This engineered hardwood, developed from New Zealand radiata pine, has been infused with cornstarch, creating a superb hardwood. The instrument has a 7/8” bore diameter, and is 19-5/8” in length, According to Dr. Google, it is now available nowhere on Earth, has never been crafted into a flute, except by me, and apparently I have the only remaining few board feet left on the planet.

Woods for the instrument, beginning at the mouthpiece, include twice dyed box elder burl, between layers of macassar ebony, and capped with the alowood. Additionally, the box elder was cut into round 19mm disks and inset to each side of the compression chamber. Lastly, the fetish block starts with alowood bonded to a base of Oklahoma red cedar for moisture control. Overlay then consists of mappa burl, paua abalone, yew, addl. abalone, and macassar ebony.

Mouthpiece inlay consists of an 8.3mm Australian fire opal, flanked by 4mm turquoise dots. The sound chamber inlay starts with tribal pyrographics inlaid with turquoise powder from Globe AZ.’s Sleeping Beauty mine as well as New Mexico pipestone. Into this I’ve set a 12.7mm ammolite doublet, and a 5.2mm fire opal triplet. The ammolite is the iridescent under shell of the ammonite, a mud bug from the Alberta Bear Paw formation, and between 70-100 million years old….Moving to the finger holes, they’re accented with four 5mm abalone dots, and a 6mm dome cut almandine garnet. Lastly, the fetish has a 6mm dome cut labradorite set to the crown, and 2.8mm hematite beads, set as eyes.

The flute was tuned at a wood temperature of 77.3° F, at an ambient temp. of 72.5°F, with 33% humidity, at sea level.

The fetish ties run through the flute, but do not require removal to dry the flue area. Simply loosen the deerskin a little, and slide the block to the side for the night.