Feeling the Hammers when playing

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Stephane writes:

>On cembalums and on pianofortes, as the body of the sound is weaker, the
>knocking of the key against the rail is more obvious, and gets often a
>little ennoying.  But on a good piano, I would make this also part of the
>voicing techniques, to control balance between attack and body of the note.

        I agree that a harder front punching changes the sound of the piano.  
It increases the impact noise, thus making a more distinctive attack(this is 
addressed in the "Five Lectures" article as "thump" noise").  What I am 
questioning is the linkage between a harder front punching and the "tone" of 
the piano, and the idea that one is feeling the hammer impact through the 
key. I can feel the string vibrations in the key on a good piano, but that is 
not the same as sensing the contact of the hammer with the string, which is 
what I am trying to get a fix on.  
REgards, 
Ed Foote