Hello group,

Believe it or not, I am back after some absence and a change of
continents!  My comment to the cross-valve issue is that they should
have refined it into a valve that rotates slowly every time it is
actuated like the valves in a combustion engine. That way, the leather
would not have become imprinted with the cross shape and they would
probably still work. I suppose it is way too late for that
suggestion :-)

Then again, they did refine it into a round valve seat.

Regards,
Bernt Damm