Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Ivolan keytops?

I am looking for some new keytops, and am considering Ivolan. I want something that is quite off-white (not yellow but a nice cream color), and with some texture if possible.....not slippery. Suggestions anyone?

I have the option of real ivory, but I don't want to deal with it getting yellow later on.

Ivolan? You sure about the brand?

A google search reveals that it is an option on Feurich pianos, so I assume it is European.

I'm glad this has come up. Is Ivolan the same material that is called "mineral plastic" and sold by Blackstone Valley Piano here in the US? I have three samples and they range from bright white, cream (off white) and something that's almost yellow-white. If I get my keys recovered I was thinking about using this material. It has no grain, but maybe it's available that way. I don't know. What I really want to know is if it is the same as Ivolan. Thanks.

I'm bumping this up. Is there no-one on this forum who knows anything about Ivolan or mineral plastic? I can't bring myself to believe that keytop material is beyond top secret.

Hey Scott,

I typed in “what is Ivolan”…then “what is Ivolan key tops”…..then “what is Ivolan key top material” and you know what came up??

This thread…….

Oh and Steingraeber pianos came up too. They have Ivolan or Tharan key tops….

http://www.hurstwoodfarmpianos.co.uk/steingraeber.php

Thanks Dan. I'm not sure that helps, but thanks for the information. There must be some kind of conspiracy to keep the wraps on the real story behind high end keytop materials. It's sort of like the recipe for Coke. Amazing.

Actually that one is easy I use to work in the mixing room for a Coca-Cola plant.To make Coke. 14 one hundred pound bags of sugar and two cylinders of the syrup. Done. Next?

I found this online...Mineral Plastic is a synthetic material with a very high mineral content. These minerals make for a plastic that looks and feels very much like natural materials such as the coveted ivory or bone. It is cool to the touch, it wicks-off moisture from the fingertips. Mineral plastic is widely used on European pianos and organs and is quickly gaining acceptance domestically for the same. Mineral plastic come in 3 shades, white, off-white and crème color.

The mineral plastics are quite nice keytops. I've installed both Theran (fazioli uses this I believe)and Mineral plastic, which is similar to if not the same material as Theran. Ivorine another high quality plastic is what steinway uses on their keyboards. It is considerably less expensive than either the Theran or Mineral Plastic.

Theran comes in 3 or so shades of offwhite. Mineral plastic comes in a pure white and an offwhite. Ivorine, I have some samples of slightly off white, but I'm not sure if it also comes in pure white...I'll check out my supplier today on that today.

Theran and Mineral plastic feel cool and non-slippery under the finger; a feeling which is very similar to real ivory. For Ivorine, go to a steinway showroom and try it out on a new piano.

These high end keytops are so nice that I really see no practical or visual benefit in insisting on real ivory, especially given how the Ivory was obtained.

oops, correction Ivoplast is the name of the stuff Kluge puts on steinway keyboards not Ivorine.

It comes in one subtly off-white color. The difference between Ivoplast and good quality Japanese acrylic is minimal, both in terms of touch and visual effect. Ivoplast's only real selling point is that you can use it to help sell a job with the "its what steinway uses" line, but its actual value over acrylic is almost imperceptible.