EBAY FLUTE IVORY ?????

[Loren]

Being a dog person (and apparently hoary at that) I'd have no problem with flutes made of cats, or even kittens. I am however allergic to the little beasties, so I can't offer to make such an instrument for you.

Loren

[jemtheflute]

Strewth, Loren, what are you NOT allergic to?

I'm cat people myself, though not a cat partner/host since my last one got hit by a car outside the house about 9 years ago - won't have another until I live somewhere more conducive!

Surely Aanvil's suggestion would only make a caterwaul, though?
As for dogs, a flute made out of dog would just smell bad, and doubtless howl, drool,..........

More seriously, I'm not sentimental about such things, but whilst I support the ivory ban in a present day context and mourn/regret the errors of the past, I think it is a pity not to make good use of things whose history one is not responsible for and cannot alter, for their own intrinsic and accumulated worth. I also think it is a shame that the necessity for a total ban on ivory trade and use is necessary as the only hope of effectively discouraging poaching: ivory from elephants that die naturally or have to be legitimately culled ought not to pose an ethical problem, nor prehistoric arctic mammoth ivory and other such sources, but in fact does because any trade encourages the poachers. I do not think that owning or repairing or playing an antique ivory flute in any way contributes to those problems, however. Nor is it significantly different morally from having flutes made out of increasingly rare and endangered hardwoods, new made or antique - C19th felling of cocus trees is little different to c19th shooting of elephants in my book.

If I came across an old piece of ivory at a car boot sale that itself had no real artefactual merit as it stood and that I could use as a source of new ferrule rings for repairing a boxwood flute I have that needs a couple replaced, I'd have no qualms about doing that whatever.

[Loren]

Strewth, Loren, what are you NOT allergic to?

Apparently not much.

Chiff and Fipple even makes me a bit irritated and itchy at times, but what can you do?


Loren

[jemtheflute]

Chiff and Fipple even makes me a bit irritated and itchy at times, but what can you do?
Loren

Ahhhh. I think that might be an infection rather than an allergy. I'm sure I've caught similar symptoms here occasionally.

[Aanvil]

Chiff and Fipple even makes me a bit irritated and itchy at times, but what can you do?
Loren

Ahhhh. I think that might be an infection rather than an allergy. I'm sure I've caught similar symptoms here occasionally.

Thats a tidy explanation.


"No, really dear, its the internets! I swears it!"

[Denny]

it's the cat hair.....

...the cat hair is everywhere

[jemtheflute]

(Not) to mention the hair of the dog!

[Denny]

ya can never mention the dog....

it excites the thing & ya have to stop everything else and calm it back down.

[MarkP]

theres also an Eamonn cotter keyless from Ireland on ebay, I think I saw it up on chiff a while back

Did you see what it went for?

[Jon C.]

Nice recorder rack pic, Loren!

Isn't it funny how these things come round in lumps? New eBay listing, Stateside this time for those with ivory transport problems: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=002 - another Drouet.

Looks nice, though in less complete condition - someone's lost (or sold for scrap) amost of the keys, alas. Jon, up your street? The ivory looks in better nick than the magginisupplies one, save for the split-off key blocks.

jon and i were one step ahead of you!

shhhhhh.

The damaged ivory flute went for over a thousand. The ironic thing is the flute was probably a forgery. In langwill catalog, they quoted a old saying soemthing like few flutes were made by Drouet, but we find one on every block! The real Drouet flutes have the french style keys, and the unique C#/C keys on the foot that work diagonally. he also used silver dots for the makers brand, I always wanted to try that...

[MarkP]

and the Cotter went for the same price, more than he sells them for new and double what I paid for mine before Christmas. Obviously worth it to someone. Quite tempted to sell mine and buy two

[kkrell]

Has anyone ever tried using dental filler for fixing cracks? Where does one procure this stuff?

You can't buy the stuff unless you have a dentist friend, they restrict the sale. I haven't been able to get any yet, just a little I got on eBay. It is sold in a kit with all the different colors, and the curing blue light. I heard that it works well in filling cracks. Wilkes and a few others use the stuff. I have tried other materials without much luck. The problem with ivory, is it is very unstable, and moves quite a bit with humidity changes.

Jon,
That dental bond will also cure with a very bright light, doesn't need the special device. The problem is that it may be difficult to have the light reach well into a closed crack for proper curing. The material comes ready to use in a syringe, but my dentist thinks that the following version will work better for flutes:

I have a small supply from him of some Methyl Methacrylate Monomer liquid and powder for you to try, and can get more if it works out. It's white, and I don't know if it can be tinted at all. You flush the crack with the liquid, then dust with the powder. It does require use of good ventilation, as it's toxic until cured. Dentists normally sandblast the joining surfaces first to provide a mechanical "lock" for good bonding.

Kevin Krell

[Jon C.]

Has anyone ever tried using dental filler for fixing cracks? Where does one procure this stuff?

You can't buy the stuff unless you have a dentist friend, they restrict the sale. I haven't been able to get any yet, just a little I got on eBay. It is sold in a kit with all the different colors, and the curing blue light. I heard that it works well in filling cracks. Wilkes and a few others use the stuff. I have tried other materials without much luck. The problem with ivory, is it is very unstable, and moves quite a bit with humidity changes.

Jon,
That dental bond will also cure with a very bright light, doesn't need the special device. The problem is that it may be difficult to have the light reach well into a closed crack for proper curing. The material comes ready to use in a syringe, but my dentist thinks that the following version will work better for flutes:

I have a small supply from him of some Methyl Methacrylate Monomer liquid and powder for you to try, and can get more if it works out. It's white, and I don't know if it can be tinted at all. You flush the crack with the liquid, then dust with the powder. It does require use of good ventilation, as it's toxic until cured. Dentists normally sandblast the joining surfaces first to provide a mechanical "lock" for good bonding.

Kevin Krell

That would be great Kevin. I have a resperator, so the toxicity shouldn't be a problem. I do have some Microybrid composite that I got on ebay, but I think it needs some bonding material that is supposed to go with it, maybe the Methacrylate stuff will work with it? It is A3 color, so may be a little dark.
You can hold it ransom, until you get your flute!