Wheat starch paste

In Conservation DistList Instance: 10:57 (December 13, 1996),
Cathy Atwood <catwood<-a t->mail< . >sos< . >state< . >mo< . >us> writes

>I have used Zin Shofu (precipitated wheat starch) from Conservation
>Materials for a number of years.  Now we have Jin Shofu (also
>precipitated wheat starch) from Hiromi Paper.  They are slightly
>different in working properties.  For instance, it seems like I add
>more water to the Jin Shofu over the course of a mending day to keep
>it the same consistency.  Has anyone else noticed a change in how
>they work with the two adhesives?  Do you use different dilutions
>for backing using Zin Shofu vs. Jin Shofu?

First of all I should say that the distinction here is more one of
translation or transliteration or something. We just received some
Japanese Precipitated Wheat Starch paste (alternately called Zin,
Zen or Jin Shofu) from Hiromi, and the receiving report calls it by
the name Zin Shofu.

Another important distinction I only found out about a few years
ago: there is a very comparable Chinese product. Colophon Book Arts
Supply in Olympia, WA (206-459-2940) supplied the Ransom Center with
a quantity of #1 Wheat Starch Paste (Imported) some years back. It
seems to be the opinion of some that the only discernible difference
between this Chinese product and the Japanese one was price, though
even that has balanced out a bit of late. And I'm sure you know many
of us also use Rice Starch Paste?

That said, with the little experience I've had mixing up paste,
there are indeed all sorts of differences. The issue of how much
water to add to dilute paste depends on the context. A bit like how
much salt one adds to the soup--while knowing the right amount is a
subtle matter, knowing what is too much or too little is a simple
one. And not every batch will quite be the same as another--just as,
for those of us who bake bread, there are noticeable differences in
flour crops.  Or in the flavor of apples from season to season. Or
wines. And so on. Beyond confirming whether, indeed, the two
products are Japanese (and even that's a rather fine distinction)
Precipitated Wheat Starch Paste, or whether this sample comes from a
stock ten years older than that sample, it looks as if you're going
to have to chalk up those differences to quirks of Nature.

George Leake
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
Conservation Dept
UT Austin
512-471-9117

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:62
                 Distributed: Friday, January 10, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-62-008
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