Antique Lever

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Hi, 
 Would you consider donating the hammer to the PTG. It might be of interest
to them to have for display.
Joe Goss 

You know your on the level if your bubble is in the middle.

----------
> From: Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Antique Lever
> Date: Monday, July 20, 1998 4:11 PM
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, 14 Jul 1998, rbeaton wrote:
> 
> > Hi all...
> > I have a double-headed..wooden handle..extension lever that was given
to me
> > years ago.  It is engraved "Made for AM Felt Co.  by J. Erlandsen  New
York
> >  Ser #468.
> > 
> > Any ideas on what this thing is worth or anything else of interest?
> > 
> > Dick RPT Helena, MT
> > 
> 
> Hi, Dick:
> 
> My advice would be to not yet give up your job as a piano tech in the
> hopes that you could sell your antique tuning lever for a huge amount
> of money and then retire in luxury for the rest of your life.
> 
> About thirty years ago, when on vacation, I bought an identical tuning
> lever from an antique shop in upstate New York. It was part of a pack-
> age deal. Also  included was a book--in excellent condition--entitled:
> CLARK'S NEW METHOD FOR THE PIANOFORTE, which was dated 1876 and which
> featured a picture of a woman in a dress with a bustle, seated at a
> piano, illustrating proper posture and finger position. Throughout the
> book an archaic, long-abandoned fingering is used, whereby the use of   
> the thumb is indicated by the letter "X" and the rest of the fingers by
> 1,2,3 and 4. The number "5" is not used. 
> 
> While the book may be considered "interesting", it is totally useless
> as a teaching aid. Likewise, the old tuning lever with the double head
> is merely a curiosity rather than a functional tool--unless, of course,
> you routinely service pianos with oblong tuning pins, rusty strings,
> broken action parts, ivory keytops worn down to the key sticks, and
> great-looking rosewood cases. If so, don't forget that the extension
> rod of the lever, which is secured by a wing nut, can be pulled WAY OUT,
> thereby allowing you easier access to the tuning pins, which, of course,
> are not in the front of the piano, but in the back (Don't hit your head
> on the lid, but remember to always charge EXTRA if you choose to re-    
> move it-- always a great way to boost your per-service-call income!).
> 
> Actually, come to think of it, if you are really into historical tunings,
> such an antiquated tuning lever may be just what you need. To complete
> the picture you can grow yourself some muttonchop whiskers; stop bathing;
> wear the same unwashed clothes and same shoes all week long; forget about
> little things like using soap, toothpaste and a deodorant; make your
> appointments in person because the telephone had not yet been invented
> (The good thing is that afterwards the customer can't call you back to
> complain about the quality of your work); and finally-- to complete this
> impressive picture of an "old-world" craftsman-- because the automobile
> was as yet unknown, you can ride a horse to your tunings (don't forget to
> add a shovel to your tool kit for emergencies).  Wow, that ought to
really
> impress your customers, huh?! Maybe using that old tuning lever isn't
> such a bad idea, after all.
> 
> Lastly, let's not forget value here. Thirty years ago I purchased the
> useless tuning lever and equally-useless piano book for their full anti-
> que collector's value of five bucks. Given the outrageous rate of in-
> flation since then, PLUS the great interest and activity in the col-
> lectible's market right now, I can only assume that tthe two have
> appreciated in value to the point where they are now worth at least a
> full five bucks today. Possibly less.  Maybe WAY less. In other words,
> they have performed something like a stock market investment recom-
> mend by a unknown broker on a "cold call".
> 
> Les Smith
> lessmith@buffnet.net  
>