<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Nov 5, 2007, at 12:04 PM, Susan Kline wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">At 09:23 AM 11/1/2007, Michael wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">My decision to not continue with the aluminum cases was not just the lack of quality but the concern for front doors, furniture, etc.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">A hard case raises a liability issue since the case and its attachments(hinges, d-rings,rivets, corner tabs) are just that, hard and can therefore scratch doors, furniture, pianos.</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I think this point is very well taken. My present kit is soft and cushy and mild-mannered, and can easily be left on a sofa or chair without leaving traces of its visit.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">After years of carrying a pretty big and heavy tool kit, I'm moving in the opposite direction. I was using a salesman's sample case, bought at Staples, which had lots of compartments and a shoulder strap and plenty of room. One day I thought about all the various things in that kit, like the center pinning gear, the punching box, etc., and asked myself, "how long since I used this?" and "how often do I need this?" When the answers were often two or three months, and sometimes two or three years (like the little bag with the tuning lever tip wrench and the punch to hold upright tuning pins while hammering them deeper) ...</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">So I changed to a soft little laptop case (also bought at Staples). It still has a few compartments and a shoulder strap, but the space is quite limited, so that more *stuff* doesn't keep wandering into my kit. I took everything I imagined I wasn't using at least once a month, and put it into a briefcase which lives in the trunk of the car. Once in awhile it means an extra trip down a lot of stairs, but on balance my shoulder and knees appreciate the difference.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Susan Kline</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV>I've recently switched to an even more simple bag. I found an 11" black canvas doctor's style bag at Harbor Freight (I think they put it on sale for $3.99?), and just put my tuning and regulating tools and my accutuner (carefully wrapped in a soft cloth) in it. The aluminum case stays behind the seat of my truck now.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Jeff</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>