I found something called a chalumeaux on the Lark in the Morning website. Has anyone played one? What does it sound like?
http://www.larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_REC083_A_Adler+Pocket+Chalumeaux_E_
No, but I saw someone playing a shawm (a predecessor of the oboe) at the RennFest a couple of weeks ago. If I didn’t feel that the flute will take a lifetime to master, I’d definitely get a shawm.
You might look up the Early Music Shop – they often have a lot of info on the instruments they sell, plus they have kits of most of them, so you can get your feet wet for a lot less money.
Get yourself a Bombard; in the second octave you can scare the fleas of a Dog at 200 yards.
John S
The chalumeau (slap an X on the end and you have the plural) is the predecessor to the clarinet as we know it. Sorta like the keyless simple-system flute as relates to the modern Boehm configuration. Beyond that, I don’t know squat.
When I read the title of this thread, “Clarinet meets Recorder”, all I could do was mutter, “Oh, the humanity”, over and over. 
The clarinet was developed from the chalameau, to be a trumpet-sounding instrument that could be played by oboists, in the orchestra. Clarinet and chalameau were considered distinct instruments. In recent years, recorder manufacturers have begun making neo-chalameaux, both as introductory instruments, and as portable instruments for woodwind players in keyed and keyless versions.
There are a number of makers of neo-chalameaux. Perhaps the least expensive of the non-keyed clarinet-type instruments is Daniel Bingamon’s PVC clarinet. I’d provide a link, but his page seems to be down. He can be contacted through C&F, I’m sure.
The Maui Xaphoon is another popular version, using a tenor saxophone reed. I used to have one of these (back when the bamboo model cost US$40), and liked it a lot. Erik the Flutemaker makes both clarinet and Sax versions.
Really? Hmm. I was under the impression that the chalumeau came first. 
Me too. I read it in a book a while ago.Shrugs Maybe the book was lying.
-Kelly
It was a typo. I just got my words turned around. 
Surely from the context, you figured that out. I’ll edit it… hmm… no… looking back, the context didn’t really give any clues. I apologize.
Wow–I had never visited that site before. There are a lot of crazy instruments on there. I wish I could go try them all.
Also, I don’t think I need the whole internet anymore. It appears I can just come here and have every question answered.
I once took the mouthpiece off my tonette/recorder and taped it to my clarinet (minus the normal mouthpiece and neck joint). It was pretty interesting. It played a lot of notes that way.
Caroline