tool of the year

[Terry]

I won a Renner/Keith Bowman tuning lever as a door prize several years ago
at a NC Regional Conference. Very light. Very nice. Fancy hardwood. Ball-ish
end. I will likely use it on the last piano I tune. I love it.

Terry Farrell


> Hey Patrick,
>
> Are you interested in selling the Renner hammer?
>
> David I.
>
>
> >I've been thinking about what last purchases I want to make before the
> >end of the tax year (piano tech tools, office software, printer, etc.),
> >and thought I'd toss out my "best pick" of the year. I bought a tuning
> >lever from Charles Faulk several months ago, and am very satisfied with
> >the results. My last expensive tuning lever purchase was a Renner/Keith
> >Bowman one, but my notion of what constituted an ideal lever differed
> >with how my arm and shoulder felt about it. At that time I went for the
> >longer one with a dense hardwood handle. I seldom use it, or my Itoshin
> >lever, now.
> >The lever Charles recommended was one with a walnut handle -- lighter
> >than the other exotic woods he uses -- and in combination with the
> >titanium shaft it is really light, but quite rigid.
> >I've had really nasty tendonitis (or is it bursitis --who knows?)
> >problems with my tuning arm's shoulder, and this light but solid hammer
> >has really helped me get through the XMas mad rush with much less
> >discomfort.
> >Kinda like tennis rackets. I used heavy wooden rackets back in my
> >youth, but the titanium ones allow me to still enjoy playing
> >occasionally. I did dig the wooden one out one weekend and surprised my
> >pals with the power of the service I got out of it, but my arm and
> >shoulder were burning for a couple days after.
> >Best wishes,
> >Patrick Draine