You get all kinds in retail, serious buyers and duds. It’s the cost of doing business. BFD is about right.
FWIW, Delrin toots great and will never banana on you.
note how there are 6 movements in the line of correspondence quoted by Casey …
No, I discussed a common passion with an artisan and friend. And if I had bought a flute elsewhere, he would have sold my flute to someone else, no problemo.
Good Gentlemen of Freedonia …
Yeah Mark, IMHO you blew it. I see Casey’s point of view. Your email was deceptive and the way you presented the issue when you wrote this post was less than candid; you omitted a lot of stuff that when one has a more complete picture, leaves me, at least, with the idea that you were trying to justify behavior that you most likely knew was not correct in the first place.
I’ve done similar kinds of things mostly due to my impulsive nature and the thought that my questions are the most important things in the universe at that particular moment in time and ought to be answered. Is it a BFD?? Only to the extent that it becomes somewhat thoughtless and interfers with our relationships, or the development of a relationship (or association if you like that term better) and we end up feeling badly, especially as we consider our thoughts and actions and the loss that we experience due to our actions. I may be 100% wrong, but I suspect you knew the answer to your question before you even asked. But since you did ask, “Did I breach etiquette?”–that is my observation, for whatever it is worth, which most likely isn’t much. 
Seems to me it would have been just as easy to answer as “you are one of the makers I am considering for a future purchase.”
Why burn bridges? After all, your first choice could have taken ill or otherwise become unavailable…and you might still want a flute from the fella in the future someday, anyway. On the flip side, if you wouldn’t consider a particular maker’s instruments, why would you lend their opinion any particular weight?
I don’t think anything too drastic really happened here on either side of the exchange–it would be a mistake to blow it up and make it look bigger than it is.
Just my $.02.
–James
james, you must be great in bed.
Why isn’t everybody practicing instead of wasting even more time on this stupid thread?
Me too.
No bridges burned as far as I am concerned. There are only a few people I refuse to make flutes for (such as the CEO of BP right now). But not the people replying to this topic who said words to the effect that they would never order from such a grouchy maker as I (they based their responses on incomplete information).
Again, my point in that final reply in the exchange was to “educate the masses.”
Just a few guidelines, based on my own experience and that of other makers:
If you already have an instrument on order from someone, but need a second opinion - do not ask other makers to weigh in. One should figure things out before the purchase decision. Once you have placed an order - please ask the maker to help you with any decision or confusion.
If you need a second opinion about a flute on order from someone - inform the makers you are asking about this up front. Do not mislead and say you “are looking for a flute”. Give us at least a fighting chance to refuse to be involved in other peoples’ business.
Be aware that we are sometimes swamped with inquiries and questions and have other duties such as making the flutes in our queues - thus our answers are commonly terse, but usually to the point.
Also, its the economy stupid. We are concerned with making every moment count. We need to earn an income, not subsidize other peoples’ hobbies and passions at our own expense. The current financial conditions are putting the squeeze on flute makers as well as everybody. I wish I had the luxury to talk about the finer points of boxwood all day. Unfortunately I have a mortgage and bills and a daughter who’s college expenses I am paying.
Casey
I knew it! 
Speakin’ of etiquette, never mention daughters.
Someone is gonna ask for pictures next,
probably with a sound clip…
Jon C. wrote “I knew it!”
Yes, there are quite a few of us offending flute makers here!
Casey
I’m reading this thread and practicing at the same time. Working on Munster Grass (or Bacon)…cool tune.
Casey, you are in the right. Now get back to your flute queue–your paying customers are waiting .
Can’t I have any fun, too?
Can anyone find an emoticon with a smiley driving a stake into a thread?
Best wishes,
S.O.B.
Flaming is a breach of netiquette…but it is good for hot popcorn and an excuse not to practice. 
That would pretty much end this whole forum, doncha think?
Seems to me an awful lot of time, 9 pages or something, was wasted disparaging a tune app recently, until the original poster decided it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. I didn’t contribute. Too busy practicing, and I don’t even know what a tune app is.
yeah?! and what made Vermont decide y’all should have Internet access in the first place? 
Let me attempt to snap you out of your egocentric, self righteous, albeit feigned humourous, dig with these facts:-
in my case I find it hard to play flute or whistle or harmonium or sing WHILE I AM EATING which is my usual time for indulging in these forums.
The exceptions to these usual times for indulgence are days when I am too sick to practice such as if I have a bad flu with associated asthma (right now) or if I had exerted myself too much on a previous day at rehearsal or performance (amateur) or even, an inspired 2 hour flute practice session, and I am suffereing for it - stiff shoulder, or suchlike.
Another reason I may not be practicing at any given point is that I have already practiced
on that day:
- 1 hour Boehm (currently learning D Hijaz Kar/Bhairav)
- 30 minutes Irish flute
- 30 minutes whistle (by the sea)
- 1 hour bamboo flute
- 2 hours of singing/composing and harmonium practice
- 1 hour microtonal singing with tamboura (usually dawn or earlier).
That, Julia, is my current minimum music practice goal daily except Sundays and only illness or extended family committments such as aged care or babysitting grandchild in emergencies (and associated travel) interferes with it.
So, when you see me here, rest assured, it is not at the expense of my musical development but a discursive complement to it.
Tsk! No Bodhran practice?