I just bought an older used Olwell 2 piece flute with tenon joints for $200. Just wondered if that’s a good deal? It needs new corks. I’m thinking about contacting Patrick to fix the cork and optimize it, I’m sure he has new ideas now now. What do ya’ll think? Thanks, John.
"I just bought an older used Olwell 2 piece flute with tenon joints for $200. Just wondered if that’s a good deal? It needs new corks. " John G.
Sounds like you’ve been ripped off good and proper my old son. 50-60 dollars is the max for an old used Olwell, unless it has keys then maybe 80-100 dollars. Olwell flutes are pretty much useless for Irish. Tell you what though I’ll take pity on you as you seem new to this flute business and I’ll give you 200 dollars for the flute + postage to Sweden. 
Now seriously, John looks like you’ve got a good deal there for a keyless Olwell and even better if the flute has keys, sounds like you have accquired a Pratten model Olwell. 
Please tell us the story of how you came across the flute, at a garage sale prehaps? I just hope it isn’t a keyed coucous wood Olwell though as a famous one was stolen some time back
John!
You made a GREAT business! You couldn’t get a simple system, two piece flute better than Olwell! If it’s repaired, you’ll love it, you won’t be able to put it down!
What sort of wood it is made of? Please, tell us all your experiences about it!
Bennet
I believe it is made form cocus wood, it’s pretty dark with some black swirls. Since I haven’t seen what the wood looks like, I’m not sure. And it’s a three piece, not a two piece like I said before. There is no metal in the flute, no decorative rings except that made from the wood turning. It has cork tenons on the middle piece, and an oval embochure(sp?) hole. It plays easily. I took a music lesson for the whistle yesterday with someone for the first time and mentioned my interest in the flute. So she goes and pulls out the Olwell! Then she called the owner, who plays only harp now, and talked him down to $200. I feel pretty lucky. E-mailed Patrick and he said he would replace the corks and tune it up when he gets back from Ireland next month. Whoohoo! j.
An Olwell for two hundred simoleons? Bloody freakin’ hell. That’s destiny for you.
Where do people find these deals?!? I look everywhere and never have such luck, hmph. 
Loren
It’s a conspiracy.
Unlikely that it’s cocus. My guess is rosewood.
How can I tell if it’s rosewood or cocus? I saw a picture of a flute that was made from cocus, looked about the same. It was an older flute. I found photos of cocus that have been very light too. I’ve read that cocus darkens up. I know there isn’t a red tone in the wood. Any ideas? Thanks, J.
MR. Olwell will probably be able to give you all the flutes details when you return it for the repairs. When you get the scoop be sure to let us know…We love that kind of stuff.
Byron
Rosewood is more highly figured and lighter than cocus. Cocus does not often have a pronounced grain. It is evenly brown. There is no easy way to describe it. Patrick did not make his entry level flutes, which is what you have, from such an expensive wood as cocus. Entry level refers to the lack of rings and tuning slide and the less expensive wood. Rosewood is not quite as dense as cocus.
None the less, the care and craftsmanship are evident even in his basic models and the flute will sound great when you’re ready for it to.
Best wishes.
[David Lavine wrote:
“It is evenly brown.”
Mostly true, but only when aged, which I assume David knows, and I only point out for the benefit of those who may not be aware that Cocus is typically quite light in color when new, and often has much lighter streaks running through it.
“Patrick did not make his entry level flutes, which is what you have, from such an expensive wood as cocus.”
While I agree that the flute is, in all liklihood, Rosewood and not Cocus, the fact is that Patrick has done many things upon request, including making similar flutes from Boxwood, so I think the blanket statement above is not quite accurate.
Loren
Boyo, Patrick has made ONE entry-level flute from what he calls “knotty cocus.”
What drives Loren to split hairs?
Boyo? What leads David to continually make inaccurate blanket statemensts, eh, “Boyo”?
Loren
I find that the more attractive looking sorts of cocus mature to a dark orange with straight black streaks ( 50/50 ?)
Hey man, no splitting hairs! Or woodgrains, or…whatever. 
Loren
The wood does have black streaks, but the rest is a lighter brown, maybe a little grey in it. J.
If mine was a horse, I would call it a blood bay with dark-bay and black points.
It’s also “tiger striped” on the foot; the striping’s less visible on the head and barrel (and hardly at all on the body, natch), but you can still see it if you look.
Anyhoo, it’s awful purty.
On further thought … my newish blackwood flute has dark-red-brown stripes and whorls coming through … go figure.
But regardless, the overall impression you get from that flute is black.
In fact, I think this might be the best way to view them – initial color impression. So my take on the cocus I’ve seen is that its overall appearance is a cool dark-umber brown (shading toward black after lots of use); rosewood tends toward a warmer, slightly reddish brown (although it darkens somewhat, too, doesn’t it? Just not so much?).
Maybe someone’s posted a good cocus example on the flute porn thread? I’m pretty sure that’s a cocus Olwell on the front of Seamus Egan’s Mad for Trad tutorial … anyway, if you want a picture of a cocus flute (not an Olwell, though, sorry), PM me your off-board address, and I’ll send you a shot of mine.
Uh-Oh. We know he doesn’t practice enough. He can’t spell. And now he’s forgotten to take his meds.
What are we to do with him?