Is there a way to avoid having what looks like a faded de lacquered area around the embouchure hole on a blackwood flute? Or is there a way to restore the shine?
A drop of bore oil will make it disappear. Once the area is clean and dry, you can also add a layer of wax, and buff it up. This will keep it looking good for a bit longer.
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I rub a little bit of D’Addario Organic Cork Grease around the embouchure hole and rub it in, keeps it nice and shiny. The ingredients are “natural” and hypoallergenic, which is probably a good thing considering our mouths are in contact with the wood at that point.
Does something** build up there from skin contact and if so is it water soluble? I usually give the outside of my flute a quick wipe with a wet cloth and a towel off before putting anything on it.
** salt from sweat or sugars from beer maybe?
Yes to the previous responses. When I apply cork grease before assembly of my wooden flutes, I put the grease on the cork(s) with a finger tip. When I am finished I run the finger tip around the embouchure and below on the side where my lip comes in contact.
There is just enough grease to coat the wood and prevent moisture (sweat, saliva, beer, etc) from sucking oils out of the wood. This has proved very effective in keeping the wood there from fading / drying / staining. This works for boxwood, blackwood, and cocus. And for the boxwood, I also run the greasy finger tip around the end of each tenon to slow wicking of moisture into the end-grain.
L
Now, is it just faded, or is it perhaps a build up of calcium? It presents as a crusty white deposit, normally more prominent in and around the embouchure hole. It can be treated with vinegar or lemon juice solutions.
Another possibility is bleaching. Some people’s skin has that effect on blackwood. Is it more prominent where the flute comes in contact with the face?
I personally would not want to put anything on the embouchure hole unless I felt it was safe to eat. So for me that leaves Almond Oil sold for human consumption. You do have to be careful to get the straight Almond Oil since some cosmetic Almond Oil has an added fragrance. Most modern flutes are not lacquered, just oiled. If you have an new flute that has been lacquered I’d contact the maker. If it is an antique, perhaps a flute restorer like Jem Hammond would have a idea for you. I am also interested in Terry’s questions and responses. It is possible it could be one of those.
Thank you, so on my older flute this combination of almond oil and a little bit of cork crease brought it back to pretty close to new. I’m going to try some of the things I read here for preventive measures for my newer flute too thank you !