Various responses to various questions posed by various helpful techs on the list: << What year was this Steinway manufactured? >> <<is this a Samick?>> It's an 1890 Stieff upright. <<this sounds more like a plating problem than it does verdigris... get a good magnifying glass and examine a couple of pins and bushings........besides verdigris is always green. >> 'S not green; so's not verdigris. The first ones I pulled looked blackish, but I just ran downstairs and pulled 3 more, and these actually looks more like rust. <<Is the blackish ring dry or gungy ? Dry might point to graphite, and gungy would point to some combination of some lubricant, (perhaps of innapropriate type ?) wearoff (oxidation of sorts ?) from the pin.>> It is dry, and won't come off with my fingernail. The felt is somewhat discolored, too. <<no permanent solution as far as I know, except replacing all the parts! >> Parts are unique. Double flanges like Steinway, but unfortunately not exactly the same. The flanges have a brass collar around the screw hole. So much of this piano looks unique, well-thought-out, and made with quality. Plus, someone has already put alot of work into this piano in the past, with new felt in many places, new hammers, (...probably 25 years old by now...) new keytops. And the case is beautifully carved and ornate. I want to restring the bass, replace the damper felts, repair a minor bridge crack, fix these darn butts and I think I'll have a pretty nice piano. I guess I'll try both methods, liquid and reaming, on different butts and see what works. Thanks to all for the guidance, I'll post results when I get them. Tom Sivak
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