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The cloth cushion on old Steinway sostenuto brackets becomes worn and discolored after decades of use. Every time when we rebuild an action at Absolute Piano, the cloth is changed. The cloth making process is instructed by the shop owner Mr. Jude Reveley. So far, Schaff Piano Supply and Erwin's Piano Forte Supply sell the thick action cloth. Possibly some local fabric stores carry similar products at a cheaper price. Measure the width of the old cloth, trim the new cloth at the same width or slightly wider than the bracket. Cut the new cloth a few millimeters longer than the original one. For the wire to fasten the cloth to the bracket, use any thin wire found at department stores, hardware stores, or craft stores. The wire thickness shall be similar with the original. Cut the wire to about 4" in length. Bend the wire in the middle. At the center of each piece of cloth, punch a hole on the right or left with a thick needle. Here, a needle is held on a vise grip to give strength. Immediately, push one end of the wire into the hole just punched. Waiting too long, you'll find the hole disappears. Punch another hole on the opposite side, install the other end of the wire into that hole. Here is a picture of the whole process. Now you have a shrimp army of sostenuto bracket cloth. To install the cloth in the brackets, push one piece into the bracket head, wire facing the back of the head. Twist the wire tightly with a plier and trim, leaving about 10mm of the tail. For personal habit, the little tail is bent to prevent scratching on other parts or people's fingers. You may find better ways to go through the whole process. Happy action working!
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