My hands are doing better by parsing my work, and the fact that its simply warmer in the workshop as summer approaches. Thus so far I haven't turned away any orders including orders for keyed flutes. I am trying to schedule these to provide for an adequate income without putting undue burdens on my hands and causing flareups. Currently the wait for something keyless is around 5-6 months and keyed 6 months to a year, depending upon what work is already on my queue and how my wrists are feeling.

LOW FLUTES and FLUTE COMBOS: I can accept orders for these. Low flutes are only made in the warmer months and as this summer is fully booked, the wait may be up to a year. My Irish Flute Combos 6-12 months.

FOLK FLUTES: For now I will make these in small batches (2 to 5 instruments). Delivery can take up to 3 months, depending upon my schedule and hand status. Summer will be busy with gardening, a few music guests and summer music camps which may stretch deliveries out a few months farther. All the Folk Flutes currently in the queue will be out in May.

MY $1200 FLUTES WITH RINGS AND SLIDES: I am still planning to make these into the future. Delivery times may increase. Instead of my forged, turned and then engraved (sometimes) rings I will be converting over to cast rings that are heat treated for toughness, and tumble finished.

Please check out my Blog at laurentflutes.substack.com I occasionally discuss the glass flute and other flute-related projects, and frequently discuss everything else. You get an inside look into the daily life, activities, and humor of a flute maker and polymath. The subscription is free. Posts sometimes come in rapidly for a spell, and then stop happening for a month or two. However, there is much to read in the archives, and related pages which usually start out strong - and then I move onto something else when I lose my momentum!

With the uncertainty in my hands and for other reasons, I may be ending my flute production in the next few years if I can afford to - and perhaps have other irons in the fire. I am at the official retirement age after all! I will forever remain a researching flute maker, with the glass flutes after Claude Laurent at the top of the list. Currently I plan to make just a few of these and open source my methods for the current and future generations of flute players.

I am pursuing three instrument making -related activities that would provide an income which I will still need into the future. The first of these is providing as-cast key sets for other flute makers to use on their instruments, sometimes under my guidance. This will include my own post mounted designs, as well as the mid-19th century block mounted designs which were done by a certain Mrs. Best and her female workers with tiny hands suitable for this work. All of the mid century flute makers including Rudall and Rose depended upon her artistry. I will be recreating a curated selection of her keys. Other makers can then purchase these, do the benchwork necessary to shine these up, and mount these onto their flutes - all without having to go from the ground up.

I will also be reviving the production of soundpost setters in the French style. This was how I got into instrument making initially, a year or two I made my first flute. Its just this time these will be accurately cut from the tool steel using computerized water jets instead of hacksawing them out and filing these to shape. The third activity will me my Instrument Making substack which will require a monthly or yearly subscription of $5 or $50. I am actively generating content now so that it begins with the substantial content, including an older version of my flute making methods. Lives on YouTube and other content such as measured drawings of several instruents will be added as well.

If I find that these three activities and possibly others generate an adequate income, I will then stop taking orders almost entirely, except on a case by case basis. After 40 years I should step aside and let the younger generations take over. Hopefully some of these upcoming makers will pursue the important market for smaller hands! I would still make the occasional flute to offer. But for now, I am accepting orders for flutes including keyed flutes. I am simply a bit slower at getting these out!

For now I am leaving up the old pages of my website as an archive. I will probably make significant changes to my websites eventually. However, keeping my website updated will occasionally fall to the wayside as well.