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#1 2008-06-14 17:22:03
- udo.jeromin
- Member
- Registered: 2007-05-07
- Posts: 72
old urushi?
I have an old jinashi (there was a pic on the forum but the post has miraculously vanished) with Kinko utaguchi and brown coating of the bore. I assume it's Urushi in the bore --- but wonder about two things:
a) it occasionally smells (pleasantly) of smoke (not cigarette/cigar smoke, but like smoked food) after playing a while;
b) the cloth I use to wipe the bore after playing slowly turns brown (the color being permanent, i.e., it does not go away by machine washing).
So, is it Urushi? Is this how old Urushi is supposed to behave? Or did pre WWII makers also use different coating? Do other owners of old instruments make similar observations?
udo.
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#2 2008-06-14 22:24:47
- Jeff Cairns
- teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
- From: Kumamoto, Japan
- Registered: 2005-10-10
- Posts: 517
- Website
Re: old urushi?
Udo,
I seems unlikely that what you are wiping out of the bore is old urushi. The fact that there is a residual smell of smoke seems to suggest that another method of sealing the inside of the bore may have been used. Occasionally, an extract from persimmon trees is used rather than or along with urushi called kakishibu. It acts to seal the inside of the bore and was often used when urushi caused the maker to suffer from allergic consequences. Kakishibu doesn't have a smoky characteristic though. It's also possible that the inside of the bore was burnt. This is a technique that was used largely to seal and protect wood that was exposed to the elements and is still considered by some to be superior to any man-made coatings. I suppose that it's possible that a practical person with sensitivity to urushi may have done this (with some difficulty) to the bore to seal it. This is all speculation of course and probably more knowledgeable folks can better comment.
shakuhachi flute
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#3 2008-06-15 09:22:51
Re: old urushi?
Hi Jeff
That's interesting. If the maker had some allergy, then would they use only Kakishibu? Or did using both help balance the urushi?
Does Kakishibu leave it shiny?
Fascinating. Thank you.
Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/
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#4 2008-06-15 15:41:26
- udo.jeromin
- Member
- Registered: 2007-05-07
- Posts: 72
Re: old urushi?
Hi Jeff,
that's very interesting information --- thanks a lot!
I seem to find next to no information on the web about kakishibu or the tree it comes from. Do you have any hints where to get more info?
However (digression): I found an interesting listing of the traditional colours of Japan --- which are the colours used in shakuhachi making?
udo.
P.S.: The flute has burn marks and the finger holes look like they could have been burned.
Last edited by udo.jeromin (2008-06-15 15:43:23)
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#5 2008-06-15 20:09:40
#6 2008-06-15 22:47:03
- Jeff Cairns
- teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
- From: Kumamoto, Japan
- Registered: 2005-10-10
- Posts: 517
- Website
Re: old urushi?
Justin wrote:
Hi Jeff
That's interesting. If the maker had some allergy, then would they use only Kakishibu? Or did using both help balance the urushi?
Does Kakishibu leave it shiny?
Hi Justin,
There are some who have used only kakishibu and that is likely due to their allergic reaction to urushi, or so I've been told. However, these would not likely be professional makers: just hobbiests. Kakishibu is also used in conjunction with urushi as a base. I don't have many details on that. Also, kakishibu doesn't necessarily leave the bore shiny.
Last edited by Jeff Cairns (2008-06-15 22:48:15)
shakuhachi flute
I step out into the wind
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#7 2008-06-15 22:52:15
- Jeff Cairns
- teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
- From: Kumamoto, Japan
- Registered: 2005-10-10
- Posts: 517
- Website
Re: old urushi?
udo.jeromin wrote:
Hi Jeff,
that's very interesting information --- thanks a lot!
I seem to find next to no information on the web about kakishibu or the tree it comes from. Do you have any hints where to get more info?
Hi Udo,
I'm not sure where there might be info in English on kakishibu. It's something that's available in most home centers that deal with building and paint supplies. I don't really know what its historic uses are though to warrant being so commonly sold.
udo.jeromin wrote:
P.S.: The flute has burn marks and the finger holes look like they could have been burned.
I think that would likely explain the smokiness and possible residue.
shakuhachi flute
I step out into the wind
with holes in my bones
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