Thought I’d told you previously, Ben… Either Neil or RB told me a good while back, your #3331 is listed as completed Sept 1901, made by Whitman, sold 21:1:1902.
I’m pretty sure there was at least one R,R&C picc either in the old thread about RC piccs here or in my eBay records.
You probably had. Ask Deb - I never listen. 
Wrote a longer reply but the site crashed, so…confirm the dates on yours that Jem has posted and adding…sold to a Herrick in (Till) there are a few with this note/place and am not sure if it’s a place or what?
The flute in the museum 2998 I cannot trace, but the one before 2997 was made in Feb 1899 & the one after 2999 although notated and made in Feb 1899 as an Eb piccoölo goes onto read… NOT MADE.
Now re-reading your replies I see you write 299o you must try harder Ben , I can’t find that one either LoL
In trying to answer your question Patrick…
As I had my collections stolen & want to replace them & these days they are priced so high it hurts:-(( The flute scene in the 20’ & 30’s had not so many makers to choose from and due to the Hawkes advertising early on in the Century about their new model, it appears many bought them. They are robustly made and play well, so not in dispute with that, just my observations.
I prefer the Rudall Carte simple system (“band flutes”, see Jem you’ve got me knocking them/us also:-)) flutes for tone and quality of workmanship in the main. There was a period during the Gt. War when this slipped and they farmed out the work to the firm “Starck”…this of course is my opinion only, so any family members… NOTE I’ve no money left due to buying Crown AZ’s so your wasting your time in a slander case 
) Boosey & Co. piccolos are probably the best I have used, as for their other range of flutes, again I can’t get anywhere and they also made a lesser quality model, so a deep subject to comment on fully.
As for rare I’m almost in despair of finding a RC F piccolo complete, either x6 keyed or the lesser model with x5…having the body and mouthpiece for this one in wood, but it has been stripped af its keys unfortunately. I am unsure of the form of the D# key took also (I heard that Jem…it is D# to us )
Neil can you tell us why Hawkes and Son Crown AZ are so sought after in the flute band world.
Also any rare band flutes you have or used to have would be interesting.
Take Care All,
Patrick
Hi guys,
I’m new to the forum. The reason I’m here is basically to get my hands on a sweet e-flat piccolo ie. a Rudall Carte for decent money. If anyone has any idea where I can attain one could they let me know!
Thanks!
Ps. has anyone ever heard of an Argyle e-flat piccolo??
Oh dear a “band fluter” it seems LoL…drop me a line direct, I may be able to assist and perhaps you can for me in return, if I read your in NI where most of these old flutes are? I have had ads on the Used Instrument Exchange for a RC piccolo & have got nowhere:-(( oakleaves@gmx.net
Funnily enough, ulsterpiccolo, I just last week semi-accidentally acquired a RC&Co. Eb 6-keyer just needing an overhaul. It came in with a nice concert flute and I didn’t realise it wasn’t a D picc until it arrived. It is, even un-fettled, very sweet. But sorry, I’m not going to be selling it. 
Stupid question, but we are talking about an Eb picc, are we? Not an F band flute? (Classical terminology ‘n’ all.)
Stupid question… 
Not an F picc either. And an Eb picc or flute would be Db in “classical terminology”, of course.
Next?
Oh, and if anyone is puzzled, this may help…
You’ve misunderstood my question, Jem. Someone using classical terminology might refer to the thing we call an ‘F band flute’ as an ‘[instrument] in Eb’ - yes?
I still think it’s worth checking, considering the culture …
[edit] No, it’s an octave above an F band flute, which is kind of my point - is an ‘Eb piccolo’ (classical terminology) actually an ‘F piccolo’ (our terminology)?
No, I didn’t misunderstand - I knew exactly what you were getting at, Ben (“our” F= “their” Eb - yes…, so was ulsterpiccolo actually seeking an F picc?) - didn’t think needed to say… and just wanted to obfuscate the issue further, of course… 
Gee thanks. I was just trying to help …
(“our” F= “their” Eb -) …got to hand it to you boys “you & us syndrome” LoL I’d say he’s after an Eb high pitched piccolo NOT a low pitched Eb Jem, I’m after an F HP piccolo, but then again I’m not so sure anymore, as I’m getting obfuscated )
Folk and band Fluters seem to use the same convention of calling the flute by its six finger note.
Still chipping away at the piccolo page.
Looking for info on Kevin McCusker now. Great stuff.
Quite. In this case the “us & them” is folkies+band types v classical, not traddies v bandies. 
Didn’t expect quite so many replies, and to cause such a stir! 
Nevertheless, I believe I am looking for an Ulster eb which is equivalent to “your” F.
I have a Peter Worrell picc at the moment ( http://www.peterworrell.co.uk/flutes.htm ), and would like a picc in the same key. Hope this helps 
Seriously? I doubt it! I believe Ulster flute bands (save those which have switched to Böhm flutes) mostly use the trad terminology, so I’d expect you to be “one of us” here… What do you call the main melody instruments in your band, “Bb” or “Ab”? What actual pitch 6-finger note/home scale do you want?
Pete Worrell’s piccs as per your link are what we traddies would term “in D” (classical “C”), though he offers them at both concert and high pitches. If that’s what you seek, you don’t want an Eb or F instrument at all! I’m also puzzled why you’d want another picc (unless in a different key) as I doubt any of the period ones, even the best like RC&Co. would be “better” than Peter’s for band use.
So has anyone played Walt Sweet’s Umbra model? I’ve been thinking of getting one.
http://wdsweetflutes.com/umbra.php
I’ve got a cheapo Dixon polymer that I’ve been fooling around with for a little while. I like the way it plays, and I’ve been thinking of getting a decent one (I’m the one who posted about the Angus flutes), but right now I’m trying to get used to the difference in breath from the whistle.
I feel like I’m running out of air a lot, whereas on the whistle I can go for an eternity without breathing. Also, my tone is pretty breathy. Would those two things be related (AKA an inefficient embouchure leading to more breath than necessary being expelled), and is that something I’ll just “get” as I keep practicing, or is there some sort of trick to it?
By the way, for anyone wanting to try the piccolo out, the Dixon is good for the price, and is tunable, but if you keep at it you’d probably outgrow it soon enough if you got serious about it.
Yes.
Probably, with luck, persistence and common sense…
No. At least, nowt mysterious. Just a technique to be learnt and developed.
You may find my Embouchure help sheet and maybe also the info on my Simple Piccolo blurb sheet helpful (both of which you can get to through the " Flute Resources" link in my signature).