Chiff and Fipple Forums

I'm trying the boxwood Paddy Ward Hawkes model six-key
that was listed at the IFS. I wonder if people can fill me in
on what makes a Hawkes model flute a Hawkes model flute.
I'm aware of who Hawkes was, but can't really find any info
on what sort of flute he made alone. Also does anybody know
what metal Paddy W is using on the tuning slide. The head joint is
only half lined. It doesn't look like silver, though the rings and
keys are silver.

A note to add that I've been playing the flute for a couple of hours.
First impressions may be deceiving, but Gee, what a good flute!

Hey Jim,

Hawkes flutes are late period larger bore flutes with a rather complex bore profile. McGee has a bore profile shone under "Bores I Have Known" (if memory serves).

But the contemporary flute that you are familiar with a Hawkes design is COPLEY!

Have Fun!

Sillydill wrote: Hawkes flutes are late period larger bore flutes with a rather complex bore profile. McGee has a bore profile shone under "Bores I Have Known" (if memory serves).
Have Fun!

Jim, the page that Sillydill is referencing is here: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/bores.htm

That is a good memory, Sillydill.

I don't recall seeing Terry McGee talk a lot about Hawkes, but if you follow the following link you'll see other references on his site to Hawkes: https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A ... gws_rd=ssl

Other than that, I can't really say anything about them myself.

The Hawkes company made a lot of different models of flute during its existence (I believe they imported French flutes at first.) I have played an Eb Pratten type flute, it was very powerful and well intoned. They made a lot of instruments out of Ebonite, I read somewhere that Molloy's Eb was an Excelsior Sonorous model. I do not know which model of Hawkes flute Paddy Ward designed his instrument around, so it may be very different to the one I tried.

Here is a picture of the beastie:

http://www.paddywardflutes.com/FlutePics/mainpic7.html

The flute is powerful, light, the keys work well, and the flute sounds good.
You will note that the corking
is narrow. On the particular flute I have, there appears not to be enough
corking to control the tenons, this continues down the flute, and
the tenons are wobbling a bit. Maybe an artifact of wear.

Lovely flute Jim, good thing you saw it before I did otherwise I might have bought it, lol.

Yeah, the corks (at least those visible) appear too narrow to prevent the rocking of tenon in socket, but there can be other factors as well, including the size differential between the wood of the sock and the tenon. To be fair to Paddy, one does need to allow for more swelling on the Boxwood instruments, lest you end up with a stuck together flute at the end of every long playing session. Been there, done that, hated it....

Still, I'd have opted for wider corks, but he may have had concerns about the tenons going out of round or compressing.

Multiple ways to skin the proverbial cat on these problems, and every maker will choose there own way.

Thanks for the info. Any idea what the tuning slide is made of? Not silver, I think.
Nickel would be the alternative, I reckon. Very shiny and doesn't look
like it tarnishes.