G'day GUEST,

A good concertina lasts forever., George Bernard Shaw

(Unlike the advice of the ill-informed, anonymous and opportunistic.)

We were discussing how Shanghaiceltic might check the alternate copies of the serial number, since the left-hand label, normally bearing the number, is missing.

There are no trained professional concertina repairers for a few thousand kilometres. If you have not seen just how monumentally an otherwise competent repairer of other instruments can stuff up a concertina ... you ought to stay well clear of the discussion.

My careful description of how to remove and refix very old screws is very basic, simple, caution.

May we now bid you aduae ... ?

Back to Shanghaiceltic: You mentioned: "... slight damage to a hand strap ..." - is that structural, or just cosmetic? If the instrument has its original handstraps, they should be (fairly narrow ... ?), black leather, probably single layer, gold-stamped with the Wheatstone name, address and 'advertising puff' about being the sole inventor, &c, &c &c.

I usually make up firmer, broader handstraps with carefully skived (bevelled) edges ... to keep down the wear on ME. Can't send them to you ... organic materials like leather have to go through far too many hoops in international mail, these days!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton