Kaufmann Chinrest Violin Boxwood, ZK-4257
ZK-4257
Mounted on the left side and kept flat, with a rim running all the way round. In principle like the Slim Style, only higher and with a little more hold. Boxwood in a light golden tone with the black Götz mark, the lightest of the three woods.
- Side mounting shifts the neck of the instrument slightly forward; for flexible, mobile playing
- Screws and barrels in metal
- Barrels up to 27 mm for the 4/4 violin
Technical data
| Model | Kaufmann |
| Material | Boxwood |
| Fittings | Screws and barrels in metal |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Item number | ZK-4257 |
Features
- Contact points lined with Portuguese cork
- Height means the distance between the top and the plate. It depends on neck length and shoulder rest: those who set the instrument high get by with a flat chin rest, those who carry it lower need more height
- Higher models are usually heavier. In our experience a heavier chin rest makes the sound a little warmer and darker; a light one leaves it more open
Sound and physics
The chin rest sits on the lower bout of the violin and is clamped to the rib with a metal bracket. Its clamp grips over or beside the bottom block, the wooden block inside the body that holds the end pin and reinforces the rib at this point.
The resting chin creates a hold between shoulder and head, and the violin is carried almost entirely by this hold; the left hand supports it only slightly.
Acoustically, the chin rest adds a mass with its own damping to the edge of the body through a few contact points. It therefore mainly slows those natural vibrations of the body that move strongly at these contact points, and leaves free those that have a node (a point at rest) there.
The violin chin rests we have weighed come to between around 41 g and 80 g including screws, depending on model, wood and fittings. With closed screws the barrel sets the height above the rib; violin barrels come in 25, 27 and 29 mm, and most of our violin models take barrels up to 27 mm. With the Hill fitting, by contrast, the feet are firmly joined to the chin rest.
Boxwood is the lightest of the three woods we use for chin rests; rosewood and ebony are denser. On the violin Berber, which has the same shape in all three woods, the boxwood version with standard metal fittings weighs around 45 g, in rosewood around 49 g and in ebony around 56 g. With titanium fittings the boxwood Berber comes down to around 41 g.
Our boxwood is Buxus sempervirens. It is a light wood, light brown to deep orange, and the shade depends on the batch. It darkens with age and use, which is why newly made boxwood chin rests are lighter than older ones. The wood is sensitive to moisture, so we only work with thoroughly dried parts.
The Slim Style and the Kaufmann are mounted beside the tailpiece and built flat. The Slim Style is around 11 mm high in every wood; the Kaufmann is built a little higher, on the ZK-4255 in rosewood 13 mm without and 14.5 mm with cork.
The Slim Style runs straight back and is built for instruments with a usual arching of the top. The Slim models go with short 25 mm barrels. Because of its flat shell shape, we also know the Slim ZK-256 in-house as the Flat or shallow shell. We make the Slim Style in rosewood, in stained and unstained ebony and in boxwood.
Our experience
Before we recommend a model, our first question is whether the chin prefers to rest beside the tailpiece or centrally over it. Our experience when tightening: a chin rest only needs to sit firmly enough to hold securely, because the rib beside the bottom block is more delicate than the spot directly over the block. If the chin rest touches the tailpiece, we solve it through the angle of the screws or with a slightly longer barrel.
We will try a darker re-staining on request, but the result rarely convinces us, because not all parts darken evenly.
We keep receiving warm feedback on the Slim; one teacher wrote to tell us they recommend the thin chin rests to all their students. With a very highly arched top, we are glad to look at a photo of the instrument before choosing.
When another model suits you better
Anyone looking for a deep black will find many of our models in stained ebony too, the densest of the three woods.
Anyone looking for more hold at the chin than these flat shapes offer will find higher-built models in the Morawetz High or the Stüber.
Frequently asked questions
What material belongs at the contact points?
Natural cork without coating, so that the chin rest does not slip and no metal touches the varnish; pressed cork is unsuitable because it crumbles over time.
Is boxwood subject to CITES?
No, boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is not subject to CITES regulation; the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation confirmed this to us in 2016, and nothing has changed since.
Will my boxwood chin rest become darker?
Yes, boxwood darkens with age and use.
Do you make the Slim Style for smaller violins?
Yes, in ebony we also make it for the 1/2 and 3/4 violin.
Is there a left-handed Slim Style or Kaufmann?
We do not make a dedicated left-handed version; a Kaufmann can be fitted, but it does not sit exactly symmetrically.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.
