August 1st 2026Damien Buttons Up
Earlier in July, Damien Mullane travelled to the historic town of Stradella in Northern Italy to meet with our friend and partner, Claudio Beltrami – also known as the "Mr Miyagi" of accordion tuning. It was a visit that would reveal a little more of the enchantment we have come to expect when spending time in this humble yet culturally consequential town, so renowned for its rich accordion-making heritage and one in which the Beltrami name is generationally entwined.
Damien's mission was to collect a newly finished first edition for one of our clients, Liam Mullan, so that it could be safely hand-delivered back to him in Ireland. The morning began much as any morning with Claudio does: he showcased the array of specialist tools hanging on his workshop walls, explaining how each was made and the various nooks and crannies of every kind of accordion they were designed to work with, while Damien hung on every word with the curiosity of a young boy watching a magic trick for the first time.
A small selection of Claudio Beltrami’s many specialist tools
A peep into Claudio's world involves carefully prising open casings, making the finest adjustments, and hearing stories of inventiveness and mastery that only come from years of passion spent honing a craft. One tool that caught Damien's eye was a replica of one originally created by Claudio's father, Giovanni Beltrami – it would become one of the tools integral to putting the finishing touches on our accordions. Claudio explained that his father's original had been lost, so he had fashioned this one himself.
As the morning wore on and the two of them tinkered away, Claudio received a call from a woman at the local council. She explained that they were clearing out the old Fratelli Crosio factory, where Claudio's father had once worked. The building had been deemed unsafe and needed to be secured. She mentioned that it was still strewn with artefacts from its working days, and wondered whether Claudio might like to come and take a look first, in case there was anything of value worth salvaging – and if so, could he come now.Damien, Claudio, and Claudio's apprentice, Marco, jumped in the car and headed over.
The now closed Fratelli Crosio factory, Stradella
As they stepped into the derelict factory, Damien felt as though he'd walked into a cave of wonders. Layers of dust and cobwebs made it clear the place hadn't been touched in years. It was full of old tools and equipment from a bygone era of accordion making. Encouraged to rifle through old boxes, Damien soon stumbled across something special: a shimmering bag of antique pearlescent buttons – the exact old Paolo style he and Kevin had been trying tirelessly to source for the third edition accordion – sitting forgotten in the corner of an old factory. As he ran his hands through the bag, feeling the buttons slip between his fingers, Claudio approached with a tool in hand. It was his father's tool – the very one he had replicated and shown Damien only that morning. Both of them sat there beaming.
Buttons and tool in bag, as quickly as they arrived, they stepped back out onto the streets of Stradella, with yet another piece of the puzzle happily in place.
The antique buttons that Damien discovered (to be integrated into the design of the third edition)