Are you certain that it’s an allergic reaction to the metal? Have you had allergic reactions to nickel in the past? If so, you could switch to titanium or plastic hardware. I know someone with a nickel allergy, and it showed up right away after birth when red marks appeared at the spots where the nickels snaps of a onesie came into contact with the skin.

Most violin players develop a spot with regular playing. For some it doesn’t get too bad, but for others it can be more pronounced and can get scabby or quite irritated. When I was practicing five hours a day it got a lot more irritated, although now that I don’t have practice time I’m embarrassed to admit the mark is completely gone—it used to be a sort of badge of honor for a violinist to have the mark, as it meant the player was practicing a lot.

I hesitate to join the bandwagon that pins the appearance of the mark on allergies to nickel, as I think continued pressure on the soft tissue is more often the reason, and I see the hypoallergenic trend more as a marketing gimmick for products. Players who have covered the chinrest hardware can still have a mark. I used to always cover the chinrest with a folded handkerchief draped over the chinrest and the hardware. It did nothing to prevent the mark appearing, even if I put a sheet of plastic inside during the summer. I never expected it to do anything about the mark, though, as the handkerchief was really only there for the sake of the violin itself. Over the years I’ve stopped using anything because it ultimately doesn’t seem to make that much of a difference.

A lot of players try to avoid pressure on the neck itself by using shoulder rests to move the pressure over to the shoulder or to jam the violin up into the jaw. Those approaches have their drawbacks as well.

The violin is not a very naturally ergonomic instrument. You have to conform to it rather than the other way around. As the Greeks said, beautiful things are difficult.

Quincy - If you think you really are allergic to nickel, you could try a chinrest like this: fiddlershop.com/products/wittn...rgQubmfKI

Ouch. I was gonna suggest nickel allergy too...do you wear earrings? I had to give them up over nickel allergy, even though I spent a lot on supposed hypoallergenic earrings.  The puffed up bright red ear lobes just wasn't my style...lol.

I just don't use a chinrest at all...they give me a jaw ache and I guess I never used them long enough to know if the metal parts gave me an allergic response. But it's just me...I know most people need a chin rest...apparently I have nearly no neck at all or something...lol...so I do better just with the wood of the fiddle...although when I get to sweatin' it out on the fiddle I have worried a time or too of possibly reacting to the finish, but I never have had that happen.

I've seen some people just fold a cloth over the edge of the fiddle to create a soft chin rest kinda thing, although I sure don't see how they make that arrangement stable at all. You could try coating the metal parts with something to protect the actual metal from coming into contact with your skin and see if that helps. People used to coat earring things that go through the holes in the ear lobe with clear nail polish...I never tried because I was never into makeup or nail polish or any of that...but I don't think it worked that well.

Hope you get it solved, one way or another.

You need a gold chinrest!... They may do gold plated ones? good luck. i knew a fiddler with the exact same problem, big o'l spot on his neck.

ps could be the wood also some folk can be allergic to different wood?

Yes, I have always been extremely allergic to nickel, can't wear a belt or trouser buttons are a thing too, earrings I don't wear, most of the times no jewelry at all , that's unpractical with my dog activities. But you guys make me doubt if it's the nickel or maybe the wood. The cortisone made the itchy feeling a lot better but the elephant skin will last a couple of days I think. I tried today with the cotton towel but I don't find it ideal. Must get to my luthier I guess :/ That exact wittner I have on my newest fiddle.

If you have the Wittner chinrest on your newest fiddle and it doesn't cause problems, that seems like a simple fix - just get a Wittner for your oldest fiddle. You can always swap them temporarily to see if that solves the problem. Sounds like you definitely are allergic to nickel, including the metal parts of your chinrest.

PS - I don't see anything that was said in this thread that would make you doubt its an allergic reaction to the metal or possibly the wood.

Yes, if you know you have a nickel allergy and have experienced it after contact with other nickel things, it makes sense to switch the hardware or the chinrest so that you can avoid allergic reactions.

Wittner chinrests are pretty comfortable for most players and they’re inexpensive. Be very careful about over tightening, as they can break easily right where the clamps attach. Titanium hardware is also available for switching out if you have a chinrest you want to keep. There are plated clamps, but the plating wears off with use and ends up exposing you to the nickel anyway.

Before the Wittner chinrests came out, some players would cut patches of moleskin out and cover the clamps. The adhesive would always make a gunky mess and the cloth would get dirty quickly. Plastic chinrests are a lot less messy.

Aside from the allergic response, I would just reiterate that the mark can show up even if you’re using hypoallergenic products or if you don’t have a nickel allergy. But regardless, it’s good to minimize contact with known allergens to avoid problems.

I generally start by asking if there’s a known allergy because it’s often assumed that the mark is only caused by allergic reaction, which just isn’t true.

Are you sure it's the nickel, and not the wood, that's causing the problem?
I know from experience that ebony is quite allergenic.

Imagine the sheer brilliance of music born from absolute, uninterrupted devotion. When a musician steps away from the noise of the world to lose themselves in their craft, the instrument ceases to be an object and becomes an extension of their very soul. I would love to hear the playing of some one who had the time to practice five hours a day. Such an immense commitment would likely translate into an effortless command of the instrument, flawless technique, and a deeply expressive interpretation of the music.

" I would love to hear the playing of some one who had the time to practice five hours a day. Such an immense commitment would likely translate into an effortless command of the instrument, flawless technique, and a deeply expressive interpretation of the music."

So would I Buck, so would I. Unfortunately those kind of folks don't seem post videos or sound files on here.

John Specker, wow, that would be completely amazing if he would post here!!

youtu.be/HHYevmSzWpc?si=prreq8DX521zM0LR

Imho : regarding effortless command of the instrument , flawless technique and a deeply expressive interpretation of the music, the very best!!!!

As for the fiddle spot: I'm still in doubt because nickel allergy is most of the times concentrated to the spot of contact and a little around it, but it was a huge spot, that was exactly indicating where the skin touched the wood.

Maybe time for a new allergy test...

I ofcourse don't know how many hours he practices a day :-D

quote:

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Originally posted by buckhenry

Imagine the sheer brilliance of music born from absolute, uninterrupted devotion. When a musician steps away from the noise of the world to lose themselves in their craft, the instrument ceases to be an object and becomes an extension of their very soul. I would love to hear the playing of some one who had the time to practice five hours a day. Such an immense commitment would likely translate into an effortless command of the instrument, flawless technique, and a deeply expressive interpretation of the music.

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I've had the honor to work with kids from elementary age to graduate level at conservatories from around the world at the Heifetz Institute again this summer, and it's amazing to behold the level of playing among those amazingly skilled players. I rehaired a bow for one high school student. He came back two weeks later for another rehair because he'd been practicing so much that he'd already worn the hair out (it looked like it had been played for six months). Apparently while he was performing a sonata onstage at one of the concerts, he accidentally broke out about 10 hairs during a passage with lots of chords. A few other kids commented on that moment. He told me he practiced 10 hours a day. It showed.

While I was sitting in the dining hall, I looked around at the participants, and just about every violinist and violist had a mark on the neck from playing. It's virtually impossible to practice that much without getting one. Just as the Germans used to place value on facial scars from dueling, violinists have often proudly displayed their marks as a badge of honor for the dedication it took to develop them. 

I had a 'violin hickey' once, and it wasn't caused by 5 hours daily practice.

I corrected my posture and it never came back.

quote:

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Originally posted by buckhenry

I had a 'violin hickey' once, and it wasn't caused by 5 hours daily practice.

I corrected my posture and it never came back.

 

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You'll remember Michael Harris (another RIP) , Michael had a large lump on his neck from playing fiddle. It looked like a large sist. Great swing player. 

The mark is definitely not caused by bad posture, as it commonly appears on the necks of players with perfect posture.

Yes, I remember Michael, never got close enough to see his hickey.

One night we played at the same venue, I was in the support band, of course.

I started using my shoulder rest again on this old fiddle. It seems to help, the spot has been treated with cortisone as I already said and it did not come back. I'm afraid it is indeed the wood or the varnish in combination with hot temperatures.

If you’re concerned about an allergic reaction, I would advise getting a test to confirm from a medical professional. You might mention the chinrest specifically to see if you can be tested for a response to nickel, shellac, or ebony.