Info Wanted: Hofinger boehm flute

Irish Flute
1

Hi! I haven’t even lurked for a long time, but I’m still happily tooting away (on an antique Improved, boxwood Goulding, Burns Low A, and a Jon Cornia Pratten). Y’all got me started, and I thank you.

Down to business:
I teach music at a middle school, and we occasionally get instrument donations. Mostly crap, but miracles have happened.
A wonderful person dropped off a flute a few months ago, so I sent it off to our instrument tech. The donor didn’t even leave her name.

The tech and I are stumped.
It is a Florent Hofinger, Brussels Belgium. Metal head joint (with Hofinger crest) on grenadilla 2-piece body. Closed G#, inline G, very modern feeling keywork.

Now, I’ve seen the patented double-walled Hofingers, and early ones that look like Buffets (more french than german), but this has got me stumped. It appears that Hofinger was quite a small shop, prone to doing very custom stuff before their big patent.

So, what kind of decade are we talking here? Any idea what it’s worth? The district will need to sell it if it’s worth anything.

Thanks, guys. Pics to follow when I get it back from the shop.

2

“The New Langwill Index” tells us that Florent Hoffinger was born in Bruxelles 1878 and died there in 1945. He was a former employee of C. Mahillon establishing his own company in 1900. His daughter continued to run the company after his death. The company probably stopped production in 1950.
Hope this helps a little.

3

Thanks- This gets me closer. I do need a copy of Langwill if this sort of thing continues to happen!

Worst case scenario, I’ll just play it. It sounds lovely, looks great, isn’t as heavy as some of the German tree-trunks with extended feet, and there’s no open G#. I don’t think I could ever get used to an open G#.