With the greatest of respect, I feel the quality of the debate
regarding the various merits of these two materials has reached an
all time low, with each new contributor either reiterating points
made fully by previous contributors without adding anything new,
or else writing without fully reading or understanding a previous
correspondent's views.   The "debate", if it can be called as such,
will just go 'round and 'round, I feel.

There are very few real facts here, it seems to me, but my
understanding of Patrick Handscombe's carefully, and sincerely written
comments (with which I happen only to partially agree) is that

1. Certain modern materials allow some people to do an easier and
more effective job on stack rebuilding, and that if more people tried
them they would find this to be true.

2. He has found the use of them to be completely reversible, and not
to prejudice the use of other materials at a later stage if desired.

3. All too often, deficiencies caused by inept use of the
"harder-to-use" traditional materials are not picked up due to lack
of sufficient understanding of how the system works and/or how the
music needs to be reproduced.

That restorers are often more technically astute than musically aware
is of no consequence, until claims are made that do not really hold
water.  Not so long ago some experts were claiming a three-note chord
(even though this was not actually the issue, as it turned out) should
be possible to be played at zero intensity by a Duo-Art pianola,
whilst some said that it could not (or should not anyway).

I am not an expert, but I wonder if three notes _can_ be played
simultaneously at zero intensity, a single note at the same setting
would surely be louder than was intended by the roll coder on such a
pianola.

Recently it was claimed that pianos in "lousy" order which had
perfectly functioning expression mechanisms had often been heard by
that writer.  My comment: How would one know?

It is not my aim to put words into other, very capable, people's
mouths, just a plea that, where there is an important debate, it could
be advanced along more reasoned and informed lines.

Sincerely,
Paul Morris
http://www.paulmorrismusic.co.uk/