Pianotech

  • 1.  Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-30-2025 18:22

    Customer is moving their 1927 Knabe grand with ivory keytops from central Illinois to Canada and are concerned about the ivory issue and customs regulations. Can anyone share firsthand experience in this area? Modern Piano Moving is picking up in Illinois and I'm uncertain on it's first stop on the journey north.



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    John Minor
    The Piano Shop Inc
    Champaign IL
    thepianoshopcu@gmail.com
    www.thepianoshopcu.com
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  • 2.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-30-2025 19:23

    John, 

    I dealt with this once, it was years ago, but I doubt too much has changed.

    You, or the owner, must contact the authorities or research the current law. 

    The case I was involved with the owners had been informed that there was no way it crosses the Canadian border with ivory keys.

    The owner called me to see if the keys could be recovered; it turns out that the material was an older form of plastic with the fake grain,

    so, it really wasn't a problem.  But move carefully before hiring movers or incurring other expenses because that piano will probably not

     be delivered as is, and then the owner is stuck with a problem. 

    Michael



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    Michael Gutowski, RPT,
    Technical Exam Sub-Chair
    Chicago Chapter
    chicagotuner@aol.com
    847-991-5577
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-31-2025 00:41

    It might be difficult to have that piano moved to Canada. About 5 years ago I was sending a Steinway to Europe and applied for a required CITES permit from US Fish & Wildlife. A few weeks later I got a call from someone there saying I could probably send it, but may not be able to bring it back into the USA. The 'enforcement' division of F&W may not honor the permit I got from F&W to send it to overseas!

    It was explained to me that one of three conditions which allow moving it would be if 1) you are moving permanently to Canada 2) it was going to a trade show or museum and 3) if you were a concert pianist on tour and wanted to bring your own piano. In any case, a CITES permit will be needed to bring it into Canada. Unfortunately your client's 1927 Knabe is not over 100 years old, as there is a permit for an 'antique' instrument as well.  

    You might want to contact Shawn Bruce at the PTG Home Office. Although his advise to me was to remove the ivory... In the end I shipped the piano with the key frame and sharp keys, but without the ivory keys. The company had enough there to restring, refinish and install a new damper back action and dampers. I completed the action replacement after I received the piano back.



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    Michael Hagen RPT
    Rohnert Park CA
    (707) 664-9857
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-31-2025 00:41

    Check with Rod Verhnjak in Vancouver BC. He has experience getting ivory across the US/Canada border. 



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    David Stocker, RPT
    Olympia WA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-31-2025 10:53
    Hi John. 

    I don't know the answer to this, the laws change all the time.  Is it just the piano moving or other household items? Is the owner moving  with te instrument?

    Look here, search definition of antique piano, then ivory on antique goods.   

    The piano owner will need a document describing what it is from a professional. I am nit sure who qualifies for this? 

    There are documents and people working at Canada customs that are brokers and sometimes they can give you lots of information or lead you astray.  You might need to try more than once to get an answer and then again the day of the move to make sure that no laws have changed. 

    Outside of the Canada customs people there are brokerage firms that can do all the paper work or just verify that customs told you the right thing. 

    Big moving firms have their own brokers and when you move a household there a documents and forms to fill out and their brokers can do this.  

    What I remember from the past is that if it is an antique and can be proven that the ivory was harvested before a certain date it will be allowed to cross.  

    Looking at this things seem to have changed a lot and some very recently. 
    Jessica

    Sent from Gmail Mobile



    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-31-2025 14:19

    Thanks for the replies. Our shop picked up the piano last week to await pickup by Modern Piano Moving. The owner is a theoretical physicist who has taken a faculty position at University of Toronto. He's well aware that the ivory will present special issues but I wanted to see if anyone here has had personal experience with this same situation in the recent past. I'll try to post updates on the procedures that take to accomplish the task. I'll pass along the recommendations here.



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    John Minor
    The Piano Shop Inc
    Champaign IL
    thepianoshopcu@gmail.com
    www.thepianoshopcu.com
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-01-2025 12:31

    The last time I had to do this it was the other way, an old grand (I don't think it was quite 100 years old) being moved from Calgary to California. There is paperwork to be done and when I looked through it I informed the client that his lawyer should look at it and fill out the proper CITIES paperwork for importing/exporting an antique (almost!) piano with original ivory keys. I believe the relevant documents are something like PRE-ACT/PRE-CONVENTION ANTIQUE CITES permit, but don't quote me on that. There are a lot of hoops to go through, but a lawyer should be able to figure that out for you.

    John



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    John Musselwhite, RPT
    Calgary, AB Canada
    www.musselwhite.com
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Moving piano w/ivory to canada

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-02-2025 14:38

    Knabe did such lovely ivory work. If the client has the resources, perhaps they could get a new keyset and pack the old one away until it becomes antique.



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    Steven Rosenthal RPT
    Honolulu HI
    (808) 521-7129
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    Original Message