Sam Murray Irish Flute 8-key Boxwood Sterling Silver! on E-bay now, 9 hours 52 min. to go. Unusual I think, an 8 key Murray. Looks to be a very nice flute, slight banana profile in the left hand section, otherwise pristine looking instrument
Item number: 290441450668
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sam-Murray-Irish-Flute-8-key-Boxwood-Sterling-Silver-/290441450668?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item439fa8d4ac
As discussed here:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/fs-murray-8-key-boxwood-flute/70064/1
Yes, last post on that thread was two months ago, Jessie’s Murray is up for grabs. Sam’s flutes are great I think and with this one no delivery problems 
boxwood is nice but boy do they warp --------
My impression is that proper preparation and aging seriously minimize that possibility.
Note Casey’s post in the etiquette thread.
I’ve seen a good number
of boxwood flutes that didn’t warp–I’ve had one by Casey for some time
that didn’t warp, and one by Pat O that didn’t warp.
There so far have been no reports of boxwood Folk Flutes
warping, though maybe nobody said it. Lots of em out there.
Excuse me for butting in, but Mr Stone seems to be inferring that Sam Murray’s boxwood was not aged and prepared well enough and thus warped.
I would suggest warpage is more likely to occur when an instrument is sent half way around the earth from a humid moderate climate to a place where extremes in high/low humidity are facts of life. With wood seasoned in the climate where the instrument is going to reside warping is far less likely to take place.
Anyone who has ever visited Sam’s workshop (and discussed timber with him) will know he has a very old supply of boxwood. Antique even.
Thank you.
It is a great price for an 8-keyed flute. Maybe people aren’t bidding on it because the seller has 91.7% pos. feedback.
OTOH, many of us on this forum have personal experience with Jessie. I’ve bought a few instruments from her, including my favorite Irish flute. My experience is that instruments are always as she describes, down to minute details, and the transactions are always smooth and honest.
I was responding to the claim that boxwood generally warps. I don’t think that’s true, for the reasons I gave.
Jessie raised the possibility
that the flute’s wood wasn’t properly seasoned. Jesse wrote: ‘here is another issue: seasoning.’
My impression is that Martin Doyle’s boxwood flutes
don’t warp, but it’s just an impression. Lots of em out there, no
reports of them warping, for what that’s worth. Also I believe Jessie is
living in a place not so different in climate from Sam’s. The two boxwood
flutes of Sam’s I’ve seen were seriously warped. Casey’s boxwood flutes
are made under exceedingly humid conditions, the wood is seasoned there,
and they appear to do fine under quite different climactic conditions
that exist on this vast continent, where extreme differences
of humidity are common. Perhaps the measures he mentions
in the etiquette thread explain it.
I expect you’re right that shipping flutes from one climate to another
raises the possibility of warping.
But in all honesty I know very little about seasoning wood.
I hasten to add that warping doesn’t affect tone or playability,
to the best of my knowledge. Also that I wouldn’t hesitate
to do business with Jessie.
Thank you Mr Stone.
The climate of NY state would be much much more extreme at both ends of the scale than that of Galway City, just for your information.
And you may react from a general point of view, I take your word for it, yet you’re doing it again:
The two boxwood flutes of Sam’s I’ve seen were seriously warped
Best wishes
Right. I wasn’t entirely persuaded by your particular argument concerning Murray flutes,
for the several reasons I gave, but I own you may
well be right. Thanks again.
Of course it warps. It’s got warp power.
(at least in the minds of those who crave it)
No doubt Jessie’s flute goes at least warp 5.
I know that, and I wouldn’t question her honesty at all. I have full faith in her description and selling, but other people that aren’t on this board and don’t know her might question 91% feedback, even though it probably was not her fault. Ebay has a bunch of picky buyers out there who would love for one little slip up to leave negative feedback.
[Hijack alert!]
Climate is a broad word, my understanding is that humidity is the major factor of warping/cracking/etc.. So how much does humidity change over there? Where can I find these % averages by state?
/[Hijack alert!]
Looks like a nice flute, it seems that additional care was provided, what more could one want?
My understanding of Boxwood is that it is a small tree that can fight against its environment to be upright. That causes it to behave or misbehave when it is slashed, killed, and made to do our bidding. To my understanding branches of other wood would warp as well.
I use to hate the look of that pale boxwood, but now I see it as an honest wood. It tells if it was used, abused and it shows its history in a way that no other tone wood will.
In Ireland, and along the Western seaboard in particular, humidity would not vary a lot throughout the year and would average between 60-80. Most importantly, fluctuations in humidity as they would occur in the US are unheard of in Ireland.
An overview of long term weather data, including humidity appears on the website of Met Eireann I selected the link to the data for Shannon Airport’s weather station which would represent the Mid-Western region best.
Hope that helps.
Casey is on a left coast that has a very similar climate to Ireland.
He writes:
Some makers such as myself predict how the wood will move and preemptively select and treat the wood to minimise this. Using straight pieces helps, especially for longer pieces. Much of the boxwood available is apparently from curved logs that grew on unstable hillsides. The curvature develops as the tree tries to grow upright and there are stresses relieved when wood is removed. These pieces can still be useful for things like short footjoints and endcaps where warping would be hardly noticeable.
Rod Cameron devised a simple technique of microwaving and then boiling the partially turned wood to eliminate most or all of the movement in service. Its similar in concept to sizing fabric. I use a variant of his technique.
Casey
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=57070&start=0&view=viewpoll
(which M31 kindly provided, see above; his link works)
I’ve dealt with Jessie twice buying flutes from her. She’s a great person with whom to deal. Note her honesty in describing the Murray flute. Don’t hesitate to buy a flute from her.
Paul
Someone got a serious deal on this flute. I would have bid if (a) I* didn’t have a fully keyed flute on order with Patrick Olwell; (b) I hadn’t been at work (It’ll still be a few years before my number is up on Patrick’s list).
*I’m talking the royal we; the 8-key is for my wife. I have enough trouble navigating one key.