A question for Olwell bamboo flute owners

fluteress · Post by **fluteress** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:44 pm

Hi, all,

I just recently acquired an Olwell bamboo flute and am curious, did Patrick Olwell not put his makers' mark on them at one time? This one doesn't have 'Olwell' on it, & since I'm planning to sell it soon, I'm curious as to why this is.

It's quite possible I've just missed his marking on this bamboo flute (it's a low D, by the way).... or is it?

Thanks!

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:59 pm

Mine does not have a mark.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:12 pm

Never seen one with a mark.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:15 pm

All of the ones I have ever seen (and that's a lot) have the Olwell mark. It is faint, but it is there, impressed in the bamboo.

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:18 pm

I've had two Olwell bamboo flutes (an A and a D), and both had OLWELL in all caps, but it was VERY lightly impressed and you had to look at it from an angle to see it.

-Brett

fluteress · Post by **fluteress** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 6:15 am

Hmm.. so I guess he didn't mark them at one time...

Thanks all for the replies so far!

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:23 am

Mine's marked OLWELL, though like Jessie said it's quite faint -- try looking at it in side light.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:02 am

Every one I've ever seen was stamped "OLWELL", and very lightly, as others have mentioned. The light stamping would be necessary to avoid cracking the flute, bamboo being less strong than wood.

Loren

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:20 am

Even on his "real" flutes (blackwood, cocus, boxwood, etc) Patrick's mark is quite understated and subtle, easy to miss. The truly great ones do not need to overly blow their own horns. (Unlike some other makers, who I won't name, who have rather ostentatious maker's marks on their much lesser flutes.) So my guess is that if any of his bamboo flutes have a mark, they all do - except maybe for his very early ones. Certainly if he ever was putting his mark on the bamboo flutes, he wouldn't be stopping now, because the bamboos are greatly increasing in value and thus more likely to attract copycat makers attempting to cash in on the value of his work. (That's why he possibly may not have marked them early on, since they weren't so widely recognized back then for being as good as they are.) So if the mark is not visible on one of his flutes, most likely it has worn off.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:28 am

johnkerr wrote:Even on his "real" flutes (blackwood, cocus, boxwood, etc) Patrick's mark is quite understated and subtle, easy to miss.

Same stamp, much deeper impression.

The truly great ones do not need to overly blow their own horns. (Unlike some other makers, who I won't name, who have rather ostentatious maker's marks on their much lesser flutes.)

Wow, taking makers to task for their choice of maker's mark.........

Loren

Ro3b · Post by **Ro3b** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:34 am

Patrick's use of his stamp seems somewhat whimsical and arbitary. The keyless blackwood flute I got from him in 1998 didn't have a stamp anywhere, but the keyed sections I got in 2000 each have the stamp. My boxwood flute only has the stamp on the headjoint. My E bamboo flute, purchased in 1997, doesn't have the stamp, but my F, purchased in 1999, does. Shrug? As John says, the stamp is kind of redundant since you can pretty much tell one of his flutes by picking it up and playing it.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:05 am

Ro3b wrote:As John says, the stamp is kind of redundant since you can pretty much tell one of his flutes by picking it up and playing it.

D'uh

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:09 am

I have an Olwell G and it has no mark. I know it is Olwell because I bought from the Olwell's booth at the MD Ren Fair. This is the only one I have seen other than the ones I selected this one from.

Ron

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:30 am

Ro3b wrote: As John says, the stamp is kind of redundant since you can pretty much tell one of his flutes by picking it up and playing it.

<GASP> You mean, you have to PLAY one to know???? Jeez. I thought you Easterners were more sophisticated than that.

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:41 am

Cathy Wilde wrote:
Ro3b wrote: As John says, the stamp is kind of redundant since you can pretty much tell one of his flutes by picking it up and playing it.
<GASP> You mean, you have to PLAY one to know???? Jeez. I thought you Easterners were more sophisticated than that.

Well, up here we're virtually surrounded by them. Which means that when you see one, you're gonna pick it it up and play it - because you know if you don't, someone else will. And then the next thing you know, they're taking it home with them. Which sucks if it's your flute they're taking...