It is possible for all flute players to have an instrument which:

• made of well-proven tonewood
• has a traditional conical bore
• speaks easily, with strong low D
• has correct intonation
• can keep up in a session
• is comfortable to the hands
• is aesthetically attractive
• is reasonably priced

What it is and how to get one

The Folk Flute is a three-piece wooden flute for playing traditional music including Irish music: nothing more, but nothing less! Crafted individually by hand in America from Turkish Boxwood or African Blackwood by an artisan flute maker with 32 years experience, each Folk Flute is unique and will only gain character and depth of tone with age--as will all traditional wooden flutes. It is designed for:

• beginning and intermediate wooden flute players
• beginning Irish music players
• whistle players getting a "first flute"
• younger flute players
• experienced players with limited budgets
• experienced players who want a fine instrument for travel
• players who want a great instrument with a proven track record

Current status as of April 13, 2024!

If you have questions and questions about these flutes, please read through this website first, and read it again! That is what it is here for! I sometimes spend more time answering these questions than it takes to make the flute itself. If you have questions about care such as what oil to use - please read the care instructions that came with your flute - or download a new copy. I do not have the time to answer this question when the answer is sitting right in front of your eyes! Just go here.

The popular Folk Flute is the Best Choice for beginning players, period. The Folk Flute features the same accoustical design as my more expensive Standard Model Flutes, voiced and tuned with the same degree of care and attention, using exactly the same reamers and processes. The Folk Flute plays as well as my more expensive models! Available in African Blackwood and Turkish Boxwood, right or left handed, Ergonomic Standard and Small-Handed versions, Standard and Small Handed Straight Line versions. >

"It plays beautifully: intonation is excellent, response is really good, the tone is wonderful, and it is very comfortable to play. I give it two thumbs up." Grey Larsen, noted Irish flute player and author of The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle

Is the Folk Flute is an appropriate choice for me? YES! Beginning traditional flute players want an easy to play and maintain instrument that they can grow with. The Folk Flute fits these requirements well. Intermediate players want an instrument that has a good tone and quick response that will hold up well in sessions. My more expensive flutes (many without all the acoutrements such as tuning slides and keys) are widely used in sessions. The Folk Flute is acoustically identical - and thus works well for sessions. The player is not limited by this instrument.

Plastic flutes may be a good choice for some in extremely dry climates, or situations where humidity extremes will put the instrument at risk. However, I have sold many of my flutes to players in dry climates, who take them hiking and even mountain climbing and these do just fine. Taking care of such an instrument doesn't require that you be a rocket scientist and is easy as caring for a guitar or a violin. By request, I seal the wood with a polyurethane sealer which renders it impervious to humidity changes.

I am considering keys or a tuning slide later on. Should I get one of the other models? The Folk Flute is a good reference point even for those unsure about these extra options. Many of my Folk Flute clients decide eventually that they want a flute with all the bells and whistles from me or one of my contemporaries. Once in hand, some have reported keeping their Folk Flute as a handy traveling instrument, or a comfortable and familiar fallback when they just can't cope with the new keywork.

Is the Folk Flute tuneable? I make the Folk Flute with a 32-33mm long headjoint tenon, which allows for some adjustment for when tuning to other players. The headjoint can be pulled out or rolled inward to flatten it as needed. Since most everyone plays at A-440Hz only a small range of tuning adjustment is needed. The range is similar to that found on wooden recorders.

I have small hands. Will the Folk Flute work for me? YES! YES! YES!!!! I started addressing the needs of smaller handed players as far back as 1985, and iteratively developed flutes that are comfortable to one's hands with the narrowest finger spacings available in the Irish Flute market. Distances between fingerholes (measured center to center) range from 32 to 35mm on my Standard flute, and from 29 to 32mm on my Small Handed Flutes. Holes are usually offset for further comfort.

Fingerhole Spacings for my flutes - measured center of hole to center of hole, for comparison purposes.

My Standard Flute has a slightly closer fingerhole spacing than most of of the other flutes out there, if only by a few millimeters in some cases. However, these few millimeters and the offset can make a huge difference. And for small hands, nothing else exists that can compare with mine for comfort. If your hands are on the small side, and especially if you have issues with such things as arthritis or tendonitis, or simply want a flute that doesn't require you to spread your fingers much, select one of my flutes.

The spacing of the Large Holed Standard is very close to the Standard. On the upper hand holes the spacing is 35mm and 34mm. On the lower hand the spacing is 33mm and 33mm. The holes are a little larger (.5mm to 1.5mm) due to their lower position on the flute body. This should be considered if one has very narrow fingers.

Are the smaller handed flutes quieter? Not at all. Most of the sound generation is due to the shape and effectiveness of the embouchure hole. Any effect of the resulting smaller fingerholes may be easily overcome by increasing the degree of undercutting, bore profile and other acoustical aspects. The best way to accomplish this design-wise is to make several hundred of these flutes - while trying to make each one better than the previous one. I have done this and my smaller handed flutes hold up very well in sessions and performances.

Ergonomic versus In-line Fingerholes explained: Most Irish flutes by other makers, antique flutes and many other wind instruments have finger holes that are all straight in-line. I have found that a slight bit of offset for the 2nd and 3rd holes for each hand helps tremendously by making the flute more comfortable to play. I call this arrangement "Ergonomic". With respect to the 1st fingerhole, the 2nd hole is rotated about 1mm or less away from the hand bringing the ring finger closer to the 3rd hole, which is offset 1-2mm towards the hand. The 5th and 6th fingerholes are increasingly offset by 1 and 2mm or more towards the hand with respect to the 4th hole. Essentially the fingerholes are arranged in slight arcs which correspond to the usual arrangement of fingertips. This option is the commonly selected one for Folk Flutes and my more expensive flutes. If you are a fingertip player, especially with small hands this is the best choice. However, some traditional players use the lower pads of the finger joints ("piping style"). For these players in-line is the usual arrangement.

Large Holed Standard Version: These are available set up as a Large Holed Standard Version. This is similar to my regular Standard version except that the holes are farther down the body, and are slightly larger and spaced a little but wider apart. These factors make the flute as resonant as possible. Playing a flute in this configuration requires larger hands, or playing "piping style" using the finger pads, instead of the finger tips. This would be a good choice for an experienced player. I would still recommend the small and regular handed fingerhole spacings for most beginning players. (Blackwood Folk Flutes in Small Handed, Standard, and Large Holed Standard configurations in the image to the left)

Can these be made left handed? Yes. Simply email me when you order that you would like your flute set up for left handed playing.

What doesn't come with the Folk Flute: end cap, rings, tuning slide, keys and retrofit capabilities, specific customizeability. Leaving out these options allows me to quickly make these flutes available with quick delivery times - for a price most can afford. A simple cloth case is provided.

What wood should I choose? Currently the Folk Flute is only available in African Blackwood. This wood has been used for clarinets for years and is the the wood most flute makers use. Blackwood grows in savannas from Tanzania to South Africa.

Blackwood and CITES There is no longer any restrictions for Blackwood Flolk Flutes. Permits are no longer required.

What is the difference between the Folk Flute and the more expensive $800 Standard Models? Acoustically these are exactly the same flute, made from the same woodpile and the same reamers, and tuned and voiced the exact same way. Tuning and voicing so many Folk Flutes means that these and my more expensive flutes will all play and sound great. In 2012 I produced 167 flutes out of which 140 were Folk Flutes. This gives me lots of practice with tuning and voicing compared to some other flute makers who may only tune and voice a few flutes each month. Tuning and especially voicing (this is what determines how well the flute plays and how it feels to the player), like anything musical, requires constant practice and application to remain being really good at it. I prefer it if these flutes play as well or better than the more expensive flutes of my competitors!

If you want your flute "tweaked" and custom fitted to your hands etc., order one of my more expensive flute models. The Folk Flute is designed to be an acceptable model within the range and preferences of most players, and to play really well. At this point I have shipped over 1000 of these since 2003 and the feedback has been overwhelmingly favorable.

Folk Flute versus Other Inexpensive Flutes: I notice that people on discussion lists commonly ask questions about this or that inexpensive flute. Frequent answers suggest this or that flute made from PVC, Bamboo, and other materials one can find at a typical hardware store. These flutes do work for some. But in the majority of cases, these flutes will have a cylindrical bore, widely spaced holes, and are frankly disappointing.

Caring for the Folk Flute: Your flute will be easy to care for. You will simply need to protect it from extreme dryness, oil it with bore oil occasionally, and adjust the fit of the tenons as needed by adding or unwrapping thread. Detailed care instructions are provided with the instrument, and can also be downloaded here.

Embouchure cuts: I occasionally get asked if I provide different styles of embouchure cuts, similar in concept to what is available for modern flutes and Irish flutes by other makers. The short answer is "No". The embouchure is integral to the bore, tone hole lattice and other acoustically important factors. The ovoid embouchure that I use is actually quite complex in its shape and design, and varies from flute to flute as the flutes themselves vary flute to flute. I allow a little bit of variation into the process as this allows my flutes to constantly evolve as I pursue what works best, when I am in the tuning and voicing process. The end result is a flute that plays well, has a terrific tone, and is very forgiving to every player.

Testimonials: I should really post some of these on a separate page sometime when I get the chance. I get so many of them! The ones that really get to me and remind me why I keep doing this are from players who have had to stop flute playing entirely - because their antique flutes (or flutes made based on the original flutes) kept making their hands sore. They report the joy they now feel now that they they can enjoy playing the flute and make this a regular part of their lives again! I get several of these every year.

Price: $500.00.

More Details...

Canadian customers: Please use the Canada Customer "Buy Now" buttons above for your purchase. If you have questions or problems completing your order, please e-mail me. Also, please email me your phone number so that I can include it with the required postal documentation. All transactions are in US Dollars.

International customers (except Canada): Please use the International Customer "Buy Now" buttons above for your purchase. If you have questions or problems completing your international order, please e-mail me. Also, please email me your phone number so that I can include it with the required postal documentation. All transactions are in US Dollars.

If you do not wish to purchase with PayPal or Credit Card: Please e-mail me with your purchase request to arrange payment details. For US Customers I accept personal checks and money orders; For International Orders, I accept only secured payment methods in US Dollars. Orders will ship after funds are verified.

All sales are final. Customization, servicing, tweaking and repairs if any will be considered on a case by case basis. You will receive an automatically generated acknowledgement of your order. Please refer to this website for delivery updates, which are updated weekly, instead of contacting me. This allows me to concentrate on the flutes, not answering email. By ordering, you agree to these terms.