Repair and ship Antique Flute

Irish Flute
1

I got two nice wooden flutes to repair but I have not found a good repairer in the Italian area (the few that we have seems to be very EXPENSIVE!!!).
Flutes are a Richard Potter and a Metzler…that needs to repair cracks and to be repadded.
I want to ask you:

  1. does makers as Hammy, Lehart, Aebi do good works on this kind of flutes?
  2. there is a good way to shipping flutes to europe or usa ??
  3. which maker do you advise me to make a good repair without spend all my money?? :slight_smile:

Frank

2

try Marcus Hernon
http://www.piping.se/marcushernon.htm

3

Probably nearest to you would be the excellent flute maker Tom Aebi in Switzerland

4

yes, Tom is a great flute maker and I m’ thinking to go to basil to meet him, but i don’t know if he is an expensive repairer and about methods for to shipping flutes to him or to others repairers: the nearest maker is not always the best choose.

5

Did you try clarinet and oboe makers in your area? They meet the problem of cracks, too, and repad keys also.

Best

6

this could be a good idea for many items, but i’m worried to do it becouse both my flutes are vey old…but i will ask for it

7

I had a bad experience with taking an old wooden flute to a modern woodwind repairer, and would probably never do that again…

About shipping your flute - in the UK, the Post Office do a next day service ( although mine once arrived a day late) where the package is monitored and “hand carried”. Or, companies like DHL do secure, if expensive shipping.

Good luck,

Pamela

8

Tom is by sure able to restore old flutes very well,but i don’t
know if he does accept this kind of work.Ring him and ask,
i would say.Otherwise if waiting a few months is not a problem
try with Chris Wilkes,he’s
really great on refurbishing old flutes.recently he did a wonderful work
to an old flute belonging to a freind of mine from Ennis.he did repair two huge cracks (which are no more possible to see by now) and even redid
the embouchoure hole (wich was damaged) with a piece of old ivory from
an old crappy german flute, and did also a matching stopper in ivory.
all of that for a very very honest price.
by the way where are u from radcliffe?have i met u before?
ciao neh!!!
michel

9

I agree, it’s best to find someone with experience repairing/restoring the type and age instrument you have.

Loren

10

Michel wrote :

“try with Chris Wilkes,he’s really great on refurbishing old flutes
[…] all of that for a very very honest price.”

Nice Idea! I will try to contact him to know how much this could cost to me.
maybe chris would also advise me how to ship an old flute