May 18, 1961

Henry Z. Steinway, in his “Report on European Trip, Inter-House Matters, N.Y. Experiments”, mentions the (soon-to-be-infamous) Teflon bushings, invented by Theodore D. Steinway, for the first time. Using synthetic material Teflon instead of natural felt appears at first glance to offer numerous advantages for pianomaking: it allows to eliminate 12 to 15 manufacturing operations required with felt bushings; it has the absorption rate less than 1% (compared to 8% absorption rate of felt); it’s durable and resistant to fungus, corrosion, oxidation and household chemicals.