Hi!
I am thinking of getting a piece of ivory round the embouchurehole on my flute. I am very happy with the flute, but would like to make it a bit more stabil, since I travel alot between different countries. I would like to hear some opinions about this. I’m sure alot of you have things to say about this, and a little help would be great!
Thanks
I don’t think that you’re talking about any small feat, actually. If you’re talking about doing something like an ivory bushing, in which the basically the entire embouchure hole would be surrounded by ivory, that would probably involve cutting out the old embouchure and cutting a new one out of ivory.
I don’t know about increased stability from the ivory, though; I would think that unless your flute is made from something really soft (like sycamore or maple or something) you wouldn’t notice any changes in the embouchure from travelling. I’ve had my flutes in swamps and deserts, and never has the (timber) embouchure been the problem.
What do you mean by “instability?”
Stuart
An ivory bush is a simple and relatively cheap option for anybody having access to a well organised repairperson.
If the present hole is unsatisfactory it can soon be improved.
The ivory is less likely to suffer any damage than the wooden edge of the hole, being tough and easy to work.
Remember The Prowses and Nicholson who liked the bushes from new.
You make it sound like there’s one on every other street corner Anderew 
As far as stability goes, I think any advantage would be minor, although as Andrew says, Ivory can be more durable, in some ways, meaning it’s more resistant to friction type wear/damage. It can crack and chip though, particularly when dinged, so it’s a bit of a trade off.
Shouldn’t cost too much, just make sure you get someone who’s experienced with the process, it does take some skill. But be aware, chances that the newly bushed hole will play 100% identically to how the current embouchure hole plays, is almost non-existant. Perhaps best done by the original maker for this reason.
IMO, it’s best to get a bushing A) When the flute is initially being made, B) after damage has occured to your current embouchure hole, or C) if you are unhappy with the way your flute plays now, and you are fairly certain it’s the embouchure cut. Those issues aside, I’d leave well enough alone.
Loren
It is quite feasible to copy the original hole accurately, but not much point if that is what one wishes to get away from !
This is all missing the point about bushes.
They are useful for the great masses of old flutes which have become distressed over the last couple of hundred years, either because naughty people are tempted to " improve " the cut of the hole. cracking through the hole, or sometimes because the hole isn’t convenient just where it is.
A new bush can be just the thing to breathe new life into a baroque style flute.
Mind you I sympathise with those who say the only good Bush is a dead Bush !
Yeah, I left out the bit about bushings for old (tortured) flutes, since I got the feeling didn’t apply to the original poster, but it certainly is the best way to save many of those wonderful old flutes that got hacked by idiots in the past - embouchures and toneholes alike.
Personally, I dig the look of fully bushed keyless flutes anyway. It’s a shame they won’t let me get away with bushing all the toneholes silver on a few batches instruments at our shop 
But then recorder players and baroque flute players are known for being just a tad conservative
Loren
Please,please correct me if I’m wrong,but I always thought that Ivory is a bit of a fragile material-after all,how many ‘Nach Meyer’ Flutes with cracked Ivory heads (usually through the Emb.) have we seen?
I think that I’m rather lucky in having an N.M. style Piccolo with a complete Ivory head.
There must be many more suitable materials available in these’enlightened’ days that would suit your purpose.
Just so I’ll be clear, what exactly is a bush–on a flute, Imean?
Is it a circular or oval implant of metal or ivory, say,
containing an embouchure hole?
And it is so handy for getting rid of all those old elephants / mammoths
and their odd white bits.
If any of you can be bothered to do a search on " what cocus wood looks like " you will find a shot of one of my T.Prowse flutes with the style if ivory bush he favoured.
I would never condone the slaughter of any animal for Flute manufacture (my high minded ‘stab’ at Vegetarianism(sorry for the imagery!),caused me to ‘flake out’ one day!),but antique or ‘pre-historic’ Ivory is o.k. as a material in my eyes.
Looks like I’m wrong!
Not the first time and certainly not the last time.
I had just sort of assumed that, given how crucial the cut of the embouchure is that it would be nontrivial to have a new one made (i.e. the bushing). Eh.
Stuart
Got it. thanks.
Thanks alot for your help. I am a little bit on the way to a decision.
If in doubt do nothing.
Like me !
I have always pretended that I modelled my life on that of Napoleon Boneaparte , ( but alas it is not strictly true ! ).