<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> The new Masons are using a shank & flange that are apparently of Chinese origin. I had to repin several new ones on the dealer's floor due to looseness. They had been using Renner and at first I assumed that these were as well - they certainly looked to me like Renner. But they didn't have Renner's circumferential groove in the center pin. After a couple of months this problem seemed mostly to disappear, but I'm not sure if this was because they were being repinned at the factory before I saw them or if the QC had improved at the point of origin overseas. - Mark Dierauf Jurgen Goering wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:%3Ce26dc5dc5ca7707de47bb3d7085d1e53@pianofortesupply.com%3E" type="cite">I don't know of any Chinese parts for Steinway being offered yet, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. Things are happening at breakneck speed in China, with new stuff coming on stream all the time. If Chinese Steinway parts are not available today, I'm sure they will be in short order. About 2 years ago I was approached and asked if I was interested in distributing Chinese shanks, flanges and wippens. They looked frighteningly decent. I declined, but someone else has probably picked them up. What is to stop the Chinese from trying to get a part of the Steinway parts action (pun intended), just as Tokiwa successfully did some time back? And heck, Steinway has a factory there, they can make them themselves... Jurgen Goering On Nov 18, 2007, at 6:47, Greg Newell wrote: <blockquote> Jurgen, </blockquote> <blockquote> Well, I suppose it’s possible. Who or where would they have purchased them from? Has anyone heard of a new supplier?  Greg   On Behalf Of Jurgen Goering: Mike may be on to something. Parts from China? They are getting to be quite look-alike these days...  Jurgen Goering </blockquote> </blockquote> </body> </html>