Klarinet Archive - Posting 000893.txt from 2003/02

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Allergies, reed treatment chemicals?; was, Wood allergies (to Lelia)
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 22:08:36 -0500

Somehow, the word "or" got connected to the first link. Here it is
again.

http://www.argendonax.com.ar/

Hope this connects.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at 09:12 AM, Richard Bush wrote:

> Dear Patricia,
>
> I certainly can't answer question #1 below. As in many businesses, the
> farmers who grow cane are competing with each other. Those that
> produce the best product probably demand and get the highest price for
> their cane. A lot of quality depends upon how it is handled after it
> is cut. It must be dried out and then sun cured, being rotated for a
> consistent exposure to the sun. The cane is graded, sized and trimmed.
> Crooked and misshaped pieces are discarded. It is possible that there
> might be special steps taken that are kept secret, but I would doubt
> it.
>
> Some cane producing companies go out of their way to advertise their
> product as being organically grown, using no artificial fertilizers.
> Go to http://www.argendonax.com.ar/
> or
> http://www.reedsaus.com.au/about.htm
> You'll notice that both the above companies make a point of stating
> that they use no pesticides or artificial fertilizers.
> Since we have this organic material in our mouths and suck on it, we
> should be concerned.
>
> On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at 04:35 AM, Patricia A. Smith wrote:
>
>> Kelly Abraham wrote:
>>
>>> Anyway, I am NOT allergic to clarinets, or the wood billets
>>> after they are finished. I can continue my pursuit of
>>> clari-tooting for as long as I wish with no bizarre wood allergy
>>> to make practicing difficult. I just can't shred my clarinets if
>>> I have a bad practice session! ;-P
>>> I just wanted to thank Lelia for the blurb about the wood. I had
>>> forgotten about it from the post all the way back in 2000.
>>> Thanks again Lelia!
>>
>> It is not unusual at all for people to be allergic to some rather
>> "unusual" things, it would seem! IIRC, not too long ago, someone
>> posted to this list with an allergy to reeds. I have noticed that
>> some reeds definitely have a rather funky taste to them, when I first
>> take them out of the box and begin to work on them.
>>
>> I'm wondering a few things -
>>
>> 1. What chemicals is raw cane treated with before it is cut, etc.
>> commercially and made into reeds? Now, I visited the Rico factory
>> many years ago, but it has been AGES, and I cannot remember this for
>> the life of me!
>>
>> 2. Are reeds treated with any sort of "preservative" chemicals
>> before shipping to retailers, etc.? After all, they ARE an organic
>> product - they were once living things, and are subject to breakdown
>> in their raw state.
>>
>> I will readily profess my ignorance here...I used to always simply
>> take them out of the box, do what I had to do to get them to play,
>> and that was that. However, this thread made me think about this -
>> and it certainly could cause problems for someone who has allergies.
>>
>> Patricia Smith
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
> Richard Bush
> Maker of 'BasSonic' bassoon reeds
> 760 Robins Avenue
> Ogden, UT 84404
> (801) 393-7265
> IDRS member
> rbushidioglot@-----.com
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
Richard Bush
Maker of 'BasSonic' bassoon reeds
760 Robins Avenue
Ogden, UT 84404
(801) 393-7265
IDRS member
rbushidioglot@-----.com

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