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The utility of a staple is connected to the kind of hammer in which it
is used. Light, resilient, flexible, cold-pressed
hammers that were long used in the US and which are typified by the
Steinway hammer in use from the latter 18th century until about the period
of WWII are well served by use of a staple to prevent flexing of the shoulder
on a hard blow. This is a mechanical contrivance to have the
best of both worlds - a soft hammer on a softer blow and a
harder one for a harder blow. Even though we use the term staple
it is indeed not such but rather a wire plunged through the felt and molding
and twisted to compress the felt. Eliminating the staple in
such a hammer will reduce the volume achieved under strong blows
as compared with a hammer containing one. In the general deterioration
and enlargement of hammers since the turn of the last century the understanding
of this utility has suffered as well. Large, hardened, inflexible
hammers do not need a staple and it is understandable that the makers of
such hammers would consider them superfluous. Steinway received a
patent for the staple (although if memory serves me right, they used a
different name for it). Using the staple as an aid for gluing is
not mentioned in the patent and is a later development.
Regards, Robin Hufford Tom Servinsky wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style>
<font size=-1>David,</font><font size=-1>According
to Wally Brooks, Brooks LTD, the staple acts as a "girdle", helping to
keep pressure pushing upwards. His source of information comes straight
from Abel.</font><font size=-1>Tom Servinsky,RPT</font>
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<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----</div>
<div
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><b>From:</b>
<a href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net" title="davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">David
Love</a></div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title="pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</a></div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, September 26, 2001
7:04 PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Tensioned hammers and "the
staple"</div>
<font size=-1>While in Reno I had a conversation with two established
representatives of well known hammer manufacturer's regarding the function
of the staple. both agreed that it was of little use for keeping
the felt attached to the core once the glue dried. Beyond that, however,
I was given two bits if information in total opposition. One argued
that the staple was necessary for maintaining tension in the hammer and
that pulling the stable would destroy the tone, the other argued
that the staple serves no purpose, really, and, in fact, pulling the staple
would release some tension in the lower part of the hammer accomplishing
to some degree what prevoicing in the low shoulder is designed to do.
He went on to say that many concert voicers automatically pulled the staple
when setting up a new set of hammers for precisely that reason.
Can anyone comment on this apparent disagreement.</font> <font size=-1>David
Love</font> </blockquote>
</blockquote>
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