Olwell serial number?

[Feadoggie]

Brent Santin will stick a copper Canadian penny on the flute end of his cork stoppers if you ask him. As I never played my Santin flute before he did that at my insistence, I don't know if it makes a difference. He got the idea from old timers at one of the Boxwood festivals he attended in eastern Canada.

I've been playing flute for over forty years (not particularly well mind you). Americans tend to throw money around more casually. It seemed common practice to glue a dime to the cork face back when I started out. Yes, you could do ten Canadian flutes for that princely sum. In those days we only had old flutes and many were in terrible shape. The corks could be dried out and rough faced too. So the dime did seem to make a demonstrable difference. Tiddly winks worked too but they are getting harder and harder to find lying round these days.

The link I gave above makes me stumble and mumble though. I don't see why it should matter at all, at least on a wooden flute. But who am I to question Robert Bigio.

Feadoggie

[RudallRose]

Robert and I have chatted on the subject off-and-on for a couple years.

He's one of the most respected minds in flute-dom you'll ever know.

It's been my desire to try it out ... but simply haven't gotten around to it.

It may well be something whose beauty is in the ears of the beholder.

But I would not steadfastly discount it based on what others say ... or opine on the issue.

[tin tin]

Different cork and stopper set-ups do affect how a flute plays. Here's an older thread detailing various views, including some of my experiences: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16583&p=184829

[keithsandra]

No one's mentioned the Tipples don't have crowns. Presumably no one has found this a disadvantage? Maybe Doug will tell us why he doesn't have them?

Best,

K.

[an seanduine]

Doug suggested a marble.
I haven't found the right diameter 'cat's eye' yet

Bob

[keylessflute]

Since when are us flute makers required to stamp serial numbers on the instruments we make?

I'd say, don't worry about it. Its how it plays that is the most important. Not how big the number on it is.

I agree. However, I just thought a serial number might be of some practical use. What if a flute is lost or stolen? A serial number could help to prove the actual ownership. A very long time ago, I sold my saxophone. The new owner asked for the original papers (including a reference to the serial number) as proof of his new ownership and was very happy I still had the documents.
Just a thought, anyway.