Thought I’d show this link after the recent threads on the overpriced RRC on EBAY. This one is only US$ 10,000!!! 
Where in the world are these prices coming from? They’re outrageous. At least for me, anyway!
ugly thing, innit!
whimper
It’s cheap advertising- the seller has no intention of giving E-Bay a share of his (or her) profits. It is after all subject to prior sale in the store at whatever the “real” price is. There is more than one flute listed by this seller for $10,000.
That long F key looks incredibly short. I wonder how it’s supposed to be used - my pinky certainly won’t reach it!
They could be getting their 5 free eBay monthly listings out of the way (associated with higher fees) for an item that can’t possibly (?) sell, to make way for their regular listings at the lower fees.
It’s $10,000USD on their web site, too.
Indeed, most odd. That’s presumably the key that is described as a later replacement. It appears to be of the pointed cup variety, whereas the rest of the keys are saltspoons. It also appears to be of later design, such as you’d see on a Hawkes or similar, yet the touch bends up rather than down as you’d expect on a Nicholson flute. A crude attempt at making the replacement look appropriate?
I think that would bring the price below US $10,000 for me!
Terry
Wow! What a gorgeous piece of box! Though, IMHO, the trademark Clementi-Prowse-Nicholson combed decorative turning rather spoils it. I reckon the replacement long F is bespoke designed for a player who wanted to turn the R hand section significantly outwards - it makes sense/falls under the L4 finger OK then. Lovely flute, though not particularly large holed for a Nicholson. I have a Wolf & Figg flute with just such a long F key, quite original. Odd really, as Nicholson advocated turning the lower body joint out, but objected to the long F! Compromises, compromises!
Speculating for a moment, if the replacement key is not modern, it could even account for the loss of the original… say a second owner, or even the first owner subsequent to purchase but circumstantially with no access back to Clementi/Prowse decided they wanted to adopt a rolled out R Hand posture, and thus needed the inverted touch, had a new key made, stored and subsequently mislaid the original… or maybe had the silver melted down to make the new key…
I don’t have a problem with the bend up of the Long F - most Nicholson’s I’ve seen have a bend up (presumably to allow the RH to be turned outwards bt still give access to the key touch). But look at the length of the key. Normally the Long F key touch comes to rest on the G# hinge block when depressed - this one falls miles short of it. I can’t see how anyone could use that key!
Terry
Fair point! Perhaps it was pinched from an F flute? (unusual to find one with sterling keys, though…) Or the player had giant hands…
In which case he’s going to have some problems pushing the far-too-close G#! Yeah, an F flute looks about the size of that key. Could easily be silver plated to keep up appearances.
Terry