Plating on a Ponzol

[housesax]

I have an old metal ponzol and almost all of the gold plating is gone- it's not flaking off though (I took some super fine steel wool and got the loose stuff off).. I love this piece it plays better now than it ever did and I don't want to mess with refinishing.
Does anybody have an opinion on any health risks of putting this chunk of brass (with maybe a little nickel) in my mouth? A killer mouthpiece is one thing heavy metal poisoning is another!

[-TH]

I have an old metal ponzol and almost all of the gold plating is gone- it's not flaking off though (I took some super fine steel wool and got the loose stuff off).. I love this piece it plays better now than it ever did and I don't want to mess with refinishing.
Does anybody have an opinion on any health risks of putting this chunk of brass (with maybe a little nickel) in my mouth? A killer mouthpiece is one thing heavy metal poisoning is another!

Use the seach button (try "brass poisoning"). There are lots of threads about this matter. I remember reading somewhere that brass is toxic as dust but not in solid form.

[gary]

For anyone who might be interested, Peter is coming out with a Stainless Steel model. Stainless steel is said to be the safest metal to be putting into your mouth, at least as far as metal mouthpieces go.

[heath]

You can already buy the stainless steel Ponzols from Junkdude.

They run about $400 if my memory serves me correct.

[wersax]

I am interested in seeing the new SS Ponzols with their "new design".

http://www.peterponzol.com/

[heath]

https://www.junkdude.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id_product=1147

The above link will show pictures of the SS vintage model.

[whaler]

I have an old metal ponzol and almost all of the gold plating is gone- it's not flaking off though (I took some super fine steel wool and got the loose stuff off).. I love this piece it plays better now than it ever did and I don't want to mess with refinishing.
Does anybody have an opinion on any health risks of putting this chunk of brass (with maybe a little nickel) in my mouth? A killer mouthpiece is one thing heavy metal poisoning is another!

From what I've seen in past posts about this, the oxidation protects you from really coming into the bare brass.
I had a vintage Dukoff re-plated one time and it played ok until I let Wolfe Tayne (Tannenbaum) put a biteplate on it and he screwed up the tip with a dremel. Always felt he did it on purpose to get me to buy on of his crappy mouthpieces. Needless to say, after that experience, I'll never bother to get a good playing mouthpiece re-plated again.

[wersax]

https://www.junkdude.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id_product=1147

The above link will show pictures of the SS vintage model.

Cool; thanks, Heath!