JUst wondering if anyone has put together a list of the properties for different woods in use for flute making? I’m narrowing my search down and now am thinking about the flute itself. Probably going to be Blackwood but just checking on other types as well.
Also, does anyone else use Ironwood other than Skip Healy? It’s really a beautiful wood visually and sounds nice from what I’ve heard, just wondering why I don’t see other makers using it.
Thanks
Mark Hoza also makes Cookstown Ironwood flutes, I have never played one but they look very nice. He has a website, it is woodenflutemaker.com.
I like boxwood best…it feels, sounds, and smells richer than blackwood, but it’s not as stable as blackwood and it’s harder to get, and not many makers will not use it.
[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2003-01-02 12:57 ]
I used to have a cooktown ironwood flute from Mark Hoza and it was a nice flute. As for the wood, it’s dense and oily and sounded great. Looks just AWESOME as well.
I had a Cooktown Ironwood Healy: Beautiful looking and sounding flute. Cooktown Ironwood is reputed to be quite stable and durable, and I believe it. Be advised though, some folks are seriously allergic to this wood, as one would be buyer of my Healy found out the hard way…
Loren
With the exception of the Ozzies and Skip Healy, why don’t other makers of flutes get ahold of ironwood and make flutes?
It would seem that there are nothing but raving reviews of this wood’s qualitites as a flute.
Imagine an Olwell flute in ironwood.
the website of Parrado y Aragon, Spanish woodwind makers, has color photos of a large number of wood samples from which the instruments they make (including “flautas Irlandeses”)can be fashioned.
All the usual suspects are in the line up, plus apple, olive, cocobolo, lignum vitae and “violet” wood. And Terry McGee shows examples of Snakewood and Red Lancewood on his website.
I am fascinated by the thought of a lignum vitae flute! I should be absolutely indestructable, but heavy as lead. It is an olive green/brown wood that was imported as unsawn logs when I last encountered it. It was used at one time to make bowling balls, I believe, but the more modern usage I was familiar with was to make boat propeller shaft bearings.
The Lewis & Clark chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in Beaverton Oregon has a gavel whose head is fashioned from one such bearing which had been used aboard battleship U.S.S. Oregon in the 1890s when the U.S. Navy’s “Great White Fleet” conducted a voyage around the world.
Mal
One reason other makers (like US folks) don’t stock timbers like Cooktown ironwood is that there’s not much need to. Blackwood is a standard timber; boxwood and cocus are slightly more esoteric and probably appeal to fewer people. I think we have to remember that a lot of the good makers will keep timber around for years before using it, and gosh, where are they going to put it all? Especially when perhaps the majority of orders will want blackwood with a spattering of other requested timbers.
Eh, I don’t know. I own a Cooktown ironwood Hoza quena and I love it. I had a Cooktown ironwood Healy flute and absolutely hated the thing. I kept wanting to like it but couldn’t.
You say you’re narrowing your search down, Jim . . . can you comment on which makers made your short list? I think that would help more, actually, since those of us who’ve played instruments by those makers in various timbers can comment more specifically.
I have played boxwood instruments from makers I thought probably shouldn’t be using boxwood who made great blackwood instruments. I think there’s also an element of maker preference.
Stuart
On 2003-01-03 23:55, gcollins wrote:
With the exception of the Ozzies and Skip Healy, why don’t other makers of flutes get ahold of ironwood and make flutes?It would seem that there are nothing but raving reviews of this wood’s qualitites as a flute.
Imagine an Olwell flute in ironwood.
Actually, that IS what I was imagining 
-Jim
On 2003-01-04 03:31, sturob wrote:
You say you’re narrowing your search down, Jim . . . can you comment on which makers made your short list? I think that would help more, actually, since those of us who’ve played instruments by those makers in various timbers can comment more specifically.
Stuart
Well, I posted the list earlier but since you ask, here it is:
Patrick Olwell
Dave Copley
Michael Copeland
Bryan Byrne
Skip Healy
That’s the short list. Though I really am still thinking it will be Copley or Olwell which is what I started with. I’m keeping my options open though.
I’ve got some time yet to finalize my decision so now I’m thinking about types of flutes (R&R, Pratten, Nicholson, Prowse, etc), materials (types of wood, tuning slide material) and everything else that goes into it. This way when it’s time to place the order with whichever maker, I can say “Can you make this?” and work with the maker from there to come up with exactly what I want. Most of them do custom woods (not sure about Copeland and Byrne) as well as different slide material (brass, nickel silver, etc) so I figure if I have an idea of what the different materials properties are I can get a little closer than if I just say “I need a standard blackwood keyless” Also, I would think most of the makers like a little challenge. Must be boring making the same thing for every customer