CONSUMERS : Lifting the Lid on Book of Boxes
The Book of Boxes is a gift-wrapping item you can use yourself or give as a present. It’s a book of patterned and pre-cut heavy-weight paper that can be fashioned into small Japanese gift boxes called washi .
There are 14 pages of designs created by Kunio Ekiguchi a Tokyo expert in Japanese gift wrap, paper craft and doll making. They can be folded into square, oblong, round boxes ranging from simple cubes to small standing “houses” (called ioribako ) to plum blossoms ( umetato ).
The Book of Boxes, produced by Kodansha International of Tokyo and New York, is available in the Los Angeles area at Doubleday book shops, some B. Dalton stores, Kinokuniya Los Angeles at the New Otani Hotel and Amerasia Bookstore in Little Tokyo. The suggested retail price is $14.95. If there is no store in your area that carries the book, order directly through Kodansha International’s toll-free number, (800) 638-3030.
Check the Lead Out
A Massachusetts company has just introduced a home test kit that lets consumers check the lead content in almost any household item--such as ceramics, glazed dinnerware, toys, furniture, interior and exterior painted surfaces--to ensure that the lead content is not at a hazardous level.
LeadCheck Swabs are easy to use and give fast results, detecting to 2 ppms (parts per million) of lead level in the object, said Marcia Stone, president of HybriVet Systems Inc., the item’s Framingham, Mass., manufacturer. “It’s very, very fast,” Stone said. “It detects lead in about 30 seconds to one minute.” (FDA guidelines for safe lead content in most household items is 2 ppms.)
Each LeadCheck Swab kit contains 12 reactive swabs, a bottle of activator solution and 12 lead strips to be used as controls. To check items, put two droppers of solution on the swab so it is thoroughly wet, but not dripping. Begin the test within five minutes. Rub the tip of the swab over the test area for 30 seconds, then see if it changes color. If it turns pink or scarlet, lead is present.
If it does not change color, check the swab with one of the lead strips to ensure the test was properly done. With ceramics, Stone advises, be sure to rub the swab vigorously over all glazes that may come in contact with food.
If an item tests positive, the manufacturer recommends consulting a professional testing lab.
To order LeadCheck Swabs--a kit costs $23.95, including shipping and handling--write HybriVet Systems Inc., P.O. Box 1210, Framingham, Mass. 01701 or telephone (617) 235-8743.
