Knight piano/English plastic

[Tvak@aol.com]

List

Today I tuned a Knight studio console piano.  This piano, manufactured in 
England in 1966, has many plastic parts.  Plastic hammer flanges, plastic 
damper dowels, and a one piece plastic jack/flange.  It doesn't look like the 
kind of plastic used in American pianos in the 40s and 50s.  The plastic is 
dark gray.  There have been no plastic parts broken so far. 

Is this plastic a cause for concern as it is in American pianos?  

When did the era of crumbly plastic piano parts end?  

Did the English piano manufacturers have a different, possibly more durable 
kind of plastic than the Americans?

I need to advise the client of the long-term viability of this piano.  Other 
than the plastic parts, this is quite a nice piano which a gorgeous tone for 
an instrument its size.   A really full bass and absolutely false-beatless 
treble.  

Perhaps one of our English list members can advise me regarding this piano 
and its plastic content.

Tom Sivak

P.S.

Interestingly, the piano has a mute pedal with a mute rail similar to 
Yamaha's, and stamped right on the rail are the words, "Remove the celeste 
with the wing nuts only." referring to two wing nuts which allow you to 
remove the rail without unscrewing it from the sides of the cabinet.  

I had never heard of a mute pedal being called a celeste.