Chiff and Fipple Forums

I'm selling my Riviere and Hawkes flute, due potential problems with customs , CITES etc I'm only shipping to the UK. Antique flute by Rivier and Hawkes, 19th Century . Eight nickel silver keys. The head and barrel both have repaired cracks but the body and foot are crack free. The crack repairs wer...

I bought some artificial horn over ten years ago with a view to making these pipes, I finally got around to it.Musette Béchonnet, in boxwood. https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10289852_765062343518057_2780138800409805473_n.jpg I recall seing a set verry similer to this at blow...

From what I've hear Swedish pipes aren't that loud, there's probably little demand for such a thing. I did attend a talk on them a couple of years ago and the speaker (Olle Gallmo?) said that they have a tendency to play flat as moisture collects on the reeds (his own set was bellows blown) I can't ...

I bought some artificial horn over ten years ago with a view to making these pipes, I finally got around to it.Musette Béchonnet, in boxwood.

It's the only timber I've ever had a reaction to. It's a little softer than blackwood, trickier to fit pillar mounts to, it's a bit crumbly , doesn't take a screw thread as happily. Having said that we used to make modern oboes and cor anglais from it so it can be done. I can't imagine block mounts ...

A lot of people are allergic to it.

The hole will be under the end of the long F , about the same distance down as on my (Hans') flute.

Re the Metzler , those look pretty big for "hairline cracks", the pads look to be in an awful condition , no c nat key , having said that I think it looks nice!
(no I'm not bidding)

The short F key while fiddly isn't a major problem on it's own. The complexity I seem to have inflicted on myself is that the long F needs to do a sort of dog leg to connect to the short F, the short F needs a little tab on the side to connect to the long F . A straight long f with a little lever fr...

Thinking about it, having a long F that can also be opened by a short F lever (as opposed to the way I do it now -short F opened by a long F lever) is actually slightly simpler to make.
I can't remember why I originally did it that way round, I may have a re-think on this!

I spotted this and had to do a double take on the price: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-PROFESSIONAL-IRISH-D-FLUTE-EBONY-AFRICAN-BLACKWOOD-IN-WOODEN-HARD-CASE-/190826032814?pt=UK_Woodwind_Instruments&hash=item2c6e1e2eae It bares all the hallmarks of a Pakistani flute, but at a slightly high...

Yes, it's the blob bellow the C/C# touches, that's where she wanted it.
The flute was originally keyless so playing with the Eb key open tends to make the E a bit sharp.
I have found myself putting my finger on it, looks a bit far down the instrument to be comfortable but it's not bad.

Yes silver is much softer, (IMO) it's too soft for this type of keywork. I do forge keys from silver for block mounted flutes.
The advantage of nickel silver is that you can make complex and delicate keywork that still has good strength.

Thanks Casey,
largely filed and soldered, no actual forging involved. I make them from 2.5mm nickel sheet , cut filed, folded , ect.

A customer recently asked me to add keys to her flute's foot joint. She experimented with a keyed flute that I loaned to her and decided that she wanted a little platform to rest her pinkie on. I tend to just keep my little finger up in the air when playing a keyed flute so personally I don't find i...