese makers, and neither the sound nor the value of
> your
> Shakuhachi will suffer if you need to make use of any of their
> services
> (and they are all much less expensive than the repair-people from
> Japan!!)
>
> Sorry for being so long-winded (and repetitve), but for those of you
> who
> know me, all know that I tend to be a bit loquatious!!
>
> Good Luck to all of you, and may your flutes be strong and true, and
> never
> crack!!!
>
> Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin
>
> On Sat, 14 Mar 1998, Peter Ross wrote:
>
> > Hi to everyone,
> > I agree with what Monty said about putting a cello humidifier
> inside
> > a flute. It adds too much moisture. I just wanted to put up for
> > discussion the subject of oiling shakuhachi.
> > Everyone I know used to oil there flutes. But lately many have
> > stopped. When I was in Japan last December several makers said not
> to
> > use oil because it makes it harder to repair the flute if it
> cracks.
> > Some say it doesn't help prevent cracking at all. One book even
> says
> > oiling can ruin the sound of a flute. They suggest keeping it
> wrapped
> > in deerskin. I asked Riley Lee and he no longer applies oil. And
> of
> > course many religiously oil there flutes.
> >
> > I lightly oil my flutes and keep them in plastic bags. I don't'
> know if
> > the oil helps, but I guess I just like the way it makes the bamboo
> > darken, and after so many years it's become a habit. I feel that
> if
> > there's a chance it helps, why not do it?
> >
> > So, what do you think? Peter...
> >
> >
> >
> >
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