Re: [Shaku] The Power of Urushi

Welcome to my world Stav. It's nine months since I've been able to play
shakuhachi. After 30 years... Also, mold got into my flutes as well. Mold
can be worse than urushi. Be very careful not to over humidify your flutes.

Peter

On 7/14/07 9:57 AM, "Stav Tapuch" <tapuch@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> 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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>>
>>
>>
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Received on Wed Jul 18 20:14 PDT 2007