In the past month a half dozen boxes containing shakuhachi for repair have
been received here. Every single one of them has been packaged to the point
of more than double overkill. Example: a 55 centimeter long flute weighing
253 grams packaged in a box 50 cm x 50 cm x 40 cm deep box, stuffed with
those foam peanuts, weighing in at 1194 grams and costing US$29.10 to send.
The same thing could have been done in a package with no peanuts, the whole
thing weighing less than 300 grams, costing proportionally less to send.
Competently made shakuhachi are quite durable and have been known to survive
a three story drop onto a concrete slab and then being run over by a car
with only minor surface damage. No shakuhachi that has been delivered from
here has ever been reported damaged during transit.
Suggestion: Wrap each piece of the flute in a half sheet of newspaper, put
them in a plastic bag and squeeze out the air, wrap that in another two
sheets of newspaper and, finally, wrap tightly in one layer of cardboard and
tape closed. As long as the shakuhachi doesn't move around in it's
container it will arrive anywhere, even on the moon, just fine.
Tom Deaver
Bei Shu Shakuhachi Workshop
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~shaku100/
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