Two Lawyers Saws

[condeesteso]

I understand Klaus (who makes the handles) is suffering seriously from an allergy caused by working wood. Initially it was Cocobolo but he is now affected by any wood. This appears to have halted any further production.
I think this is a serious loss to us all - my own view is that they have been producing the finest handmade saws in the World recently.
If you managed to get one (or more) cherish it, if not (like me, on the wait list) let's hope Klaus finds a cure to the allergy.

Best wishes to Klaus.

 

[snikolaev28]

Hello,

Just my two cents. My mother is a phisician (doctor, right?). She is child phisician and specializes in domain pulmonology and allergology. According to her the best way to Klaus not work with exotic wood NOT WORK anymore. Probably in the future his health will back.
But she recommends usually to her pacients (main disease - bronchial asthma) and their parents to remove all allergic things - for example carpets, clothing from natural wool, pets etc.
So, probably, Klaus need to remove contact of exotic wood with his skin?
But I don't imagine how make this.

And last - probably we should to ask Derek from Perth? Despite he is psichyatric phisician he stays in the full contact with Aussi exotic wood.

 

[Tom K]

Thats a real shame for the tool lovers of the world. Feel sorry for Klaus who quite obviously was doing it because he loves it.

 

[Harbo]

Yes a great shame - Mike Wenzloff suffered a similar allergy to Cocobola a few years back.
A great inconvenience and not very practical, but would working with gloves, breathing apparatus, fume chamber etc get around this problem?

Rod

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Very sorry to hear that - life just ain't fair, sometimes.

I don't know how practical this would be, but could Klaus and Pedder 'swap jobs', as it where? Maybe by just using temperate hardwoods, and banishing the exotics from the workshop, the partnership could continue to produce the best new saws in Europe.

 

[jimi43]

Very sorry to hear that - life just ain't fair, sometimes.

I don't know how practical this would be, but could Klaus and Pedder 'swap jobs', as it where? Maybe by just using temperate hardwoods, and banishing the exotics from the workshop, the partnership could continue to produce the best new saws in Europe.

It's funny but that was one suggestion I made to Pedder when he told me the sad news.

There is some hope yet though...Klaus is going to see a specialist so there may be a way around this. I have also suggested the use of the more modern Rozalex Barrier Cream program which has three elements to prevent sensitizers getting to the skin...lifting them away afterwards and then conditioning the skin afterwards. But apparently despite using HEPA filtration systems...even a short exposure to the wood brings on an asthma-like attack requiring immediate medical attention.

There are very few truly superb craftsmen in this world and the team of Pedder and Klaus includes two of them....producing the worlds finest saws...in my opinion.

We mere mortals can only wait and see what happens and hope that the news is good...

Jim

 

[pedder]

Hi Guys,

thank you for the good wishes and tips. We don't feel this is the end of our saw project, but another heavy interruption. Believe us, we are happy not to make a living from saw making but just doing it as a hobby.

Changing the tasks would be funny. Klaus has made a few hundred handles to get where he is and I tried the same with the blades. It will take us years to get back where we are now, and I'm not sure if that would be funny years. I sanded a handle a few weeks ago, and wonder how Klaus stands that.

I don't know who makes the best modern saws but I do know who has the best customers! We. Some of you wait for a saw for more than a year and we yet have to hear moaning. Thanks for that, it mean a lot to us.

Cheers
Pedder

 

[Karl]

Sorry to hear that Pedder & Klaus. I use my saws all the time, they're the finest hand tools I own.

Hope you get back on track soon.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Kalimna]

Whilst I have not had the opportunity to try out one of your saws, I have often admired them from this here forum. And it would indeed be a loss to the fine-tool appreciating folk around here and elsewhere if such issues prevent you from continuing. However, your health is too important to jeopardise.
Have you considered using a non-timber material? Such as corian? I realise it would not sit well with the traditionalists, but it might be an option. (Not having worked in corian (for instance) I have no idea what the side effects of dust might be from it).
Or what about the acrylicised (sp?) wood that seems to be doing the rounds in certain tools? I am wondering if the acrylic might stabilise the sawdust somehow?

Good luck with whatever path you end up going down.

Adam

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hello Gents,

I want to thank all of you for your warming words, your wishes and your advices. It feels very good to get support from woodworkers all over the world when there are those issues, I currently have to deal with.

Right now I do hope that the beloved woodworking and toolmaking passion can be continued. The next week I've a date with a specialist who hopefully will work together with me on a solution of those problems. They hit me rather quick and surprisingly as I can tell you. I think that I've been too careless in the past regarding the wooddust problem. Please keep that in mind and take high care on your health while working wood.

Thank you another time.
Klaus

 

[CHJ]

Sorry to hear that someone who so obviously enjoys his craft has been hit by one of natures most frustrating brick bats.
So few of us have realised how devastating exposure to one of natures most beautiful and common creations can be until it hits.
As a sufferer who luckily after treatment and some rehab time has managed to live with a bad reaction that reached its climax when I handled some iroko, mainly by being careful and doing all I can to avoid dust and resorting to medication at the first signs of any reaction.

This Sticky about The Why and How of Toxic Reactions to Wood from the turning forum may be of interest.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Good luck, Klaus. I hope the specialists can come up with a solution.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

The late Alan Peters suffered from something similar and couldn't use exotics, which was the reason he became completely fixated with dust extraction in his 'shop. If you've developed an allergy to the stuff...stay well away, or use it at your peril - Rob

 

[andyacg]

A great shame. this is the first ive seen of the work this company produces and it seems more like art than toolmaking. really beautiful pieces.

 

[jimi43]

Any news from die Artze Klaus?

Jim

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Not yet, Jimi. The coming Friday I'll have the first date with the doc. I guess that the first thing that has to be done, is to find out exactly the stuff I'm reacting to. That probably will take some time.

Right now the things are getting rather worse than better. I got some attacks even outside the shop yesterday. So maybe it's not only wood but something else causing the problems. Have to wait and see...

Cheers
Klaus

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hi Handtoolers,

being grateful that quite a number of you gave me that good wishes and advices, I want to give you a little update.
The last Friday I had a longer session with a highly specialized doc. As far as it looks now, she found some stuffs, I'm reacting to. The next results I will get the coming week when the blood has been analyzed.

Downside: For at least the next 6 weeks, I'm definitely not allowed to visit my shop. Highside: She told me, that about 50% of the cases she had when carpenters or cabinet makers with wood reactions had been involved, went well. They got back the ability to work with wood - with some medication and by taking care of some rules of course.

So I do hope to belong to those 50% ... Time will show.

Thanks again.
Klaus

 

[James C]

That sounds promising Klaus, I too hope that you are in the 50% who are able to return to their craft.

It seems that you have very quickly gone from having the problem to getting treatment, does that quick turn around mean you have a better chance of sorting it out?

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

It took some weeks before I finally realized that between those asthma attacks and my woodworking was a correlation. My first thought had been, that my body wanted to get payment for more than 40 years of nicotine abuse. When I noticed this correlation, I joined the doc as quick as possible. She told me that this had been a good idea. Without medical treatment those allergic reactions like to grow very quick sometimes. The earlier you do the right step to let the docs do their work, the better is the chance to get the problem solved. That is what I was told at least. But there is no guarantee, that one gets rid of allergies even if they got soon medical treatment.

Klaus

 

[James C]

Oh well, it's definitly a lesson for me, too often I am neglecting the use of a dust mask when working in a reasonably dusty shop.

I won't be doing it anymore.