Creating flutes, deer hide leather flute bags and related items is an act of passion, not obligation.
The Flutes and Deer Hide Bags
links contain more representative images of flutes and flute bags I've created. These are presented as a way of sharing ideas and sparking a
conversation about your next custom flute or leather flute bag.
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Flute 349 is Fiddleback Imbuia (southern Brazil). Tuned
as an G4, This is a 7/8" bore flute with a length of about 19 1/4." The
mouthpiece is Honduran Mahogany / Wisconsin Beech. The block is
decorated with stone inlay chevrons (red Coral, Pipestone with Bronze
PearlEx) and a Rutile Quartz cabochon set in Wisconsin Beech on Mahogany
/ Eastern Red Cedar.
Another set of chevrons (Coral, Pipestone) and another Rutile Quartz cabochon are presented on the lower end of the bore.
This spalted Cottonwood flute (#370) is tuned to the key of
A4. It has a 3/4" bore and was dyed using teal, cobalt and violet
dyes. A small feather is wood burned near the bore end. The block has a
Honduran Mahogany figure on Maple and Eastern Red Cedar with a Mahogany
back plate. A thin piece of Eastern Red Cedar forms a mouthcap on this
flute.
A spalted Cottonwood flute. Dyed bright yellow.
The band and simulated mouthpiece are wood burned. The block has a
Redwood burl figure on Eastern Red Cedar. For a 5/8"-bore, C5 flute,
this one has an extended mouth end. Overall length about 18 1/8."
Myrtle (highly figured), Flute 337. The mouthpiece is
American Elm and Claro Walnut. The block is Claro Walnut burl / Myrtle /
Eastern Red Cedar with one Mahogany and two Myrtle carved "pots." This
flute is tuned to Bb4 (A#). Decorative elements include stone inlay
(Malachite, common Opal, Azurite with two Lone Mountain Turquoise
nuggets at the bore end. Aerosol wood dyed using Teal and Cobalt Blue
colors. 3/4" bore and is about 19 1/4" long.
Finished using polymerized Tung Oil, Platinum Blonde shellac and clear
acrylic lacquer. This flute has a particularly bright and joyful voice. A
real pleasure to play.
This is a Masur Birch flute (# 334) with a Myrtle /
Madrone burl tenon mouthpiece. The block has a relief carving of a bird
on a branch (Madrone burl) mounted on a base of Masur Birch / Madrone
burl / Eastern Red Cedar. The flute is 18 3/16'" long, has a 3/4" bore
and is tuned in the key of A4. The vine with leaves figure placed
among the finger holes is wood burned and filled using black CA glue.
Flute #310 (F#4) is figured Shedua (Ovangkol). The
mouthpiece is Pecan. The block has a Pecan bear peering over a Red
Abalone cabochon on Pecan / Eastern Red Cedar. About 22 1/4" long and a
7/8" bore.
Flute 241. Curly Mango with a Honduran Mahogany /
Ambrosia Maple mouthpiece. The block features a Gabon Ebony Crow on a
base of Mahogany / Mango / Eastern Red Cedar. Key is E4; bore is 1" and
the length is about 23 3/8". The decoration is a Stylized Dragonfly just
below the nest: Black Jelly Opal cabochon; Pennsylvania Jet, Jet mixed
with silver paint glitter, Black Pipestone and five (5) Lone Mountain
Turquoise nuggets.
Flute # 302 is Black Locust with a Tasmanian Blackwood /
Holly mouthpiece. Two Holly dots are inlaid in Blackwood on Eastern Red
Cedar for the block. This 3/4"-bore flute is tuned to A4 and is about
19 5/8" long.
Flute 295 is a Wisconsin Black Walnut burl (1/2" bore)
flute tuned as an E5 (high). The tenon mouthpiece is Pink Ivory /
figured Myrtle. The block has a Pink Ivory wood inlay blossom with
Malachite inlay flower stem in Myrtle on Eastern Red Cedar. A figured
Myrtle inlay blossom with Sleeping Beauty turquoise inlay flower stem
appears below the nest. The flute is about 13 3/4" long.
This flute (294) is Wisconsin Black Walnut burl. The mouthpiece is figured Myrtle and the block is figured Myrtle
on Eastern Red Cedar with three sweeping inlay lines representing 'wind'
(2 malachite, 1 Kingman mine turquoise). The same pattern of inlay is
used on the flute body below the nest. This is a 1/2"-bore flute, about
13 3/8" long and is tuned as a high E5.
Florida old growth, river-recovery, "Midnight" Cypress. Flute 220/2020. Mouthpiece is Maple burl with Eastern Red Cedar and Olive wood. The block is Olive wood with Pipestone mosaic and Malachite stone inlay on Alder, Pecan and Eastern Red Cedar. This 7/8" bore flute is tuned in the key of G (minor) and is about 20 5/8" long. A green abalone dot sits within twin rows of Malachite inlay on the body of the flute. The finish is polymerized Tung oil followed by Ruby and Blond shellac.
This flute was gifted to our Israeli tour guide in Feb. 2020. At the time, we didn't understand how truly fortunate we were to have been able to complete this bucket-list pilgrimage just as the Covid-19 pandemic was being recognized. Thank you, Danny. Shalom. You won't be forgotten.
This Black Walnut flute with a pecan mouthpiece and end
cap is tuned in the key of E. Second place flute making award winner at Musical Echoes. Decorative elements include red coral
inlay
wolf tracks and a wood-burned image of a wolf head on the bore end. The
wolf perched on the block is carved from Pecan. Super
responsive, this
flute produces strong vibrations easily felt by finger tips while
playing. 055/2013.
This antler rack was created as a gift for friends at Cherokee of Georgia in 2020. The base is black walnut and the leather wrap is deer hide.
The flute being modeled is Alaskan Yellow Cedar and has a mouthpiece of spalted Sycamore and Gainesville, FL Dogwood. Key of D, length about 26 1/4", bore 1 1/8" The block features two carved pots (Dogwood on Sycamore stand; Masseur Ebony) on spalted Sycamore, Alaskan Yellow Cedar and an Eastern Red Cedar base.
Pipestems
1. Camphor with Pipestone (Catlinite) and Malachite stone inlay with Lone Mountain (Nevada) turquoise nuggets. This stem is about 10" total length, 1.25" wide an 0.375" (3/8") thick.
2. Another maker's stem used as a model for the three I created.
3. Curly Birch; toasted (i.e., burned to enhance grain pattern) with green aniline dye; 14.25" long, 1.25" wide, 0.75" thick
4. Curly Birch; wood-burned feather on the top side; 11.75" long, 1.25" wide, 0.75" thick. This stem was made for a local friend.
Deer hide pipe stem and pipe pouch with fringe. Deer antler latch point. Kingman turquoise nugget (rough) and crow beads on the latch string. Approximately 12" long by 6" wide, this example was made for a local friend in May 2020.
F#; aged Cherry with multimedia dragonfly (ivory, red coral, wood burned elements). Judged "Most Artistic" at Native Rhythms Flute Festival. 7/8" bore, 20 1/4" long. 040/2010.
Camphor; 5-flutes; Lone Mountain turquoise nuggets in
resin; Malachite stone inlay in crack; back hollowed to reduce the
weight of this nearly 1.5" thick slab; ~ 23" x 14"; ~ 5.6 lbs.
Live edge camphor, 6-flute rack with decorative flower figures of stone inlay
(malachite, azurite, both with brass and pipestone) and dyed oak buds; ~
27" long by 7" - 10.5" wide; ~ 3.0 lb
Camphor, crotch figure; Pipestone inlay used to fill naturally occurring holes; 5-flutes; ~ 29" x 13.5"; ~ 5.0 lbs
Flute 349 is Fiddleback Imbuia (southern Brazil). Tuned
as an G4, This is a 7/8" bore flute with a length of about 19 1/4." The
mouthpiece is Honduran Mahogany / Wisconsin Beech. The block is
decorated with stone inlay chevrons (red Coral, Pipestone with Bronze
PearlEx) and a Rutile Quartz cabochon set in Wisconsin Beech on Mahogany
/ Eastern Red Cedar.
Another set of chevrons (Coral, Pipestone) and another Rutile Quartz cabochon are presented on the lower end of the bore.
This spalted Cottonwood flute (#370) is tuned to the key of
A4. It has a 3/4" bore and was dyed using teal, cobalt and violet
dyes. A small feather is wood burned near the bore end. The block has a
Honduran Mahogany figure on Maple and Eastern Red Cedar with a Mahogany
back plate. A thin piece of Eastern Red Cedar forms a mouthcap on this
flute.
A spalted Cottonwood flute. Dyed bright yellow.
The band and simulated mouthpiece are wood burned. The block has a
Redwood burl figure on Eastern Red Cedar. For a 5/8"-bore, C5 flute,
this one has an extended mouth end. Overall length about 18 1/8."
Myrtle (highly figured), Flute 337. The mouthpiece is
American Elm and Claro Walnut. The block is Claro Walnut burl / Myrtle /
Eastern Red Cedar with one Mahogany and two Myrtle carved "pots." This
flute is tuned to Bb4 (A#). Decorative elements include stone inlay
(Malachite, common Opal, Azurite with two Lone Mountain Turquoise
nuggets at the bore end. Aerosol wood dyed using Teal and Cobalt Blue
colors. 3/4" bore and is about 19 1/4" long.
Finished using polymerized Tung Oil, Platinum Blonde shellac and clear
acrylic lacquer. This flute has a particularly bright and joyful voice. A
real pleasure to play.
This is a Masur Birch flute (# 334) with a Myrtle /
Madrone burl tenon mouthpiece. The block has a relief carving of a bird
on a branch (Madrone burl) mounted on a base of Masur Birch / Madrone
burl / Eastern Red Cedar. The flute is 18 3/16'" long, has a 3/4" bore
and is tuned in the key of A4. The vine with leaves figure placed
among the finger holes is wood burned and filled using black CA glue.
Flute #310 (F#4) is figured Shedua (Ovangkol). The
mouthpiece is Pecan. The block has a Pecan bear peering over a Red
Abalone cabochon on Pecan / Eastern Red Cedar. About 22 1/4" long and a
7/8" bore.
Flute 241. Curly Mango with a Honduran Mahogany /
Ambrosia Maple mouthpiece. The block features a Gabon Ebony Crow on a
base of Mahogany / Mango / Eastern Red Cedar. Key is E4; bore is 1" and
the length is about 23 3/8". The decoration is a Stylized Dragonfly just
below the nest: Black Jelly Opal cabochon; Pennsylvania Jet, Jet mixed
with silver paint glitter, Black Pipestone and five (5) Lone Mountain
Turquoise nuggets.
Flute # 302 is Black Locust with a Tasmanian Blackwood /
Holly mouthpiece. Two Holly dots are inlaid in Blackwood on Eastern Red
Cedar for the block. This 3/4"-bore flute is tuned to A4 and is about
19 5/8" long.
Flute 295 is a Wisconsin Black Walnut burl (1/2" bore)
flute tuned as an E5 (high). The tenon mouthpiece is Pink Ivory /
figured Myrtle. The block has a Pink Ivory wood inlay blossom with
Malachite inlay flower stem in Myrtle on Eastern Red Cedar. A figured
Myrtle inlay blossom with Sleeping Beauty turquoise inlay flower stem
appears below the nest. The flute is about 13 3/4" long. 
This flute (294) is Wisconsin Black Walnut burl. The mouthpiece is figured Myrtle and the block is figured Myrtle
on Eastern Red Cedar with three sweeping inlay lines representing 'wind'
(2 malachite, 1 Kingman mine turquoise). The same pattern of inlay is
used on the flute body below the nest. This is a 1/2"-bore flute, about
13 3/8" long and is tuned as a high E5.
Florida old growth, river-recovery, "Midnight" Cypress. Flute 220/2020. Mouthpiece is Maple burl with Eastern Red Cedar and Olive wood. The block is Olive wood with Pipestone mosaic and Malachite stone inlay on Alder, Pecan and Eastern Red Cedar. This 7/8" bore flute is tuned in the key of G (minor) and is about 20 5/8" long. A green abalone dot sits within twin rows of Malachite inlay on the body of the flute. The finish is polymerized Tung oil followed by Ruby and Blond shellac.
This Black Walnut flute with a pecan mouthpiece and end
cap is tuned in the key of E. Second place flute making award winner at Musical Echoes. Decorative elements include red coral
inlay
wolf tracks and a wood-burned image of a wolf head on the bore end. The
wolf perched on the block is carved from Pecan. Super
responsive, this
flute produces strong vibrations easily felt by finger tips while
playing. 055/2013.
This antler rack was created as a gift for friends at Cherokee of Georgia in 2020. The base is black walnut and the leather wrap is deer hide.
Pipestems
Deer hide pipe stem and pipe pouch with fringe. Deer antler latch point. Kingman turquoise nugget (rough) and crow beads on the latch string. Approximately 12" long by 6" wide, this example was made for a local friend in May 2020. 
F#; aged Cherry with multimedia dragonfly (ivory, red coral, wood burned elements). Judged "Most Artistic" at Native Rhythms Flute Festival. 7/8" bore, 20 1/4" long. 040/2010.
Camphor; 5-flutes; Lone Mountain turquoise nuggets in
resin; Malachite stone inlay in crack; back hollowed to reduce the
weight of this nearly 1.5" thick slab; ~ 23" x 14"; ~ 5.6 lbs.
Live edge camphor, 6-flute rack with decorative flower figures of stone inlay
(malachite, azurite, both with brass and pipestone) and dyed oak buds; ~
27" long by 7" - 10.5" wide; ~ 3.0 lb
Camphor, crotch figure; Pipestone inlay used to fill naturally occurring holes; 5-flutes; ~ 29" x 13.5"; ~ 5.0 lbs
