Research:leather covered hammers

[Diane Hofstetter]

Dave,

  I am fortunate to  live in a town with a tannery.  If I could understand 
better what to ask for, I could probably drive over one afternoon and get it 
rather than start up a new account with Jahn in Germany and wait and wait...

  I have tried several different kinds of leather from that tannery so far 
and so far the deerskin has been the best, but it's very mellow.  Perhaps if 
I can get some of the leather made by Herzog, the folks at the tannery would 
know what it is.

  The ideas I put forth on pianotech as a research arm can best be 
illustrated by this.  If we collectively can find what the best material is 
and even find a domestic source, then anyone who has the need of maintaining 
instruments at a higher level with less effort can benefit from all our 
efforts.

  Thank you for your information!

  Diane


>From: Dave Doremus <algiers_piano@bellsouth.net>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: pianotech@ptg.org
>CC: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: Research:leather covered hammers
>Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 13:16:14 -0600
>
>At 9:49 AM -0700 12/17/00, Murray Seminuk wrote:
>
>
>>The original leather on the hammers was European
>>doeskin........etc.
>
>
>Murray is right, and the best leather I've used is from Herzog in
>Germany, I believe called hirsch and elsch, correct me if I'm wrong.
>Stretch and thickness are important as is consistency in flesh vs
>skin side. Do not use American supply house buckskin, it's too coarse
>and heavy. I think that Jahn will supply what they call hammer
>leather which comes from Herzog and should be better than the
>American stuff. I dont think anything currently made (and there are
>those much more knowledgable than me who can add to this Im sure) is
>even close to what you actually find on old pianos, the whole leather
>making process is so different now. It is fairly easy to  use, just
>common sense, consistency and a careful hand. Malcolm Bilson had a
>blue suede on his piano hammers for some time that was very
>successful, so experimenting can be fun. Just use hide glue so you
>can recover from any mistakes.
>
>--
>Dave
>
>
>-----------------------------
>Dave Doremus RPT
>New Orleans
>algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
>------------------------------


Diane Hofstetter
245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
ph  831-438-6222
fax 831-430-9741
dianepianotuner@hotmail.com

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com