Tuning lever tip: quality of fit?

[Jeff Tanner]

Marcel Carey wrote:
>> You should try the Japanese "Watanabe" tuning tips and tuning
>lever. > found those to be exceptionnally good.
>> I think they are available from Pianotek.
>>
>> Marcel Carey, RPT
>> Sherbrooke  QC
>>
>
Richard Moody wrote:
>I concur on Watanabe.   I bought a two inch tip in Chicago and
>have been very happy with it for both uprights and grands.

So, guys,
If the Japanese can do it, why can't we?  What's the difference in the
manufacturing process?

What looks to be the biggest difference between all my tips is that the
taper in the recess of the APSCO tips is not as sharp, allowing the bottom
or lip of the tip to make better contact around the pin.  Also, the star
appears to be smaller at the rim on the APSCO tips than all the others
except the #1 tip (in fact, to the eye, the star of the APSCO tips looks
the same size as the #1 Hale tip, but the #1 tip will not sit down as far
on the pin due to the angle of the taper)  All my other tips "bottom out"
in the recess before the rim of the tip can make contact with the pin, and
it is not consistent in all directions.  Placing a 2/0 tuning pin in the
holes of all the tips I have, in some of the tips, the end of the pin will
move as much as 1/8" in at least one direction, and with some in two or
three directions.  That's a lot of movement.  But no more than 1/16" in any
direction in my APSCO tips, with no movement in most directions.

What's wrong with asking our American suppliers to spend a little more
attention to detail on the tips?

Jeff