Just out of curiosity, what methods have people employed in choosing a flute? There are a number of quality offerings, many quite different from one another, but one can’t walk into a flute shop and try a bunch of different makers’ flutes. So how/why did you end up with the one(s) you have?
For me, I’m afraid you’re looking at the method right here on this board. 
Actually, if you can get to some sessions or workshops where there are fellow fluters maybe you can at least try out/listen to theirs. After that, it seems to be buy a lot, sell a lot, play a lot, swap a lot, … and still end up with too *&%$ many!
But of course, most important is making the best of the one you have; if nothing else it will teach you to appreciate your next one all the more. After that it’s a lot of Holy Grail stuff.
Best to you in finding one that suits,
cat.
It’s maddening.
Also we keep changing and improving
and the wait period is often long, so by the time
you get the flute you ordered you may really
want something else–a Rudall, not a Pratten,
or whatever.
And, all along, one knows that one is already playing
a flute that’s better than anything
one deserves.
To complicate matters, even if there were a shop, it wouldn’t help too much - it would only provide a rough view and perhaps weed out the flutes you’re obviously not suited to. I think it takes several months to really decide how you feel about a flute since playing requires a melding of player and instrument!
I, too, came from the school of buy and sell. Not having many trad flute players in my city (of 2 million souls, I’m one of three that I’m aware of), and only a small slow session locally, there simply were not that many chances to try out flutes.
This board was a big help - it led to PMs to different members for opinions about their flutes, and I’ve bought twice now through board members…still, with each of us being different, and even every flute from each maker being slightly different, it’s hard.
I just counted, and I’m on my 5th trad flute (including one baroque flute) in 2 years! I’m hoping I’m finally settling down with just one wooden and one delrin flute…
Eric
I’ve used three or so different criteria. I’ve istened to flute players, some extensively, some only from their cuts on the WFO discs. I’ve also read every page of this forum (not literally, but every thread that’s about flutes) at least a couple of times. It’s important to read all of it, because you get descriptions and also you get to know the people, enabling you to separate the wheat from the chaff. Some is instinct – a flute is pretty or I have a good feeling about the maker. (I discovered a couple of my favorite groups when I bought albums just because I liked the covers – Gentle Giant and King Crimson come to mind.) And I visited a maker once.
Mostly, though, I’m very fortunate to have a calling at which I can make a decent living. I’ve ordered flutes from five makers of various repute, bought a couple off ebay, and a few from other board members. I’ve sold half of those that I’ve received, and not taken a bath on any of them. I’ll probably sell at least one of those I have on order.
One thing is, if you see a name again and again, highly spoken of, he makes good flutes. If you get a flute from a maker with a significant waiting list and it doesn’t float your boat, you can always resell it for at least what you paid for it. (Hint: look at the flutes that have been offered for sale in the last few years, and if you see highly praised flutes that just aren’t offered up for sale, not only are those flutes likely to please, but they will fetch a premium on the second-hand market).
I got tired of having to worry about which flute to buy on a limited budget, so I simply scrapped my career and learned to make the damned things. 
The down side is, now I have to spend 5-10K on tools and equipment before I can make my own flutes, so perhaps I should’ve worked the math bit out ahead of time…
Loren
Too late now, Loren.
a prospective customer…
Personally, I say, go with your instincts and see where that leads you: from your other post on the Rudalls:
I mean, if you can get that close to loving the sound of a flute, go for it! You won’t know how you actually connect with it until you’ve played it for some time anyway, as Jayhawk said. I had thought you hadn’t played the Cameron, but since you did, you know what you like!
Loren, can’t you just sneak into the shop at night and whittle yourself one?
Doc
To complicate matters yet more, even if you could try a whole room full of flutes to your heart’s content, the flute you like and appreciate now may not be the one you’d like best if you repeated the same testing five years from now, or ten, or more.
As has been pointed out before, an easy flute to learn on may not wind up being the most rewarding flute for a player who’s further down the road.
An early player will usually value a more forgiving flute that can easily get a reasonably clear sound with a small initial investment of time. Further down the road, when you start wanting to push the instrument aggressively and start to seek out the limits of the flute, that same easy playing flute may not have as much to offer as one that may be harder to fill but is more flexible.
For instance, in my experience, the Seery is a very challenging flute to learn to fill, but has extreme pitch stability at a wide range of blowing pressures. I don’t think it would be a particularly easy or forgiving flute to learn on, but it can really sing in the right hands.
I still think one reason I have loved the Hamilton from the first was the time I spent with the Seery before I got it to “build up my chops.”
–James
I think it might actually be easier for a newb to select a flute than a more experienced player. We have not formed distinct opinions yet and we’re very malleable. (And not just because we don;t get enough exercise.)
..Well…I went to the local intrument shelter and picked out a flute in need of a home. It was the big, calm wooden one in a pen full of hyperactive piccolos. After completing the PWFWS (Progressive Wooden Flute Welfare Society) questionaire and promising to keep it company and keep it warm and well oiled I was allowed to take it home. -Sure it had the usual new flute accidents (oil on the furniture and floor) but its a blast to have around! 
Brian,
I’m nearly moved to tears by your story. Please don’t forget to have it fixed at about 6-8 months of age (if it wasn’t an older flute already taken care of)…I just hate seeing all those stray fifes running wild in our neighborhood.
Bless you,
Eric
1. Do you get inspired to play or practice music frequently but unpredictably ?
Then don’t just rely on one flute which you musts assemble, dissemble every time you play it and which requires constant maintenance (like wiping out) after every session or outburst.
**2. Will you only be playing ITM or might you venture into other terrain?**If “no” to the first clause, then make sure you get either a thin walled large tone hole flute (so you can half hole notes easily) or a baroque flute with Eb key (with which you can crossfinger notes not accessed by the tone holes).
3**. Will you be wanting good volume for open air situations, large sessions, trance drum circles etc?**
Get a flute with a lip plate or some other embouchure hole modification as MAY BE suggested by experienced flute makers.
I agree with the idea that it can take a while to bond with or get the most out of a flute…back in my classical, Boehm-system days, I was able to have a pile o’ flutes sent to me for a week’s trial. That was the best way to select a flute, by far, and I got a really good one as a result. (I eventually sold it to buy a 6-key Copley.) Sadly, this approach is not possible in the wooden flute world of waiting lists…
And while reading is helpful to a degree, that degree is rather limited. I forget who said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture.
What we really need is the wooden/trad counterpart to the National Flute Association convention–lectures, concerts, and lots of makers with flutes to try.
I know; wouldn’t a big convention/trade fair be great?!
Meanwhile, try to get to a Tionol or workshop or something. Besides getting to hear and maybe sample some other players’ flutes … if you make it to one of the bigger ones like East Durham or some such there’s a chance a maker or two might be there with wares. I bought my Burke whistles at the St. Louis Tionols that way. In fact, at the last one Grey Larsen actually brought 6 or 7 flutes with him (some antiques, a McGee GLP, etc.) that were for sale. Finally, I believe our own dear Mr. Copley was at the same event; and maybe another maker as well? – but I was too awed/scared to talk to him, let alone have him hear me play.
(I’ve since met him and he’s a lovely human and very generous to playing faults, as well. )
Of course, even worse was happily trying out a whistle at the Burke table only to have Mary Bergin walk up and start browsing beside me … 
! Needless to say I handed Mr. Burke my money and skedaddled. Fortunately, it’s turned out to be a great whistle even if I did only get to play it for about 30 seconds before buying it …
"Just out of curiosity, what methods have people employed in choosing a flute? There are a number of quality offerings, many quite different from one another, but one can’t walk into a flute shop and try a bunch of different makers’ flutes. So how/why did you end up with the one(s) you have?"
I guess when you’re starting out it could be a good idea to get the “best” you can afford of what’s available at the time, and take it from there. The most important part of learning to play Irish trad must be to practice getting a good tone, to listen, and to gradually begin to learn tunes. As long as you have a flute that’s in tune with itself and doesn’t leak when you’re starting out I don’t think it really matters if it’s a Byrne, Copely, Cotter, Doyle, Grinter, Hamilton, Healy, Heron, McGee, Murray, Olwell, Potter, R&R, Wilkes, Williams or a Wylde or whatever. Of course it would be nice to start off with a top quality flute as a beginner, but you won’t sound good just because the flute’s stamped Wilkes, Murray or R&R, great for posing though I’ll admit.
You have to put the time in, there aren’t really any short cuts to becoming a good flute player. It takes some years, and even then you’ll still be learning things about playing your flute, the music, or maybe even learning to get the best out of a new flute you’ve got hold of.
I got my first flute, a Williams, because it was only a year’s wait at the time and I had the money. Also I knew that the maker knew what he was doing. Same with my second flute, a Wilkes, it became available, and I was able to get the money together, and I also knew it was made by a very experienced craftsman and would be a good instrument. Maybe if an Olwell, Murray or Grinter had become available at that time then I’d have brought that instead, but the Wilkes came up first, and I was lucky enough to get it