Research:leather covered hammers

[Murray Seminuk]

Hi Dave
Have you ever replaced a complete set of leather covered hammers such as the
ones that Renner listed in their catalogue?The hammers that I recovered
where not in the greatest shape.I think that they had been needled too much
and as a result lost their proper shape.

Regards
Murray
----- Original Mehssage -----
From: "Dave Doremus" <algiers_piano@bellsouth.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Cc: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2000 12:16 PM
Subject: Re: Research:leather covered hammers


> 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
> ------------------------------
>