It happened, it finally happened! For years I called, for years I emailed, yet my Olwell keyed C flute in stained boxwood was ever so elusive.
This summer I decided to make a stand and camped in front of Patrick’s house waiting patiently for the master to take note of my desperation and despair. It was only after a month of solitude in the Virginia woods I finally learned that Patrick had moved over a year ago.
Word of the delirious stranger mumbling about flutes must have reached Patrick as my solar powered phone rang and the words I so desperately sought to hear for so long reached my aching ear: “Sven, your C flute is ready!”
10 minutes and 2 speeding tickets later I arrived at Patrick’s doorstep and he presented me with a flute that exceeded my wildest expectations.
Seriously, as a proud owner of several Olwell flute I was used to highest quality and superb sound, but this C surprised me. As a brand new flute I expected some blowing in period but the maturity of the sound right from the beginning is very impressive. It blows with incredible ease, perfect intonation and plays like butter with an incredible powerful tone.
Patrick was incredibly generous with his time as this was not an easy project and took major custom work with keys, staining, etc.
Below are some pictures I wanted to share. I had a custom flute case made by Jim Kiel of Northwind Cases in Tuscon, fitting both my Olwell Cocus D and and the boxwood C. You see pictures of both flutes housed in the case. And one shot of several Olwells (2 cocus D’s, Eb blackwood, and the boxwood C).
weight was a consideration, but actually Patrick suggested boxwood, as he wanted to have a go at a keyed C in boxwood. Since I already had one in cocus and one in blackwood, the variety appealed to me..
That boxwood C is freaking magic. One of the nicest flutes I’ve ever tried. Just sick. I tried to put it under my coat and run out the door but Svennie’s super Olwell powers paralyzed me. Sorry about that, by the way. Hard to control myself around awesomeness of that magnitude.
What a beautiful flute! Patrick was eager to show it off when I was at his shop a few months ago, he was really excited about it also. I’m happy to hear that it went to somebody that actually knew how to play it. Great tone there at the Hilton, Sven!
To bring this discussion back to a more serious level, I’m sure that many of us are jealous of Sven’s collection of Olwell flutes (to say nothing of JD’s dreams). But imagine the cost that Sven incurs with the added security personnel, the armored car, the burglary alarms, the extra insurance, the psychological effects of living 24/7 with the fear of being attacked by a marauding band of old flute geezers bent on stealing his collection, always sitting with his back to the wall facing the door of any pub he frequents,…Well you get the idea. Life isn’t always a bed of Olwells for poor Sven.
…Oh, and although I’ve told you before, lovely playing on youtube, Sven.
Paul
Julia, is that a trade offer, a rental proposal or a devious way to distract me in hopes of achieving one of Paul’s alluded to efforts to elude my security efforts?
and Paul, you are correct, my back is against the pub walls. No Wild Bill Hickok here!
Just this evening picked up a brand new cocus (with acorn finial and engine decorated crown) Wilkes head & barrel custom made for my R&R to “relieve” the Patent Head.
