This flute is crafted from New Zealand radiata pine, known as Alowood. It is plantation grown and organically hardened by pressure injection of colored starch. The material is no longer available anywhere in the world. The instrument has a single sound chamber which can be broken down for transporting in a back pack.. The instrument also includes a plug and wicking cotton materials for reducing wet out in the compression chamber, as taught to me by the late Leonard Lone Crow.

The headstock mouthpiece consists of stabilized, dyed, box elder burl, between layers of African ebony and tiger sycamore, capped with the radiata pine. The head joint of the sound chamber butts together with Gabon ebony, while the fetish block is cut from radiata, bonded to a base of Oklahoma red cedar for moisture control, with wing overlay of paua abalone and addl. Radiata pine.

Inlay, beginning at the mouthpiece includes a 6mm dome cut rainbow topaz, flanked by4mm abalone dots. The compression chamber is set with 22mm disks of the box elder burl, additionally accented with 6mm abalone cabs. Forward from the fetish block is a beautiful 7x14mm Queensland Australian boulder opal. The fetish inlay consists of a 6mm opal doublet set to the crown, and 2.4mm hematite beads set as eyes. For headjoint alignment, I’ve used 4.2mm old Tibetan turquoise to be matched north/south………the box elder burl has a subtle hand colorizing as to the orange, and the pyrographics were backfilled with crushed AZ. Malachite, for visibility. Lastly, the barrel is set with 6mm abalone cabs as well as a 6mm hematite cab.

Due to fluctuations in humidity, removing and replacing the barrel should be done gently and with a twisting motion, as described in the paperwork, utilizing the cork grease provided.

The headstock and Fm barrel were tuned at 72.3 degrees F, @ 72% humidity, at sea level.