Re: [Shaku] The Power of Urushi

Hey All,

I am very highly allergic to urushi as well - and interestingly enough my
reaction is limited to my hands which swell up and even crack.

Like Perry I have found that some preventive measures when handling new
flutes can help a lot. In my case I found that washing a new flute down in
technu anti-posion ivy oil remover nuetralizes the problem.

But I am really weirded out (and a tad worried) by the possibility that I
will one day develop the longterm allergy of being no longer able to
tolerate my old flutes. That must be very hard...

Stav AKA Seth

>From: Perry Yung <yungflutes@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
>To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
>Subject: Re: [Shaku] The Power of Urushi
>Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:13:08 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>
>
>Hi Karl,
>
> >Can anyone estimate curing time (end of allergenic properties) under
>humid
>conditions (sealed plastic bag, moisturizing wicks in both halves)? My
>repair person in Japan cured my flute for at least three months in a
>special
>high-humidity box after repair this spring. I received the flute back a
>couple of weeks ago and it is still highly allergenic to me. Just a
>ballpark figure -- I realize there's a lot of variables here.
>
>A thin wash of urushi can polymerizes in 20 minutes in a warm humid
>airtight box, a thicker coat by overnight. I can play a flute the next day
>with no problems. But, I do smell the urushiol vapors still present. This
>is what must be causing the allergic reactions.
>
>Because several people have had this reaction to my flutes (three in the
>last seven years), I've started to use Cortaid Anti-Poison Ivy wipe cloths
>to wipe down the entire flute before it is sent out. I don't smell the
>vapors after I use the wipes. You can get these at CVS drugstores.
>
>Since I've started using the wipes, no one has alerted me to a reaction. It
>could be that those who received the new flutes are part of the population
>that are unaffected by urushiol.
>
>When I was learning how to use urushi in Japan from Kinya, he made me very
>aware of the dangers. He had me bring a change of cloths for the shop
>because the urushiol gas can stay on the cloths and affect those who may
>come in contact with it.
>
>I sometimes get the rash during the application process, when the gas of
>fresh urushi is floating in the air. My educated guess tells me that it's
>the brand I'm using as opposed to color (red, black etc...). Some makers
>use commercially obtained urushi while a hand full make their own. These
>days, If I cover up any exposed skin during the application, I'm usually
>safe from having a reaction.
>
>Let me know if the Cortaid wipes work.
>
>Best, Perry
>
>
>
>
>"He is fast becoming one of the few Americans who make and repair
>shakuhachi" - Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin, Grandmaster
>http://www.yungflutes.com
>"Three extremely talented young Asian American men." - New York Times
>http://www.slantperformancegroup.com
>
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Received on Sat Jul 14 13:32 PDT 2007