<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 http-equiv=content-type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2722.2800" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY bottomMargin=0 leftMargin=3 rightMargin=3 topMargin=0>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On Sat, 10 Feb 2001 22:41:59 -0500 "Farrell" <<A
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A>>
writes:<BR>> Boy, your design sure sounds different than my double-ended=
grand <BR>> hammer<BR>> whakker.<FONT color=#ff00ff> and a =
lot more
comfortable imho. Besides, I am also allergic to wool of all =
things
:-( Makes working on old dusty uprights really interesting.</FONT> =
The one
thing that seems less than perfect with mine is <BR>> that I tend<BR>>=
; to
roll my thumb over the top of the hammer and it ends up taking <BR>> the=
brunt<BR>> ot the whakking.<FONT color=#ff00ff> My hand
therapist told me that I was doing everything correctly. No =
longer
using my hand in the position it would be in if playing a piano, but rather=
at
90 degrees to that. If you know anything about martial arts I am sure=
that
you also know that those hard blows done with hands aren't done in a
"slapping" position, but rather with the hand in the position that the grip=
I am
using puts my hand into. (btw IF you are considering making such a =
device
to try out, all grips are not created equal. The ski pole that I=
picked out has a "flange" at the bottom of the grip for the side of my palm=
and
pinky to rest against. Not all grips have that.) Your wrist is =
a lot
stronger in that position and all of you fingers back up the ones in =
front
of them. Shares the burden that way. Any other questions -=
feel
free to ask.</FONT> I am considering making one with a ball on top, but <BR=
>>
yours<BR>> sounds interesting also.<BR>> <BR>> So what is the =
total
length of yours - about 5 or 6 inches?<FONT color=#ff00ff>Closer to 6"</=
FONT> It
<BR>> sounds pretty<BR>> straight forward. When using it, do you grip=
it
like you do for <BR>> skiing? <FONT color=#ff00ff>Only when sitting at=
a
console or spinet style piano. With uprights I stand and grasp =
the
top of the grip. Just wish it was a little "rounder" on the top. =
; Of
course, I could always put about a half of a ball on top to round the top
off. Maybe???</FONT>On<BR>> an upright, do you tend to put your =
hand on
top of it (standing at <BR>> an<BR>> upright)? I don't suppose you =
have a
pic of it?<FONT color=#ff00ff> No pic currently. =
Interestingly
enough I have had lots of people tell me that I should patent the idea..not=
much
to patent considering that I am sure the grip was already patented. I=
simply changed the function of a ski pole to another function - one =
that
earns money for me. Regarding the comments made this morning about
customers being abhorred by such a device being used on their piano - I =
have
never had a single complaint as I always explain just why I am using
it. When the customers see the arthritis in my 3rd and 4th =
fingers
they don't even question it anymore. And yes, I do work on =
some
"world class" instruments with it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#ff00ff>John R. Fortiner</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#ff00ff>Billings, MT.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> Thanks for any <BR>> info.<BR>> <BR>> Terry Farrell<BR>=
>
Piano Tuning & Service<BR>> Tampa, Florida<BR>> <A
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A><BR>&=
gt;
<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>