Hard tuning is better than good tuning?

[Marvin McDonald]

Well here is my first contribution.  This is really a neat and
informative form and all of your guys and gals are doing and excellent
job of keeping things lively.

Admittedly I'm only and Associate Member of the PTG but have been tuning
for quite some time now (since 1978).  I now work for Allegro Piano
Services, a division of Prosser's Music Company, here in Tacoma Wa. Mike
Reiter is the manager of technical services for Allegro.  I'm getting
prepared to challange the tuning exam and technical to attain my RPT. 
One of the members of our guild chapter, Jim Snyder, RPT, is also a CTE
and has developed a skill he referes to as NVT (Non-Violent Tuning).  I
have been practicing this method in the shop on pianos we are sending
out to the home. These pianos will also receive an in-home tuning.  I
find this method of tuning most aggreable to my standard method of using
a vigorus test blow.  No...I'm not doing real stable tunings yet, but it
looks like its going to work.  Jim Snyder will be giving a
mini-technical on this method this Monday at our chapter meeting.

I do currently use the vigorus test blow method to render the string but
I also test myself to see if I can not only seat the pin but render the
string equally on almost all of the tunings I do in the field.  Yes I
use a vigorus test blow to check the results.  I'm improving and hoping
to be able to use this methond in the not to distant future.  It saves
on the ears and on the fingers and I think its much more aggreable to
those who are in the vicinity listening.