I just noticed some small splinters, in the bore of my flute. Now I know that a crack is bad, but what about splinters like these? Should the bore be completely smooth? I can’t notice any real change in the sound of the flute, I think it sounds fine. What would cause these? Am I doomed?
Your flute is pretty new, right? I’d consider contacting the maker and ask them what to do or if it’s a defect. It might just need to be cleaned out and gently sanded with fine steel wool on a wooden dowel, but I don’t want to be responsible for killing your flute.
Eric
Playing the flute upside down. 
Yep, only 2 or 3 weeks.
I’m trying to figure out whether they are actually all splinters or just pieces of thread from my rag that are making the bore look rough.
Well I e-mailed the maker, I just wasn’t sure whether it was something I should expect or not.
I’ll never live that down, will I? 
Glad I brightened your day though.
No Brian - you’re marked forever. You could end up being the next great flute player, and one of us C&F yahoos would scream out of the crowd “hey, it’s that guy who used to play the flute upside down!” 
Seriously though, it could be gunk from your rag. Rag gunk made me nervous in the past several times when I had a wooden flute (I’m pure delrin now, baby).
Keep us posted on the splinters/gunk issue.
Eric
Oh God! I’m going to purposely stink for the rest of my life just so that that never happens.
Will do, thanks for the help!
[quote="OnTheMoor
I’ll never live that down, will I?
Glad I brightened your day though.[/quote]
Well, when you can’t actually SEE people and interact with them, odd things tend to stick in your mind. I’ll probably never get that mental image out of mine. It’s stuck there right next to fairy liquid.
Any sort of roughness in the bore can affect tone and playability, but it all depends on the particulars. I’d be more worried about catching your swab on the splinter and ripping out a chunk of the bore 
Might be wise to talk to the maker, shouldn’t be any big deal to resolve.
Loren