Hitch Pins

[Les Smith]

It is not my intention to step on any toes or offend anyone, however
in regards to hitch pins, cast iron has always been the material of
choice by manufacturers, just as long as they've been using cast iron
plates in pianos. The hitch pins are either cast as an integral part of
the plate, or else they are individually inserted into angled holes in
the plate after it is cast. In either case the pins are cast iron, NOT
STEEL. And the pins are not inserted vertically and then bent backwards,
the holes into which they are fitted are angled backwards themselves. Al-
though a cut-off nail might be a satisfactory replacement for a broken
hitch pin in a piece of junk upright or spinet, IMHO it doesn't have any
place in a fine quality instrument. Steel, especially as found in nails,
simply does not have the strength of cast iron and eventually IT WILL FAIL.
So if you're faced with replacing a broken hitch pin in a fine-quality piano
like an S&S, or a M&H, or whatever, you might want to consider using a
readily-available cast iron replacement pin rather than a nail. Just one
tech's apparently out-numbered opinion.

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net