Flute makers: I got something in my head!

[radcliff]

I got something stuck in my head!
I just acquired a nice richard potter flute.
While restoring it, I realised that something unexpected was stuck in the head piece.
So here comes a bunch of pics:
the head:


dismounted:


well, there is an extra ring!
it comes from just by the end of the head:


here is how it looks without it:


and here is with it in its original place:


and btw, here is the flute itself:


Old Head's technology?

[LorenzoFlute]

Any idea on its use?

[Latticino]

I might be totally off base, but isn't that cavity (that is filled with the ring in question) usually used to accept the slide "cover" section that projects from the headjoint side of the barrel? Perhaps it was formerly attached to the barrel and broke off? Cant tell the ring material from your photos, but I am more used to seeing it as an extension to the barrel liner in plated brass or nickel silver (rarely in wood).

Interesting flute in any event. Best of luck with your restoration.

[radcliff]

I can tell you that the ring is made of boxwood, while the barrel has no slide (made not to have it).

[s1m0n]

Better a ring in your head than a ringing in your ears.

[Jon C.]

That used to be attached to the barrel, but broke off.

[radcliff]

Jon, quite hard to explain, but I can see that it has nothing to do with the barrel. The ring and the barrel have an opposite shape that do not match each other.
The extra ring is made right to close that head's hole, leaving an air gap inside the head.
I tought maybe the barrel could have been an hose replacement, but all my evidences said that is original and made within the flute (stamp, shape, ivory, stained boxwood). Also the metal tube inside the barrel is made to end up like it is (very well done...).
As I cannot think that having an air gap inside the head gives any advantage, I can only belive it has benn made to avoid extra moviments of the metal tube. But it is such a weak explanation and I cannot stick to it.

I need some ideas as I will not going to reglue the head piece if I cannot understand it! :- )

[Tonehole]

It looks better in its original place.

Is that an ivory lined embouchure too?

[radcliff]

Yes, the embouchure is ivory lined.
Here it is after 24h


and I've found a mark under the Bb key

[Loren]

It's starting to clean up nicely!

Looking at the photos it seems to me that the headjoint was originally produced with the intention of having a typical tuning slide and then at some point it was modified to the current configuration, for whatever reason. Could have been after the flute was originally produced, or perhaps partway through production. The Ivory embouchure hole isn't standard either, and could have been done along with the slide modification as, or as part of customization or repairs - as bushings for example are often done to alter an existing embouchure size/shape or repair a damaged edge. Can be a purely cosmetic appointment as well.

Perhaps the original barrel cracked and was replaced with the current one based on the owners preference. Or maybe the owner simply didn't like the look or weight of the full metal slide? Could be the flute had corps de recharge made for it to play at differing pitches and the flute no longer "needed" a slide.

At any rate, I have seen similar slide modifications before ( while I was at Von Huene), although I am not clear why it was done at the time. One more thing on the long list of items I should have asked Freidrich about but didn't think to at the time.......sign.

Loren

[radcliff]

Thanks Loren,
This flute is a nice one.
I cannot find nor remember of another fully keyed potter with square keys.
Also the crown is slighty different from his standard as well as the last bottom ring (in "german" shape).
I can spot few other issues:
1- The shot F block is possibly e a replacement
2- the G# block have is been fixed
3- the long F key has been removed but the original pin was still in.
3b- the long F hole has been pluged with a nice piece of cork

So: new theory: the flute has been refixed by Potter at a certain stage, and by that time the barrell was reworked. so they add that ring in order not t have the metal tube "move" near the empty area.
I guess it make some sense...

ps
the embouchure looks to be a pure cosmetic extra.