Key Whakker

[Stan Kroeker]

Mark Story wrote:
> 
> Yes, it seems that the hammer felt absorbs left-over finger oil and grime.
> After a while the tip of my device leaves little fly specs of grime on the
> keys. Then I file the felt a little. Needless to say, my hammer gets quite
> flat after a while. I wish I could find something that wouldn't get grimy
> yet was soft enough to protect the keytops.

Mark,

As I mentioned, I use a rubber cane-tip as the striking surface for my
version of this tool.  These are available at most well-stocked hardware
stores and are about 1/2" in diameter and height.  They are soft enough
to prevent marking the keytops yet hard enough so dirt doesn't imbed
into its surface.  I've been using mine without maintenance for a few years.

Regards,

Stan Kroeker
Registered Piano Technician