This just proves that Rose really made the company! 
Who the H*ll is “Key Rudall”? By the time that address was used, Rudall & Rose was already going under the names "Rudall, Rose, Carte & Co., and then “Rudall Carte & Co.” So, an OLD fake? The vendor has offered a lot of flutes before, on eBay or their website, but they’ve generally seemed pretty legit items. I’m doubtful about this one.
Kevin Krell
It ain’t necessarily so - consult your history books. Frederick Key, son of Thomas Key, joined Rudall and Rose, in 1854, according to Langwill’s directory. Thomas Key’s wood and brasswinds moved to 20 Charing Cross in 1813, which became Rudall etc.'s address in the 1850s until the 1870s. Langwill even mentions instruments labelled Key, Rudall, Rose and Carte - though not necessarily flutes. Thus the “Key Rudall” on eBay is no doubt authentic - and being in F it may be a very rare specimen indeed.
Some conjecture that would give an historian fits or a music history student a thesis topic: As to its date it may be that the makers started their collaboration before they moved into the same building - or possibly revived an older design (or found one laying around and decided to stamp it with a later stamp). It looks more 1820s to 1840s to my eyes.
Would that perhaps be to you because of the emb.?
When did that ovoid cut start to be in fashion?
Jon… I think you need that specimen. 
Thanks for the information, you learn something everyday! I didn’t know about Key. The flute looks more like the 1820’s or earlier to me. I wonder if Mr Key and Mr Rudall got together before Mr Rose showed up? Another interesting thing is the unicorn stamp. Was this a flute guild stamp? My HY Potter has the unicorn stamp also.
Have a nice weekend, Casey!
Jon
Thansk for the additional info Casey. I don’t have a Langwill’s, just Hammy’s extracts of a few manufacturers in my copy of “The Irish Flute Player’s Handbook”. I was willing to make some allowances for the ‘F’ flute being enough of an oddity to have something weird going on with it.
Kevin Krell
Hmmm… it looks very crude compared to the early 5000’ series Rudall and Rose flutes that were already being made.
The key work looks very thin and less elegant - but I guess that could be appropriate for the model?
Crude, I don’t know about that. Just a different style.
The keywork is apropriate for the apparently baroque “style” that the flute is made in - the keys appear to be flapper style keys, although rounded in shape, rather than the more common square flappers you’d see most often on a baroque traverso.
Loren
I think it is very pretty. Elliptical embouchure, small evenly spaced tone holes, (traverso cross fingerings?) Not a big fan of boxwood, ivory, or keys, but for some reason I want to play that flute. One of the joints looks like it could use some new thread, and it looks like it has a little corrosion on the keys that needs attention, but aside from the neglect, it looks like someone loved the flute. The discolored lip area the darkening around the tone holes, etc. shows real use.
Fortunately, I do not have the spare funds for such an instrument.
It should be played to death, not allowed to live forever in a museum.
Quick question here, all the Hy potter and co flutes ive got have a unicorn stamp on it the same as this rudall and ive seen a few others with that stamp on it. Is their any reason why different makers would use this same stamp?
David
Hi David,
That has been my question also… I would think that it would be a guild?
Andrew gives some good information regarding the Key/Rudall stamp. he told me that Key Rudall &Co’ was the name Key & Co used in 1855/6
when taken over by Rudall Rose Carte & Co ( along with the unicorn ).
Keys name was dropped in 1858 as he died.
The flute does look older then that, but can’t argue with history…