Sorry Neil I don’t have any pics of a three keyed flute, I mentioned that MW did make some, in fact Miller Wicks NI made some for a band near Dromore recently. Having tested my new keyless flute from Miller Wicks, I think most bands would benefit from playing these as most of their tunes are written in keys of D and G. I visited a band from Newtownstewart in Feb and they had two key flutes, all their tunes were in D and G.
The transition to play a concert flute from the x5/6 keyed simple system is problamatic enough, but to go backwards to lesser keys for me would be too much, waving fingers around where the keys should be LoL. However your point about these keyless or x1 Fifes would be a start for more youngsters to learn simpler melodies. I have recently heard about the x2 keyed flutes as well as this 3 version, one learns every day something new they say. But you can’t learn an old dog new tricks… this is true here:-))
Neil B I haven’t yet had a chance to take my own photos, so have instead uploaded the photos from the Ebay listing. If I have done this correctly you can follow the link https://www.flickr.com/photos/77793080@N08/sets/72157644820701611/ and should see the album I put up of my new treble Bb flute. I have repaired the cracks and repadded since receiving it.
Bob
Thanks for the pics Bob, there has been a few related threads in the past of potential interest on the “band flute” topic, but let down when no pics were placed in my opinion.
Again I would say this flute is earlier than the 1950’s looking at the keys and ferrules alone. Those rivetted keys are typical of between the Wars for cheaper flutes. however there’s no way to date it with the help of Lt Columbo, still looks a nice flute & good luck on the x fingering on top C 
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Cheers for the photos, it looks to be an aged rosewood, but the keys are certainly more substantial looking than what i expected. I’ve never seen the rings with a collar like this before although i have heard of a WW2 battlefield made fife that had ferrules made from 20mm or 30mm brass bullet casings.
It looks to be a nice instrument, would love to know the maker. And strange that it doesn’t have that C natural Key.
Your losing the plot Stu perhaps?..which key were you thinking would not be on a x4 keyed flute? This is why I asked for a pic of the three keyed you mentioned, as I would like to see the progression form the x1 then the two & three and the 4 is as Bob’s…you know about the x5 & 6 anyway:-)))
I may be losing the plot but in the marching band scene, the C natural key is always there on two keys or more, as you can see above on the three key, a two key would have C natural and D# and a four key would have D#, F natural, C natural and B flat. Some flutes have an extra f natural key reachable by the left pinky for trills but I have never needed to play it as the regular f natural has always been suffice.
It is I that is not IN the plot it appears? So back to the original theme, Bob’s x4 keyed flute. This layout was the standard for & up to the time they were superceded by the x5 keyed flute adding the C Nat key enabling the player to produce the chromatic scale with its compass of bottom D to top A#. (I believe I may have a printed fingering chart (c1903)for the x4… so am at the moment unsure if the Chrom. scale could have been achieved with less keys without finding it?)
This info of the x2-3 & 4 keyed flutes is now clear, that they are being produced for the market nowadays (probably as special orders?) The flute you’ve now osted looks to be the same maker as the one you sold on the UIE recently or from one of the new makers on the block? I’ve seen the influx of left handed flutes on the “you tube” vids so as money is no object these days anything can be ordered.
So glad to read you have a D# key & surprised no one has jumped in, as on here they all have an Eb key so there’s two of us in the World who knows it as such ) I googled a three key flute which as far as I can determine is very old and the keys are a different to the layout your mentioning. This again points me to “customising for the market” of today.
I’m afraid we are on different time scales & still believe the flute that was being asked about is certainally pre war or even earlier.
I agree that the photo of Bob’s flute looks much older. I think the three key flutes of today only have the c key because the fluters in marching bands are lazy, lol. The photo was of a Miller Wicks NI flute, made a year ago for a flute band from Dromore, CO.Down. Apparently they only play tunes in D and G but they believe its easier to have a c key than cross finger. I disagree, after messing around on the keyless version I think those bands should buy keyless flutes. I did a video on youtube showing a simple comparison of the keyed and keyless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdTB5SnLUg
Unfortunately the sale of the 5 key Peter Worrell Flute I added to the instruments exchange fell through so I have put it on ebay.
Looking forward to my new Millyard-Molem R&R in African Blackwood.
Judging the age, probably too late to contribute…if a lister posts in a forest and no one is around to read, does it make a sound?
I happen to have a Miller Wickes 6 key Bflat piccolo. Grenadilla wood, with keys placed as on larger (and smaller) cousins. When I purchased it, I was interested in the oddity of it, the sellers were a bit incredulous on why a Yank would want it and kept asking me “you know, these are really for Northern Irish flute and fife bands?”. It’s a bit easier to play over C (or D) piccolo due to the wider hole spacing…but as it is a Bflat instrument, much like a clarinet, trumpet or sax, one has to transpose…so tunes in D, are played in E…it’s great practice, for anyone wishing to become facile with keys.
I’d sell mine, if anyone wanted it…I don’t really play it.
Anthony
By Piccolo I take it you mean 6 key flute. Miller Wicks do make an Eb Piccolo. If you are interested in selling it, you will likely get £100 - £150 on ebay. It’s a shame that they don’t fetch a higher price as they are very well made compared to the imported flutes.