Diane, I don´t really know but these items that I was talking about are from here. I could probably find a retailer for you! :-) I´ll check if you want, Kristinn At 12:21 17.12.2000 -0900, you wrote: >Kristinn, > > I would love to try a piece of codskin, but we only have salmon down > here! Seriously though, where do you think I could get some? > > Diane > >>From: Kristinn Leifsson <istuner@islandia.is> >>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org >>To: pianotech@ptg.org >>Subject: Re: Research:leather covered hammers >>Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 15:10:11 +0000 >> >>Hello Diane, I´m sorry for your loss. >> >>This research is very interesting. >> >>I have never, myself, seen a piano with leather covered hammers. Only >>the OLD ones in the books. >> >>Since you were talking about the possibility of other materials... what >>about... and I´m not making fun... appropriately treated cod-skin? >>It´s actually becoming quite fashionable in market. Cod wallets, cod >>boots...I even have skin cream that contains cod enzymes which is >>becoming extremely popular and expensive. >> >>It sure would be interesting to hear about this if you tried it, at least... >> >>Good luck, >> >>Kristinn >> >> >> >>At 03:50 17.12.2000 -0900, you wrote: >>>List, >>> >>> This is a description of one of my current research projects and of >>> the personal reasons it has become a vital interest to me at this time. >>> >>> I am 54, my partner is 67. I always knew he would probably die before >>> me, but my feeble brain never realized that he might spend a long time >>> before he did so in a state of not being able to work and needing my >>> care, so that I frequently can't work either. I had a hint of that in >>> 1993 when he had a heart attack, but he bounced back from triple bypass >>> surgery very quickly and I stuck my head back into the sand >>> again. Then last October he had a stroke and everything changed. >>> >>> Now we are very dependent on our fleet of rental pianos to pay our >>> basic living expenses, which they almost do. But it is getting harder >>> and harder to keep them up to the level of quality that I >>> desire. Before my father and he would do the tunings in the home after >>> they were delivered and I would do all the reconditioning in the shop >>> and the bookkeeping for our businesses. >>> >>> So there I was shaping a set of hammers from a rental last night and >>> remembering something I have wondered for years. Whenever I have >>> rebuilt an antique grand with leather covered hammers, I have been >>> amazed to see what good shape most of the hammers are in on 150 year >>> old pianos--after removing the destroyed leather. Why I thought, >>> couldn't there be some kind of covers for rental piano hammers? If >>> there was something that lasted only half as long as those leather >>> covered hammers I would be _way_ ahead. >>> >>> Meanwhile I have a customer who wants me to replace the leather on the >>> hammers of his mid-19th century Bosendorfer. He wants it so bad that >>> last time I tuned he produced a chamois that he had purchased for the >>> purpose and asked me to cover them with it. We tried it on one hammer >>> and it didn't sound any good. >>> >>> I now have a beautiful, soft, supple deerskin which sounded wonderful >>> on the Pokorney we rebuilt last Christmas and am wondering about >>> putting it on his hammers. Also there are questions about how to voice >>> leather once it's on the hammers. >>> >>> Then there is the old Chickering upright that just came back from a >>> rental customer which needs new hammers badly. It was restrung 10 >>> years ago, but the hammers are fried. So I shaped them one last time >>> and am going to cover them with deerskin to find out how they sound >>> before replacing them. >>> >>> But is deerskin the best leather? Is there any other material that >>> might be better than any leather? Would there be any material that >>> would apply to the hammers easier and quicker? Would there be any >>> material that could be put on the hammers temporarily to completely >>> change the voicing for just one concert? Perhaps a material that could >>> be clipped on for the rock concert and a different one for the >>> classical concert? >>> >>> How could we measure the tonal differences of different >>> materials? How would we know their life expectancy? How would we even >>> find out about materials that might be just perfect but they are used >>> to build private airplanes and we aren't even pilots, much less >>> airplane manufacturers? >>> >>> These are questions I find interesting for their own sake and for the >>> practical need I have in my business. I will pursue the research project. >>>My guess is that there are many other such questions burning in others' >>>brains. Can pianotech be a place where such research projects could be shared? >>> >>> Diane >>> >>> >>>Diane Hofstetter >>>245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343 >>>Scotts Valley, CA 95066 >>>ph 831-438-6222 >>>fax 831-430-9741 >>>dianepianotuner@hotmail.com >>> >>>_________________________________________________________________ >>>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > >Diane Hofstetter >245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343 >Scotts Valley, CA 95066 >ph 831-438-6222 >fax 831-430-9741 >dianepianotuner@hotmail.com > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com >
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