I spent the day in Massies Mill yesterday. Here’s something you won’t see everyday!
Bling!
R
Ah, just what the DC session scene needs, another flute player. 
No worries, John, I’m not a flute player, just a flute owner. But after 25 years on the waiting list, I feel somewhat justified in my excitement.
tell us more…who made it? are the keys brass? looks beautiful !!
Paddy made it out of cocus that was nice and straight. The keys are an Au/Cu alloy.
Flute owner → flute player. It’s a slippery slope, with no balky reeds to hold you back. Plus, if you don’t play the thing you’ll have other more nefarious folk from the waiting list waiting for you in dark alleys. They’re worse than vampires with the scent of blood in the air.
Purty!
We talked about it for years. He recommended a Pratten model to match my piping style.
Paddy made it out of cocus that was nice and straight.
Paddy what?
Paddy Whack:
This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my drum,
With a knick-knack, paddy whack,
Give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
What is the advantage over silver of the alloy keys? Lovely flute.
Jim, the advantage over silver keys is they don’t tarnish, i. e., no maintenance. I must say, they look really nice with cocus.
Uillman, do you remember when your ordered it? I think I’m going on five years on the list, just wondering when my number might come up.
congrats! that’s quite stunning..
Gold keys…well, it looks nice. I’d rather put the money in for the missing keys, though.
In addition to not tarnishing, they are a good bit stiffer and stronger than sterling. I really like the color with the cocus. I guess I first asked Patrick to make me a flute around 1985. It had gotten to be a long standing joke between us, and once every few years I would say, “Hey, is my flute ready?” to which he would respond, “You’re on the list!” He has been a good friend for a long time, and it was okay that he held off because he knew I didn’t know how to play the thing anyway, as I was up to my elbows in uilleann pipes. And all the while I’ve been patiently waiting for him to get good at making them. We spent a good bit of time cutting boxwood, visiting each others shop, analyzing different timbers, comparing techniques, and philosophizing. I had the pleasure of attending his wedding a few months ago, and it was funny to think that he is a grandpa, and his kids that I met as babies are now nearing middle age. So, yeah it has been a while, but it was definitely worth the wait!
I’ll be up in C’ville tomorrow; I look forward, with great pleasure, to pointing out to Aaron that he’s nearing middle age!
Rob
Ha! I guess Aaron is still only about 30ish.
BTW, I got this Reunion Blues leather case cover for 89 bucks on eBay for added thermal protection.
It fits the Northwind cases nicely, and there’s just enough room for a whistle or something.
That’s just beeeyootiful uillmann, please, no more pic’s… you’re torturing me here. 
Thermal protection is great, but when the cold dry winter rolls around don’t neglect the humidity retention measures - especially if you’re not playing the flute every day. My experience is that the Northwind cases even with a leather cover don’t seal tight enough to retain the moisture from a Dampit or such placed inside the case. If you store the flute in the case then you need to put the whole lot inside your humidified environment. Patrick has told me he’s able to keep his flutes from drying out by humidifying the entire room that he keeps them in, but I’ve never had success doing it that way. I have a fairly large Tupperware that seals tight, and I put all the flute pieces inside it along with a moisture source. Of course doing it that way you do have to keep an eye out for mold and mildew.