The service of re-felting offered by Abel certainly would be less work than doing it on your own. Haven't gone that route yet, but will soon. I heard about another company offering the same - Desfougères, in Paris. This information from a technician overseas - "For pianos earlier than 1940 the Paris firm of Desfougères does exellent work. For 19th century pianos they are simply the best in the world. They are also the only ones in the world with the skills and special equipment to do Erard-hammers (various layers of leather and felt). They are used to work with their three wooden presses or with hand clamps. In their main department they have a large hydrolique press for modern and semi-modern hammers. They also do every thinkable type of damper-refelting. For French pianos they have an interesting stock of original parts. It sounds like I am working for them, but I can assure you that I merely state what is best for restorations, and this is certainly not just my opinion." Ralph Thorn
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