FS: Hammy Hamilton B-flat Fife (one-key) Plus More

[jim_mc]

Greetings:

I have several fifes up for sale on eBay. The most interesting to this group will probably be the B-flat Hamilton. From the eBay listing: This fife was made by Samuel Colin "Hammy" Hamilton, in Macroon, County Cork, Ireland. It is made of African Blackwood with one nickel silver key (for D sharp/E flat). The fife comes apart into three pieces - unlike somewhat similar American fifes, this one has a separate, metal lined tuning slide. This is an exquisitely crafted instrument - the build quality and the intonation are superior to any other fife I have ever played. And I have played fifes by every American maker of the 20th and 21st centuries (and a couple of 19th century, as well). Simply, this is the finest fife I've seen or played in over 40 years of playing, studying, and collecting fifes. If you were to order one from Hammy today, you would wait at least a year (he has a serious backlog of orders) and pay just over $1,000 USD. In the interest of finding a buyer in a reasonable amount of time, I am pricing it competitively with current high end American fifes such as McDonagh, Healy, and Walt Sweet. Packing, shipping and insurance (to continental U.S. destinations) included." The price is $400 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182646705790?ss ... 1555.l2649

Next is a McDonagh 10-hole B-flat fife. From the eBay listing: "This is a McDonagh Model L ten-hole fife in African Blackwood. There have been several makers of McDonagh fifes during the last 50 or 60 years. This fife definitely pre-dates the current maker (Cooperman) and the one prior to that (Wilson Woods). It was either made by Roy Seaman or by his apprentice, Larry Trout. Trout fifes are often (but not always) marked with a fish emblem under the Roy Seaman signature. This fife has no such emblem, but, to be honest, that does not definitively rule out that Mr. Trout made the fife. In any case, this fife is surely between 25 and 50 years old, but is in very nice condition. The joint was recently re-corked. I have priced it at about half of the going rate for a new, Cooperman made McDonagh 10-hole. Packing, shipping and insurance (to continental U.S. only) is included in the price." The price is $200 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182646724403?ss ... 1555.l2649

A B-flat Peeler 6-hole fife in maple (I believe). From the eBay listing: "This fife was made in Moodus, Connecticut by Ron Peeler. Peeler fifes are well-respected for their quality of craftsmanship and playability. This fife was made in the style of the Ferrary fifes of the 1950's-1970's. It is made of a light colored wood, which I believe is maple. Packing and shipping are included in the price (continental U.S. only)." $65 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182646728688?ss ... 1555.l2649

A B-flat Cooperman 6-hole in persimmon. From the eBay listing: "This is a used Cooperman fife in like-new condition (save some tarnish on the ferrules). It is a 6-hole model, made of persimmon wood. Packing and shipping are included in the price (continental U.S. only)." $37.50 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182646732425?ss ... 1555.l2649

Finally, the famous "Crosby" fife in C. From the eBay listing: "A less knowledgeable or less scrupulous seller would begin by telling you that this was a genuine Civil War fife by Crosby. It isn't. Many years of research have turned up no genuine Civil War era fifes by Crosby. Most fifes that we see labelled Crosby were made in the 20th century by the George Cloos Company. This fife is not a Cloos, either. What can be said about it is that it's a historical curiosity. It was probably not made by any Crosby, but rather made with the intention of capitalizing on the Crosby name. The date is certainly post-Civil War - the tapered, turned ferrules indicate that. I would guess that it is of early 20th century origin. Most fifes you find are in the key of B-flat. This one is in C. It's in good condition for an instrument of its age, and certainly can be played. It would make an interesting addition to a collection of historic woodwinds. Packing, shipping, and insurance included (continental U.S. only)." $85 USD.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182646740411?ss ... 1555.l2649

E-mail me with any questions - jimmccabe2001ATyahooDOTcom. Thanks!

[jim_mc]

Hamilton, Peeler, and Cooperman fifes have been sold.

25% off the remaining items for members of this forum.