Chiff and Fipple Forums

I am curious who out there other than Dave Copley is making 8 key delrin/polymer flutes. Please feel free to post other 8 key pymer flute makers active these days. Thanks!

Eric

I think Vincenzo Di Mauro may still be doing them upon request. Seem to remember someone posting here about having one just a few years ago, and struggling with the usual Low C note challenges.

Has anyone ever gotten an 8 Key from John Gallagher in Delrin? I have a vague sense that I may have heard of such an animal sighted in the wild.

I’m having trouble thinking of any other makers but I feel like there are at least a couple more….
Tom Aebi perhaps?

Sorry I don’t have more hard evidence Eric, hopefully others who have the unicorn flutes will chime in.

Probably Terry as well?

Thanks Loren...I do think I recall Terry making them and hopefully he still does...I am interested in something similar to my circa 1830s Henry Wylde but in delrin instead of cocus.

Eric

No, sorry, not me. I do make keyless in Delrin, but not keyed flutes - I reckon the stuff is too hard to work for block mounted flutes. Should work well for post mounted flutes though, but that's not my cup of tea.

And I don't think I've actually had a Wylde through here, if so, I didn't measure it up. We know he was "Wylde from Rudall & Rose", so he probably knew what he was doing! It would be very interesting to compare an R&R from the period with the flutes from their various former workers.

Just to whet appetites, here's a left-handed Wylde:

Dave Copley has stopped making 8 key flutes in both wood and delrin but he still makes 6 key flutes.
Iain

iain beag wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 1:44 am Dave Copley has stopped making 8 key flutes in both wood and delrin but he still makes 6 key flutes.
Iain

Oh bummer. Michael Connolly did the same...brief period of 8 keyed flutes but dropped back to 6 keyed.

Eric

Tom Aebi has been experimenting with Juma lately (a "resin based material", per their website), and he made at least one keyed piccolo and one flute headjoint out of it. He's a very flexible person, so if it's technically possible (cf. Terry's comments about block mounts and delrin), I suppose he could do it.

Glenn Watson would also be worth asking. He was (at least at one point) offering 8 keys and his flutes are one of the more Wylde like I have played. He made a keyless Delrin flute for me some years back, so I know he has worked with the material. No idea if he has ever produced a keyed Delrin flute though.

I’ve owned two Watson flutes, the keyless Delrin and a 6 key boxwood which I acquired used. Both were excellent flutes: Well made and very good players. I only sold the Keyed flute because a chronic left hand/arm issue forced me to switch to piper’s grip on the left hand and the blocks prevented me from sealing the holes well and consistently, which is a problem for me with every block mounted flute I’ve tried, nothing to do with the Watson flute’s block placement, which is pretty standard.

Anyway, Glenn was easy to work with on the Delrin flute and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to others. Might be worth shooting him an email.

Thanks Loren!

No problem, hope it helps!