I have a 5-key 19th century wooden flute that has tenons with turned thread grooves which has likely always had thread joints. What are opinions on changing the joint material to cork? I have Hammy Hamilton's DVD on wooden flute maintenance and fitting cork seems simple enough. Is one or the other seen as more appropriate or preferable on an older flute?

As you can imagine, there is some controversy. Some maintain that thread
can be adjusted so that it relieves stress on the tenon when the flute is
wet from playing. Others (e.g. me) have no problem with cork and like
the convenience. I suggest you go with whatever is most practical.

Agree with Jim. I get all my flutes that arrive with threaded joints corked. The cork eventually compresses and you need to do it again, and beware of having the cork too high so the joint is too tight.

Hugh

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It takes about a decade to sound like you've been playing for 10 years (source unknown).

The turned grooves on the tenons don't necessarily indicate that thread was solely intended by its maker (although given the age of your flute it most likely was).
Still to this day most, if not all, clarinets are cork-lapped at their tenons but the same grooves are always present. Many modern wood flutes too.
Is this a makers tradition? Or to help provide sound glue adhesion for the cork?

V

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'...I want to warn you that playing the flute is impossible for those who have no tongue, for all notes must be led by the tongue; therefore, those of you who take pleasure in playing the flute should guard your tongue against mould, which is to say, drink often.'
- Philibert Jambe der Fer (1556)

Do you know about the lighter trick? Shake the flame of a butane lighter under the cork, rotate so you've done the whole cork a couple of times, and this expands the cork again. You can get away with this of order a half-dozen times before the cork's beyond rejuvenation.

To add to what Jim and Hugh said, while thread can be added and removed to account for shrinking and swelling of the wood, the springiness of cork does this intrinsically (I like both; I've got no horse in this race).

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Charlie
Whorfin Woods
Don't blame me, I voted for Cthulhu

This is interesting -

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/effects_of_ ... apping.htm

I've recently bought a flute from Tony Millyard. He prefers threaded joints (though he will cork them on request) and even provides online instructions on how to rebind them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxGIv3oJl-Y

It's six of one and half a dozen of the other. Both thread and cork work. If you have a working flute, why fuss?

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And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving - moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance. ('And I suppose,' thought Lucy, 'when trees dance, it must be a very, very country dance indeed.')

C.S. Lewis

I have both and prefer thread, not enough to de-cork the corked flute, but enough that I'd pick thread if I had a choice. I sometimes do add a few turns of thread now and then. I like to switch head joints so if the flute is threaded I can just add or subtract a bit if the wood sizes work out. But I'm the only person I know that does this so it might just be a me thing. If you need a flute re-corked any competent band instrument repair person should be able to do it.

Thanks for all the replies. Interesting to read different opinions.

I also read the very detailed info on the link Gromit posted though most of it went over my head but nice to know there is such expert analysis available.

As I'm coming form a saxophone/clarinet background I'm used to cork. I think I'll switch to cork on my flute in the near future. I'm ok to do that job myself with either method but fitting cork and keeping the joint in good condition just seems more straightforward to me.

As usual I vote for sloth and torpor (and cork). But I am inspired by people who use thread.

Thread! Unless the flute was designed for cork, the sockets will not support cork. Thread also helps support the tenon, by binding it. Flutes with lined sockets are fine for using cork tenons...

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"I love the flute because it's the one instrument in the world where you can feel your own breath. I can feel my breath with my fingers. It's as if I'm speaking from my soul..."
Michael Flatley


Jon

For me I dread the corking jobs...

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"I love the flute because it's the one instrument in the world where you can feel your own breath. I can feel my breath with my fingers. It's as if I'm speaking from my soul..."
Michael Flatley


Jon

And I dread asking artisans to do it for me, because it's something that I think I should be able to do myself. I can't speak to others' needs. I've applied cork before, but once was enough for me. It least disturbs my own sloth and torpor to use thread, so thread it is.

Plus I've always preferred that sense of thread lending finer control over the result.

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"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

Sold! This post wins the thread, IMO.

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And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving - moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance. ('And I suppose,' thought Lucy, 'when trees dance, it must be a very, very country dance indeed.')

C.S. Lewis