Finger splint research

[cimorene]

Because of the greater than 300% markup on Oval-8 plastic ring splints in Finland and extremely scant retail availability, it would actually be cheaper for me to order two handmade sterling silver rings from this Latvian jeweler on Etsy called MedievalJewelryMagic... so I guess that's what I'll do! The sizing of spiral-wrapped metal rings is also less precise because they can be bent, so it eliminates the very real possibility with Oval-8s of having to return them (since nobody sells graduated sets here).

It's possible I could get Oval-8s at no cost or reduced cost by going through a GP to an occupational therapist, but 1. multiple appointments face-to-face, 2. the wait and 3. no guarantee that it would actually be cheaper. Plus the silver ones are nicer, I guess.

So this might be a happy ending, but two silver rings will still cost about 60€ vs about $24 US for the plastic ones.

Comments

[cesy]

Ooh, those silver ones are gorgeous.

I managed to get international postage on a graduated set of the plastic ones and split them with a friend.

[cimorene]

I mean, if I asked I think my parents would take them and mail them to me without asking me for the cost. But for one thing, there's quite a long wait involved in that. And for another, the markup is still there, it's just they've split the cost with me in that case. And the transatlantic air mail cost is always going to be large. It's why importers with wholesale usually use boats! And it's not like there isn't technology to make plastic rings in Eurasia; it's just nobody is doing it. (... Except they are - that Swedish brand - they just aren't making them available for retail sale. The whole situation is so frustrating! Last night I was like 'WHAT IF I HAND CARVE SOME OUT OF WOOD, THAT WOULD BE FASTER AND CHEAPER!!')

[cesy]

https://medimast.nl/en/3pp-hand-therapy/g-19 mine were from the Netherlands so not as expensive as from the US, though still not cheap.

[cimorene]

Oh, interesting, thanks! I was looking for ones from Germany last night without a lot of luck, but this is doable...

eta: ...although amusingly they are still the same price as the silver ones (but that's a graduated set of oval-8 vs a single silver ring... they should be slightly adjustable however) and not actually cheaper.