I am wondering how much work it is to remove ivories from keytops. Does it take some effort, and what is the best way to do it? Are they likely to be brittle and break into pieces?

There is a 1895 Wing & Son landfill piano the owners are hoping to get $50 for, but it does have nice ivories with virtually no wear. I would like to use them on my 1897 Fischer which has 7 that are chipped and some that are worn down considerably. Without the pianos being side by side it's hard to tell if they'd match or not. I doubt it would be worth the effort to replace them all!

For those of you who have done this sort of thing, how difficult is it to match ivories? When I was piano shopping I noticed variations in some of the dimensions the keys and ivories were built to, particulary with the amount of overhang and the curvature of the edges. Also some seemed thicker. My technician has a very limited supply of ivories.

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks,
Vaughn

Get a ruler and measure them!

Great answer, Brian!! It made my day. Anyway, very often ivory can be removed with gentle heat (an iron set on low, or hair dryer, etc.) Too much heat can warp them so be careful. But, as Brian said, before you go to all the trouble, measure.....Sam

OK, sounds good, thanks guys.

Vaughn