A colleague of mine in Holland is looking for Roslau piano wire but rolled onto a plastic reel (e.g. like those of Malcom Rose & Stephen Birkett). Vogel only sells them rolled on cardboard reels.
I did a quick search myself but when looking a the pictures it seems that this kind of wire is by default sold as a roll of wire held together with plastic quickbinders. Does anyone know of source of this wire on plastic coils (by preference in Europe to avoid the 40% taxes)?
If not I’ll suggest that he recycles empty Rose reels and try to wind the wire himself onto those.
Piano wire in gauges suitable for pianos is stiff and retains a coil from its original draw. If you release those binding clips, the coil expands explosively into a dramatic tangle which is virtually unsalvageable. It is normally unclipped into a canister or very carefully wound onto a metal spool with a braking clip. I’ve never seen it on a plastic reel.
Finer gauges, sold as “dulcimer wire,” are supplied on plastic reels by the Mapes piano wire company in the US. They can be managed with care, realizing that if you let the wire get loose you will probably have to throw it away.
I’ve been lucky enough to witness these wire blow ups on the job without having to invest $15 for a test release.