Alan wrote:

Try using more butter...say 4 tbsps... (I mean 1 more tbsp more than
you use now) see what that does...

Add some cinnamonor some such to the crust mix... try adding
almond crumbs or both. But increasing the butter should work.

************
Thanks for the suggestions, Alan. One of the things I didn't
mention is that my cheesecake springform pans leak a litte
bit, so I sit them on cookie trays to bake them. Butter always
leaks out into the cookie sheet. Does that perhaps mean that
I don't have the butter combined well enough with the graham
crackers?

Another thing: I use a rolling pin to smash the graham
crackers. That's not pulverizing them too much and making
the crust hard, is it? I don't have a food processor and don't
plan on getting one, so that's not an option.

As far as additives, when I make a chocolate cheesecake,
I substitute crushed walnuts for some of the graham crackers
and add cocoa. I like it a lot, but it comes out hard also.

Thanks again, Michael