Tensioned hammers and "the staple"

[Robin Hufford]

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The utility of a staple is connected to the kind of hammer in which it
is used.    Light, resilient, flexible,  cold-pressed hammers that were
long used in the US and which are  typified by the Steinway hammer in
use from the latter 18th century until about the period of WWII are well
served by use of a staple to prevent flexing of the shoulder on a hard
blow.  This is a mechanical contrivance  to have the best of  both
worlds -  a soft hammer on a softer blow and a harder one for a harder
blow.  Even though we use the term staple it is indeed not such but
rather a wire plunged through the felt and molding and twisted to
compress the felt.   Eliminating the staple in such a hammer  will
reduce the volume achieved under strong blows as compared  with a hammer
containing one.  In the general deterioration and enlargement of hammers
since the turn of the last century the understanding of  this utility
has suffered as well.  Large, hardened, inflexible hammers do not need a
staple and it is understandable that the makers of such hammers would
consider them superfluous.  Steinway received a patent for the staple
(although if memory serves me right, they used a different name for
it).  Using the staple as an aid for gluing is not mentioned in the
patent and is a later development.     Regards,  Robin Hufford Tom
Servinsky wrote:

> David,According to Wally Brooks, Brooks LTD, the staple acts as a
> "girdle", helping to keep pressure pushing upwards.  His source of
> information comes straight from Abel.Tom Servinsky,RPT
>
>      ----- Original Message -----
>      From: David Love
>      To: Pianotech
>      Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 7:04 PM
>      Subject: Tensioned hammers and "the staple"
>       While in Reno I had a conversation with two established
>      representatives of well known hammer manufacturer's
>      regarding the function of the staple.  both agreed that it
>      was of little use for keeping the felt attached to the core
>      once the glue dried.  Beyond that, however,  I was given two
>      bits if information in total opposition.  One argued that
>      the staple was necessary for maintaining tension in the
>      hammer and that pulling the stable would destroy the tone,
>      the other argued that the staple serves no purpose, really,
>      and, in fact, pulling the staple would release some tension
>      in the lower part of the hammer accomplishing to some degree
>      what prevoicing in the low shoulder is designed to do.  He
>      went on to say that many concert voicers automatically
>      pulled the staple when setting up a new set of hammers for
>      precisely that reason.   Can anyone comment on this apparent
>      disagreement. David Love
>

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