<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff">Matt, Welcome aboard.  Tuning levers are pretty personal.  I used a = straight extension lever made by Hale until the shaft threads finally stripp= ed and broke after around 25 years.  I think it must have been at least= 15 years old when my first tuning teacher gave it to me.   It's replacement is a Renner/Bowman, which I really like.  The weig= ht is nicely distributed, and it has a semi-ball on the end, which is easy o= n the palm. I also have a mini-extension lever like Alan Barnard, which I called int= o play when my old Hale gave out.  I was praying that it would hold out= for the week I had to use it until my Renner arrived.  It was movin' a= nd creakin' all over the place.  Not recommended for full-time usage. &= nbsp; Enjoy the search!  You'll find something at the convention.  A= dvice:  take a finite amount of cash, and no credit cards...:-) Dave Stahl In a message dated 12/29/04 6:51:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, requiem31@= hotmail.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-= LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Greetings fellow Piano Tech= s, This is my first post to the list serve so please be merciful. :-) I will be purchasing a new tuning hammer soon as my old lever has seen q= uite a bit of wear and tear. I am curious as to the different styles of hamme= rs you all use and if you have any recommendations as to tuning levers that= have stood the test of time and ones that may not be quite as good as th= ey were advertised. Do some of you carry multiple tuning hammers depending on the piano you = come across? Say, a heavier hammer for pitch raises and then switch to a ligh= ter one for more precision work? Thanks, Matt Lavender _______________________________________________ pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>