<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1226" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>BTW  Hardness does not always equate to tension.  Some American techs like a softer style hammer that will develop on its own without, or with minimal use of "densifiers", as I prefer to think of them.  There are a few such options on the market.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard Brekne</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 11/26/2003 5:12:16 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: hammers and wool</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2>  <P>antares wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE"> <BR>Hello Michael and list. <BR>As I have mentioned before here, there are several ways to Rome : <BR>One is 'an' American way. Many American techs like their hammers soft <BR>from the beginning so that they can slowly build up hardness by adding <BR>hammer dope. As you probably know hammer dope can be colodion, lacquer, <BR>or combinations of chemicals and plastic. <BR>Then there is the European way : hammers have hardness and tension as <BR>they leave the hammer maker and the technician lessens the tension by <BR>needling. <BR>What Richard questions here is : is it necessary to use the natural <BR>fibers in the wool (the hammer felt) or do we not use the elasticity of <BR>the felt but instead use the hardening  characteristics of hammer dope? <P>(Whaddaya Ricardo?)</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Er.... well actually I was just wondering what Lanolin had to do with all this :):) <BR>  <P>But when you first are on about it... I line up with the purists on this one, as a matter of personal preference. That being said those guys and gals over there who are masters of the art of hammer laquer can create  very nice tone... albiet a bit different then hammers ala naturelle' but very pleasing.  I guess in the end it boils down to some pretty subjective critera for what kind of sound we like. Hard to break this down into a "whats right and whats wrong" discussion IMHO. <P>I guess what I am saying is that I'm kind of a relativist kind of guy..... relatively speaking that is :) <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">(warning...flame suits on) <P>friendly greetings from <BR>antares <BR>the Netherlands <BR><A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"></A> </P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Cheers my friend ! <P>RicB <P>-- <BR>Richard Brekne <BR>RPT, N.P.T.F. <BR>UiB, Bergen, Norway <BR><A href="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> <BR><A href="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A> <BR><A href="http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html">http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html</A> <BR>  </FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>