I just received a beautiful piece of buckskin from Moscow Hide and Fur
company which will be used to replace the backchecks on my Steinway
model M piano.

I corresponded with their customer service person via e-mail, and
placed my order over the phone.  The leather arrived 3 days later.
They charged a little under $40 for 8.25 square feet of "Buckskin,
Deer, Smoke Tan, BB, Exc." leather.  Following is the specification
I gave them:

  I am restoring a grand piano.  I need leather to replace the
  old material on the "backchecks" of each key.  Several things
  are important:

  1.  The leather must not be too thick; 1.0 - 1.5 mm (.040-.060")
  is best.

  2.  The suede side should have a fine nap, and the leather should
  be very soft.

  3.  The nap should have a pronounced "direction".  The leather is
  installed so a wood part slips down the easy direction of the nap,
  and then is caught by the nap when the wood part tries to rebound.

  4.  The smooth side should not be too shiny -- so that it will
  accept the adhesive used (hide glue).

  5.  Color is not important.  A durable tanning process (something
  which will last for many years) is more important than color.

Each backcheck is a strip about 1/2" wide and 2" long, so I can use
skins which are blemished and unusable for other purposes.

The company address is

  Moscow Hide and Fur
  P.O. Box 8918
  Moscow, Idaho 83843
  tel.: 208-882-0601
  http://www.hideandfur.com/

John Rhodes
jrhodes@pacifier.com