[pianotech] Centre pins

[John Delacour]

Years ago I ordered a large stock of centre pins froom Schaff and 
they were miles better than anything then available in Europe then or 
now.  A few months ago I asked someone on the list if they were still 
the same quality and have just received the new stock.

The original pins were a golder colour than most, slightly longer 
than the European pins, not brittle like some pins, very highly 
polished and with a polished point  like the point of a bullet, not a 
sharp conical ground point.

I discovered on opening the parcel that only one of the sizes I had 
ordered (18-1/2) was of this type and all the others are of a far 
inferior quality.  They seem to me to be plated rather than solid 
nickel silver and they are not nearly so shiny as the European or 
Japanese pins that I can get for less expense.  I am really 
disappointed, since the quality of centre-pins is so important and 
pins that do no have a very high polish can be very troublesome.

Does anybody know whether the pins I described are still made and 
where I can get them?  I was really banking on Schaff.

JD