Saturday, March 21, 2015

Silver Acupuncture Needles



Last December I had a client request that I make him some acupuncture needles.  This was something I had never done before so I was somewhat apprehensive and worried about liability.  Knowing the benefits of the healing metals in treatment I knew their potential could be extraordinary.  Silver is quite easy to bend especially in lighter gages, so I made the first two needles shown below quite heavy.  The two needles are approximately 18 gage, the lowest being 18k gold and the upper being silver.  The picture is deceiving because they do not look heavy, but now consider that these two needles have a 3" shaft and you will realize that only someone trained in some type of sadomasochistic healing ritual would attempt to insert them.  Well, he did and loved them, claiming benefits far superior to standard needles on the sciatic pain he was suffering from.  Recently he ordered another dozen of 1.5" and 24 gage.  These needles are shown with their fine copper insertion tube.  Unfortunately, making needles by hand is very labor intensive; each needle requiring almost as much time and attention as a teishin.  Sharpening the wobbly tips is difficult and tedious.  It is difficult to charge a price for them that is compensatory for the labor involved. I think it have talked myself out of the job.  There are companies like Maeda that specialize in these types of needles and I think I will be sending most of my clients to them.

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