Hello to all.
I’m thinking of buying a wooden flute in boxwood. I really like the looks of the wood, but I am wondering about any issues that usually go along with boxwood instruments. Particularly, what about warping?
Thanks to all who reply.
With best regards,
Stephen
My boxwood Goulding (~1820?) has very minimal warping, but my old 1-key (a cheapie even in the 1800’s) is a hockey stick. Seems that in some decades box was a cheaper option, but there are some pretty swank old boxwood tooters, and some new ones that inspire great lust from me, at least. I like a bit of mass, so grenadilla or cocus for the chiffster. It’s the craftsman and the player that count: anyone for an Olwell OSB Nicholson? A McGee GLP in MDF? An all-ivory Rudall?
I have several boxwood flutes and have had no problems to speak of. One does tend to warp a little when I let it dry out too much. This warping doesn’t turn it into a banana, it makes the barrel-left-hand joint tight. This is not a high-end flute, so may represent less-well-aged wood, plus it only happens when the flute has gotten dry and I play it for an extended period, so it’s partly my fault. Since I discovered the problem, I’ve been a little more careful, and it hasn’t happened in several years. I keep all my flutes humidified in a Rubbermaid container with cigar humidifiers and digital hygrometer. It’s a very inexpensive way to make pretty sure than nothing untoward happens to a boxwood flute.
I’ve owned several antique box flutes, none of which have been bananas. The frequency of cracking has been about the same as the blackwood flutes I’ve owned.
Which brings me to the big difference between box and the more-oily/less-porous woods. To some extent, boxwood plays in every time you pick up the flute. It plays differently whet/once all the pores have swelled shut than it does before. It plays differently the first play after oiling than the last play before. I really like this in a flute – it gives me the sense that the instrument was made from living material.
Personally, I like this in a flute, it feels woodier to me. Others don’t, which is one reason blackwood is more popular.
I once saw a boxwood flute with six keys and blocks for the foot keys. When dry, it was perfectly straight. But as soon as somebody played it for some time, the foot joint bent heavily upwards. The rest of the flute kept straight. After playing, the joint straightened itself slowly.
That was one naughty flute. 
I will try out castello boxwood for flutemaking soon, people say it looks quite a bit like boxwood and I’m interested to see how it works for flutemaking. Maracaibo/zapatero boxwood is said to be an almost perfect substitute for real boxwood, but it is a lot more difficult to obtain.
If you want boxwood, go for it. In most cases the warping doesn’t affect playability, and if so, I’m sure that your maker will help you out.
Terry McGee
makes boxwood flutes and I understand he takes special care about its seasoning.
Be careful with subsitiutes for boxwood. I got a couple of chunks of Asian boxwood from a maker who’d gotten thousands of dollars’ worth of the stuff, which looks and turns like the real thing, and even has the high density. But it cracks. He sold it to me for much less than he paid, I just wanted to learn some turning on it.
I had a castello boxwood flute for some time. I didn’t think it looked, sounded, or felt like the real thing – for one thing, the density is somewhat lower.
Thanks for that, chas. I really don’t want to work with real boxwood, as I personally would hate to have a warped flute for the price I paid for the wood…I’d rather buy blackwood then, I know what I get with that.
Has anyone tried or seen “amarillo boxwood”? Also known as baitoa or palo blanco. It looks lovely but it is very cheap as well, and there must be a reason for that…
i have a lot of Boxwood billets for 15 years now, really beautiful european stuff…but also some “boxwood” from south america that came in 2"x8"x8’
it’s very dense and turns just like boxwood…lacks the figure and probably more stable…i’d say it’s a lot like citrus wood.
i think thats whats called Maracaibo (SP) boxwood?
i made instruments from both, and i think boxwood takes a differend finish then the oily rosewood family.
it needs to be sealed, minimum with bore oil.