List,
I came up with the idea of making square Flutes to prevent the Flutes rolling off tables at sessions, but surprisingly it was not well recieved. Solution number 2 however is easy and works very well…take rawhide shoe laces and tie them around the Flute with one knot, it works perfectly, one will do, but you can do 2 which works even better… it looks funny, but heh after a few beers who cares!
Ben
I think it has been said here before that keys on a flute were for just such a purpose.
I just stick mine in a barrel of guinness when I’m not playing.
Dude, why must you always go about things the hard way?
All you need are square rings, the flute stays round, sheesh.
Loren
Even better idea, how about a kickstand Ben?
Loren
There are usually enough beer and whiskey glasses on the table at my session to deter rollling flutes.
Bah!
Bipod dude.
Thats the way to go… large bore flutes and large bore assault weapons. Best of both worlds if you ask me.
loren,
I like your ideas!
we seem to be on the same wave length, what ever that wavelength is!
hey what about wooden half circles with a flat base that could be discreetly placed on the table? or pay someone to hold the Flute…
Ben
I actually had a Flute like that once. It was a semi circle of Mahogany and the bottom was made out of Oak.
Boxwood?
Bamboo Olwell’s seem to be popular, do they come fully keyed?
Well, I didn’t want to rub it in, particularly in a public forum, but I’ve had a personal flute caddy for years…
Loren
Loren, a serious question:
I know there are square recorders, and from what I’ve read they are well regarded.
Supposing you wanted to, could you actually make a square flute?
–James
FWIW , I once played a wooden D flute with an octaganal, tapered bore . It was a display piece in Kelischek’s { Susato } display room . I was not impressed with that instrument , but that alone doesn’t doesn’t mean it couldn’t be done. I will however, remain skeptical of the physics until someone with a positive experiance comes forward.
BTW, a more out of the way shop for a dealer so well known would be difficult. One could drive right by the Kelischek business even with MapQuest directions if you are not careful.
Bruce
Maybe the flute design is not the problem but rather it’s the table design. Did’ya think of that?
Problem is, if you want custom pub tables, you’ll have to get onto a 10-year waiting list! LOL!
I’m available. Will work for Guinness.
Used to rent myself out as a hat rack for people’s
parties. Man that was boring!
While searching for information on metal fifes, a fife player once told me that there was a Corps from PA who had fifes made of square tubing. I was told they sounded the same as the round ones. Wish I knew more about the things.
Clearly someone didn’t buy their very own FluteBeard™ while they had the chance. Instant cure for the rolling-off-the-table thing, not to mention its astonishing tone-enhancement qualities.
Do you mean the bore, the exterior, or both James?
Acoustically, a square bore works fine for fipple flutes, and should for flutes too, however you’d have to have an external shape at the embouchure area that was both comfortable and functional, so the area would need to be somewhat rounded.
Also, I can’t say with any certainty, how the blown airstream coming off the bottom embouchure hole edge would react (fluid dynamics?) upon entering a square chamber. My blind and uneducated (in fluid dynamics) intuition, which could very easily be wrong, tells me that there might be some loss of response, caused by having your tone producing air jet heading directly into a square chamber at a more or less right angle, if you see what I mean. But again, I could be completely wrong - for all I know the response might be improved. Hard to imagine someone hasn’t tried it already.
Loren
Hmm, would love to see one - hard to imagine the entire thing was square - I mean who wants to press a sharp corner into their lower lip for hours at a time 
I wonder if they had a square body on a round headjoint?
Loren
75cal Session Cannon?
Another option: 19thC boxwood. Banana flutes don’t roll, and the ergonomics can be quite nice, if they curve the right way. My Goulding can dern near rest on my knee when I play it!