Hammer Felt (was Tension & Compression)

[Isaac OLEG]

Phil, you wrote :


Unfortunately for us, I think that the felt properties that would
make the best piano hammers are not the felt properties that most
industrial customers are looking for.  Wool that will make a good
machine
tool vibration isolation pad isn't necessarily the same wool that will
make
a good piano hammer.  And piano hammers make up a tiny percentage of
the
felt market.  When I was at the Steinway factory I saw stacks of felt
for
hammers.  It looked like a lot of felt to me, but was apparently
insignificant to the supplier.  I was told that basically Steinway has
to choose one of the suppliers standard felts because the amount of
felt
they buy is a miniscule percentage of that makers output, and that the
maker wouldn't be bothered to make felt to their specifications for
what he
considers such a tiny quantity.

I guess the same occur in Germany, the difference actually is that the
felt provided is piano hammer felt from the start , designed and
produced for that use. that diserve much respect toward the director
of the felt factory. A little like if someone may say today he wants
to be a piano tuner !

Best Regards.

Isaac OLEG