Can anybody recommend a flute maker who is currently making flutes. I had ordered a keyed flute from Michael Grinter RIP.
Bunch of us still hard at it and planning to be for some time. Olwell and Sons seems to be the top of the pile and they plan to be in business for years, according to what Aaron told me the other day. I have never seen an Olwell that I didn’t like and all play excellently and certainly as good as one of Micheal’s.
There are many other keyed flute makers doing block mounted keys and you came to the right place in terms of who to ask. You will get lots of response. You might also simply keep an eye out in the used market. I have seen a few Grinters for sale.
I am still making keyed flutes and am starting too make the conversion from forged post mounted keys to cast keys, as the forging work is wearing out my hands to my shoulders, and its all I can do to keep up with a demand. Fortunately I just found a casting service in Seattle who I can work with. These are not that common and I am fortunate that they are just ferry ride away. They do excellent work in terms of molding up the patterns to the casting and finishing itself. The silver is of a kind that lends itself to heat treating to harden it, although I have observed that it retains some ductility which is important. We are using a silver with a little git of Germanium in it so it is more tarnish resistant.
In the short term my queue is distracted by two upcoming knee replacements, and opera composing! And a secret project that I am hoping to release in June…
Casey
If you are in the US (to avoid issues with shipping blackwood), John Gallagher http://gallagherflutes.com/ has had many recommendations on this site. If you are in the EU, there are many other options.
Best wishes.
Steve
Hopefully Blackwood and CITES will no longer be an issue after the next CITES meeting in May.
Best wishes.
Steve
Solen Lesouef, France is making fine instruments, €1900 for a six keyed flute:
http://sosolaflute.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsoPXPXlA2E
Chris Wilkes
http://wilkesflutes.co.uk/Site/Flutes.html
John Gallagher
http://gallagherflutes.com/flutes/
Tom Aebi
http://www.aebi-flutes.com/index.php/en/
Martin Doyle
http://www.martindoyleflutes.com/keyed-flutes.html
The Irish Flute Store (online) is a great place to search for
good flutes, both keyed and keyless, and of course you
can get one very quickly. Blayne gives you a week or two
to see if the flute is for you.
Also consider Chris Norman. The flute he made for me, a 6-key boxwood after his Rudall and Rose #742 plays beautifully in three octaves (I haven’t done too much up there at the top, but it speaks easily at least to third-octave G), not hard to keep in tune. It’s capable of a variety of tone qualities and can blow quite loud, too, if you want. Playing it is kind of a joy; it’s so responsive that it feels like singing, nothing between you and the flute.
Chris is one of the nicest people around, too, and of course passionate about everything flute. You can contact him via his website, http://chrisnorman.com
As well as all the excellent makers everyone else has listed I would recommend Geert LeJeune. I had him make me an eight key a couple of years ago. It is wonderful and the wait was only a year at that time. Also keep checking with the Irish Flute Store and this site for used instruments.
Peter Noy in Seattle. I just got an 8 key flute from him that will give any of the more well known makes a run for their money…
I recently got a beautiful keyless Pratten style flute from Geert Lejune, Belgium. I only had to wait around one month for it! I like it a lot, several other flute players (one really established player who has performed internationally and plays an Orwell himself) already acknowledged
the quality of the instrument. He also does up to 8 post mounted keys (which I plan to get as soon as I can afford it). You should look him up. He also responds very fast and helpfully to any emails or questions.
Is yours the cocus one I saw photos of?
To the others, let me add Windward flutes, Nova Scotia, Canada (Forbes and Yola Christie). Meticulous detail and workmanship.
http://www.windwardflutes.com/
Yes! 
Unbelievable flute! I love the extras as well. I had serious flute envy over that one.
I have a six key flute from Peter and it is a great flute. Alas, in blackwood not cocus but a great flute none the less. Congratulations!
Unbelievable flute! I love the extras as well. I had serious flute envy over that one.
I have a six key flute from Peter and it is a great flute. Alas, in blackwood not cocus but a great flute none the less. Congratulations!
Thanks! It’s hard to only play it 20 minutes at a time to break it in… I don’t think Peter can make a bad flute. He’s not the most prolific maker, but every one I’ve seen is a work of art. Check out the Rudall copy he is/was selling if you haven’t already!