jon and i were one step ahead of you!
shhhhhh.
Ironically, it is the same model as the other one, what are the odds of that? I was going to bid on it, but I don’t know, seems like a basket case… Looks like all the keys had broken off, so the ivory blocks would need replacing too. I would probably handle it the same way as wood, cut a channel, make a tight fitting block and glue it in, then mill it. To bad the ivory head and barrel are missing.
I think just about any natural material we use for flutes will move with such radical humidity shifts. The problem with Ivory is not so much that it moves more than, say boxwood, but rather that Ivory cracks simply don’t glue well with the usual stuff. And in addition, while you can ream the center “round” again, the Ivory is going to want to go back to it’s oval shape regardless, causing the crack to re-open. We found, for our purposes, that it was just better to replace cracked Ivory pieces and dye it to color match the original.
Old Ivory flutes are a pain, aren’t they?
Loren
Thanks, I made every instrument on that rack except the Ivory recorder.
Loren
That makes sence, thanks.
It is a pain, but it would be nice to get a couple of these old ivory flutes, up and running!
Agreed, save them if you can! I can’t help but think that somewhere out there, there has to be a better adhesive that’ll work on Ivory.
Question Jon? Did you try roughing up the edges to be glued? I’m thinking perhaps a quick touch with some sandpaper or micro mesh would help create some spaces for the glue to better penetrate a hair and perhaps get a better grip. Just thinking out loud here and I doubt it will solve the problem, but might be worth a try, if you haven’t already.
Loren
Thanks, I have tried roughing it up a little and removing the dirty edge, to make a clean repair, I think if I just get the right glue, that would help, say the 8 hr. epoxy. It would be nice to get the dentist stuff, they have a special treatment that bonds to the teeth, it is like a primer, to bond to the enamel. I ask my dentist, but he just laughs at me…
we gotta be able to find someone who is a dentist and wouldnt mind helping us out. i dont think it’s illegal to buy, is it? just restricted…
i dont think it sounds like a basket case at all, if you can get get that glue! the crack doesnt even look that bad.
and i think at this rate, if you just plug up the wholes, it would still be pretty bad ass to have an ivory flute.
As long as you can avoid thinking of the Elephant that was killed purely so someone could have a pretty little flute to play. (No directed at Jon, here since obviously this happened a long time ago.)
I’ve got mixed feelings about repairing these old Ivory flutes. On the one hand it would nice to restore them from a preservation standpoint, and one could argue that the damage has already been done, so why not at least save the flute.
OTH, I don’t think there is anything “badass” at all about owning an instrument that exists due to the slaying of a Elephant purely for it’s tusks. What a waste of life.
Loren
That term is a portmanteau? 
Honestly… I’d like a flute made entirely of kittens. Very sweet ones.
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
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.
Apparently not much.
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!”
it’s the cat hair…
…the cat hair is everywhere
(Not) to mention the hair of the dog!
ya can never mention the dog…
it excites the thing & ya have to stop everything else and calm it back down.
Did you see what it went for? 
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…