Merckel
German
hammer maker
machine builder
Biography
Merckel of Hamburg began the specialty industry of hammer making in Germany about 1845, supplying the action maker Isermann and many piano makers with handmade hammers. He later introduced machines of his own construction for hammer covering in 1860, ahead of the general adoption of American-pattern hammer-covering machines in Germany around 1870. No further biographical information about Merckel is given in this text beyond his role in founding and mechanizing German hammer production.
Highlights
- Supplied the action maker Isermann and many piano makers with handmade hammers from about 1845 in Hamburg
- Introduced machines of his own construction for hammer covering in 1860
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911).
Public domain.