[pianotech] Ivory

[Thomas Cole]

I can't remember being asked for the old ivory, but now that you've 
brought this up, I will in the future declare when the keys are picked 
up that the old ivory will be either discarded because of damage or kept 
for field repairs, to head off such an event happening to me.

I have spoken to scrimshaw artists about taking old ivory but never got 
anyone interested, even if it was free. Maybe the ivory is too thin?

Tom Cole
Santa Cruz, CA (a city full of artists)

David Pritchard wrote:
> What do you guys and gals do with all the chipped ivory heads when you 
> replace the ivory with plastic?
>
> I recently took the keys out of an old upright for a client and sent 
> them off to have new keytops put on.  I kept the 20 or so ivory heads 
> that weren't chipped in case I can use them on someone's piano that is 
> missing a couple ivories.  I also kept a few of the tails.  But I sent 
> the keys with the rest of the tails and chipped ivory heads to the 
> place that was doing the new keytops.  I'm not sure what they do with 
> all the old ivory.
>
> I just called my client back to say that the keys are ready to be put 
> in, and she said her relatives say she never should have let me take 
> the ivory and she wants it back.  I told her I could give her the 
> heads I kept, but of course they are mixed in with others I have saved 
> from the past, so it will be difficult.  I assume she thinks it has 
> some value.  Is it valuable?
>
> David
> Scottsbluff, Nebraska
>
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> Music for Media • Mobile Recording
> http://www.davidpritchard.com
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