David Wheeler asked if I could do some of my magic on a flute one of his students purchased on an auction. I was more than happy to look at it. Simple estimates can be made by photos but the flute’s playability can only be evaluated when it’s in my hands. This one is a Kinko flute originally started around the 1940s. The very interesting thing that caught my eye was that the joint was reversed, The tenon (male side) is on the top section. This flute played pretty well in pitch but none of the notes could take any air or resonate with any shakuhachi sound. In David’s words, “the voicing is terrible”. He was being generous. Well, The first thing I always do is check the internal dimensions with my bore gauges.

A previous owner applied a thick layer of Cashew Lacquer. This didn’t cure well and buckled through out the bore. It is probably one of the reasons why the flute is not behaving. The cashew must to be removed.

The joint is loose and rocks slightly. It needs to be rebuilt and made snug in order to play.

There’s a mess around the mortise and inside of the Ri hole and all the other holes. This all needs to be worked on.

The root end needs to be sealed for longevity. A relatively easy task compared to what comes next

An initial sanding to remove the cashew revealed pockets in the Ji plaster. They are like potholes on a road that can make a ride bumpy.

These may or may not need to be filled. It depends on how the flute performs once the joint is rebuilt, utagcuhi reshaped and all the finger holes properly fashioned.

The easiest repair is this crack. It will need two bindings. Topical Nylon cord sealed with urushi will work fine.

Once I get the flute playing at it’s optimum based on the present bore profile. I will discuss with the owner and David the possibilities. It’s a challenge but I love resurrecting old (and new) flutes. 

Stay tuned!