I am a fairly new flute player having been learning on a fine Delrin Copley for less than a year now. Actually, I am quite happy with it and have been making far better progress playing than I thought I would. That said, I wonder about some of the other flutes out there. If I were to try a Somers or a Forbes or a Seery how different would it be?
I would imagine you will still sound like you.
Arbo
I believe the Copley is based on a Rudall, and both the Seery and Forbes are based on Prattens. I would expect they would have a more reedy, and possible louder, tone than your Copley. The tone holes would also be larger, making the flute a bit more challenging to play, and producing a less crisp sound in articulations and ornaments. Whether you prefer this is a matter of taste. You might find that Pratten flutes shift your playing to a different sort of style.
I don’t have any of these flutes, but I have an M&R Rudall copy similar to your Copley, and a Prattenesque Skip Healy. They are very different, and I still don’t know which sound I prefer.
-Tom
Copley’s are a great flute! I have a Eb and it’s verrry nice. Just keep working ~ From their website: “Our instruments are tapered bore “simple system” flutes based on originals made in England during the 1800’s, with the greatest influence being the flutes made by Hawkes and Son of London. The design has been adapted to give the characteristics sought after by players Irish Traditional Music.”
Tjones
what Tom and Arbo said
I’ve both Copley & Forbes in delrin.
I’d suggest not bothering with other flutes.
yes, this is a “do as I say, not as I did” 
ah, the question … yeah, I’d hope you’d notice the difference 
It would probably sound quite a bit different to you and not very different to people listening.
Results might also depend on which embouchure you have - modern or oval.
If it works no need to fix it, and if you do ultimately jump somewhere one day, the place to go is probably a wooden flute
by a good maker, not another delrin flute. I think you would notice the difference.
I’d say don’t stop at Delrin or blackwood, go all the way to pvc (tongue in cheek).
My first flute was a Copley. I learned to play using it. I liked it, but I started wondering how other flutes would be for me. Mostly out of curiosity I tried a Forbes and quite a few others, including various antiques. I learned a lot in the process, but whatever I played I sounded just like myself! I still have the Copley and I still like it.
So long as the flute is decent quality, which many are, it honestly doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference. Certainly, the player is what dominates the sound.
I enjoy exploring different flutes, but the more I do it, the more I realize just how good the Copley is. Not only does it sound as good as all the others in side by side tests, but it is also exceptionally easy to play. I think this latter point is very important, especially for a beginner. It allows you to concentrate on the music not the instrument.
I do notice differences between flutes, but they tend to be relatively subtle. Probably the biggest difference I notice is with tone hole size and its influence on the responsiveness of ornaments. My ornaments are not very good, and at my level of proficiency small tone holes do seem to make them noticably crisper. Half holing notes is easier on larger tone holes though. The Copley has medium size holes, and so is a nice versatile compromise.
I have also been surprised to find out how much I enjoy lighter weight flutes. I’d never really considered this an issue before, but I think it is one of the main reasons why I enjoy playing my boxwood Firth Hall & Pond, or my Olwell bamboo. Both feel noticably lighter and more resonant than any of the Delrin or Blackwood flutes.
But in all honesty, I only really need one flute, and no matter what I play I still don’t sound like Matt Molloy or Jean Michel Veillon. 
Jon
Yep, you’d have to keep swabbing it out and putting it away…
Delrin’s great stuff!
In the words of the great John Skelton, Copley flutes are “vastly underrated.” He also stresses not switching flutes; stick with one. You’ll progress faster. If you’ve been playing for less than a year (or even less than a decade) and you have a good flute (which you do), there’s no point looking elsewhere. Focus on developing your tone and your rhythm, learning tunes, etc.
I agree with the above. Here’s what I would do if I were you. Keep playing the Copley and start saving now for a wood flute from one of the top flute makers. I bet you’re going to want one eventually anyway…no point trying all the plastic flutes when you already have a great one.
-Jay
Why? (I don’t!)
Wondering the same thing here (just bought a Copley delrin keyless).
“I wonder about some of the other flutes out there. If I were to try a Somers or a Forbes or a Seery how different would it be?”
Sensed a little wanderlust in his statement and felt once he tries of few of the plastic flutes, he might find himself wondering about those wooden ones. Next would be the ones with keys… No offense intended. Dave’s delrin flute was one of the best playing flutes I’ve owned. I wish I had taken my own advice, stuck with the Copley and saved up for the flute I have now.
-Jay
9 out of 10 British housewives can’t tell the difference between Whizzo butter and a dead crab.
Rob
Wood is not all it’s ‘cracked up’ to be. 
I think the difference between wood or delrin is going to be very minimal, if any, everything else being equal. It is the design, eg bore, embouchure cut etc that counts.
Some will be more different, some will be less, but none will be “better”. I haven’t played a Somers flute, but I’ve owned Seery and M&E, played a Forbes, currently own a Watson and Copley, all in polymer. None of them play exactly the same as another maker’s flute. Some may be easier or tougher depending on your embouchure. IME though, there isn’t a better polymer flute out there than the Copley.
Would you notice some differences between the different polymer flutes? Sure. Would you like another one better? Possibly, for a while, then you’d start wondering about others and repeat the cycle. Would you sound better on a different flute? No. Example: I was once at a session and between sets heard Peter Molloy (Matt Molloy’s son) play 3 very different flutes one after the other to compare them: An Olwell Pratten (his flute), a Grinter (as R&R as they get), and I think the third flute was a Wilkes, but I am not 100% certain about the last. Regardless, to those of us flute players listening he sounded virtually identical on all 3 flutes, although he was loudest on his own flute, the Olwell, which isn’t surprising.
Moral of the story, do yourself a favor and don’t get into flute chasing, chase the music instead.
Loren
P.S. Does anyone know if Peter is still in Boston and playing around?
I agree that design matters considerably. I disagree that the difference between wood and delrin is going to be
very minimal. Been playing wood flutes and delrin flutes for over a decade and that’s been my experience, anyhow.
As Jessie K put it once, ‘the spirit of the tree is alive in the wood,’ that is, I think there is an ‘alive’ and vibrant quality
to the sound that I don’t find in delrin. I believe she actually had bought a very rare delrin Olwell pratten
and was commenting on that.
I’ve never played ebonite and can’t comment on that.