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Metal Bracket Loop Thumb Makes For Calloused Skin


edvasicek

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My "calloused skin" problem may be due to the way I hold the concertina, and it seems to be worse when I play music written in the key of Bflat -- I think because so many notes are on the "pull."

 

As I hang onto the concertina, it seems some of its weight is handled by my right thumb, near the joint.

As it rubs against the metal bracket loop that holds the strap, it creates a calloused condition.

 

My wife wrapped some thin yarn around the metal loops, but it keeps moving. As long as it is in place, it seems to help the situation.

 

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem (misery loves company) and if anyone has come up with a good way to pad that metal loop (why reinvent the wheel?).

 

Ideas appreciated.

Edited by edvasicek
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  • 1 month later...

Can't really offer any suggestions, but I can commiserate. I have similar problems myself. The wire loop digs into the base of my right thumb if I play sitting down (with the instrument resting on my right knee), but not if I stand up. I don't have the same problem with my main instrument (actually a duet, but similar hand strap) because it's designed with the adjustment at the other end of the hand rest. I've seen a few other instruments made that way, so presumably discomfort from the wire loop is, at least to some extent, a recognised problem.

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I find that the discomfort I have in this area isn't contact with the metal loop, but rather the skin near my thumb knuckle gets pinched between the strap and the side of the wooden palm rest after the strap emerges front the loop on its way to the back of my hand.  It's most evident when I play my Beaumont duet in Bb because my hand moves thumbward to play on that side of the keyboard.  Could this be your problem as well? 

And if so, I can't offer a perfect solution, because I haven't addressed the issue as yet.  However, if it annoys me enough to fix it, I would probably put a screw through the strap into the side of the palm rest.  That would make the adjustment mechanism non-functional, but I don't change it any longer as the strap is where I want it.

If it IS the loop, that same screw could be used, and the loop removed.  If you ever wanted to adjust it a bit, leave a bit of the leather so the screw could use another hole.  You might not want to modify a valuable antique, but a new wrist strap and some filler for the hole that would lie under the new strap would set it all back to factory specs. 

Daniel 

Edited by W3DW
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