Irish Flutes - Accessories

Flute Cases

A beautiful instrument deserves the protection of a beautiful fitted case. We offer a handcrafted flute case in Tasmanian Blackwood, a fine Australian hardwood, with quality lining materials. 

These cases are built for me specially by Ken Free, of Freestyle Design.  You'll notice that the corners are box-combed to give great strength, and the edges rounded to make the case pleasant to carry.  The top and bottom panels are let in to slots in the sides.  They are solid wood, not plywood, and are not glued in, and can thus move with the weather.  This form of construction is known as frame & panel, and is seen in fine cabinetwork.  It is the furniture equivalent to my New Improved Tuning Slide - it works with nature rather than trying to outmuscle her.
 
The catch and hinges are solid brass (not sheet).  Tasmanian Blackwood is clearly not black.  The bark of the tree is black, which is how it got its name.
 
 
 
The flute is cradled in an insulating foam tray, individually cut for it, and held in place by quilt batting inside the lid.  The case thus offers considerable protection against high temperature should the flute be inadvertently left in a car or near a heater.
 
The fabric is panne velvet, and can be readily replaced by the owner if it becomes soiled.  We are at the mercy of the fashion industry in the choice of colours, but if you have a preference, we'll do our best to meet it!
 
Being hand made, our cases are not cheap.  If your budget doesn't run that far, consider a plastic pistol case, available from sports stores for only $20 or so. 
 
As a Texan customer once told me, "We keep our flutes in pistol cases, so as not to arouse suspicion... ".
 

Flute case bags

You may want to protect the finish of your timber flute case with a sturdy bag.  Strong upholstery fabrics with fairly small, tasteful designs are used to give maximum strength and durability.

Flute bags

A cheaper option if you can't afford a case is a soft bag to protect your instrument.  We don't recommend bags for keyed flutes - the keys really need the protection of a case.
     

Other Accessories

  • Bore Oil - essential for your flute's inner health (also available from music shops).
     
  • Cork Grease - essential to protect the cork tenon lapping from wear (also available from music shops)
     
  • Cleaning Stick, standard - for cleaning the bore, applying bore oil and checking the position of the stopper.  Aluminium.
     
  • Cleaning stick, improved.  Our own design, it removes all the moisture from the area around the stopper.  Made from 10mm acetal rod, it cannot scratch the bore and is strong enough to push the stopper out.

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