I missed a Hawk Littlejohn on Craigslist...$75

Well here it is slightly marked up.

Oh well, I bet there are plenty out there.

For any makers here--or more astute players--can you estimate the key from the dimensions given: "23 inches long with a sound chamber of approx. 16.5 inches"? From measuring my woodland flutes (Colyn, Geoffrey), this would seem to be either a mid E or F. Any more educated guesses?

The dimension needs to be from the TSH to the foot, or tuning holes, if present. While that can still vary somewhat, with bore size, you can closely approximate the key with that dimension.

Almost looks like it says Gb on the side... which would be a mid-F#.
But it's the right legnth for an F or E, depending on the inside diameter. Without that it's hard to tell for sure.

Even better than the flute itself (I'm guessing maple with rosewood fittings) is the interior text of the book. I've never seen the inside of this book before. The statement of philosophy on the second page is a Declaration of Independence for all us aspiring fluties who came after. The three major assertions: the universality and democracy of musicality; the identification of the natural world as a source of inspiration and technique (as distinct from structured music education); and the essence of the notion of "playing from the heart"; it's all there in two succinct paragraphs. This is radical stuff for its time. It should be our charter.

There are a lot of Hawk Littlejohn flutes out there, but finding one you can acquire, at any sensible price, now, is a task.

Still, he was a prolific flute maker, and you never know when an opportunity might arise.

On the other hand, when you make that many flutes, there are the "basic" ones, the "better" ones, and the "outstanding" ones. I have had the opportunity to see all of those levels. Only the "outstanding" ones truly merit the very high prices now being charged for his flutes.

It is pretty much like any other "label" kind of product......sometimes you get what you pay for, and other times, you could have done just as well, with a product that was "no label."

The mystique, has gotten a bit out of hand, since his passing.

Chris, what do you think about the possibility of it being canarywood? The grain reminds me of that one you had?
Kat

Kat,

I agree the grain doesn't quite match maple, even figured maple, but the canary wood flute was more yellow, as I recall.

No canaries were harmed in the making of that flute.

The seller has some nice pictures (especially the book), I've never seen one of his flutes in person. The block floats off the back of the back of the nest. Is this the design that Hawk stayed with, did it change much? I haven't seen any other makers use this design.

I read once that he only used woods native to his local area too, does anyone know what woods he used?

Having a Cherokee heritage, I like the forward on the pamphlet (and the flute of course). It will be interesting to see how high the bidding will be.

Eric

Eric,

I don't know when Hawk started using his distinctive block style, but it was on his flutes as early as 1993 or so. Geri his wife still makes flutes with this distinctive block. It is relatively short over the nest but definitely covers the two holes, and "floats" over the back just like the pictures. The chimneys are generally curled inward, sometimes right into the TSH space. On some flutes, the underside of the block is gouged just slightly, making it a kind of hybrid of flue-in-bird and flue-in-block. He experimented with this block design constantly although the basic shape stayed the same.

I have seen Hawk Littlejohn flutes in walnut and other common woods, but I've also seen and heard of flutes made of exotics. I've recently posted a snippet of music from a bloodwood flute made in 2000.

Good questions!

Flute sold for $676.

That would be approx. 3 times the actual value, of the flute. Hope they get a lot of enjoyment from it.

Don't know what the value is...I guess that is up to the buyer, the woman that sold it on Craigslist bought it for $120.

It was a standard flute of Hawk Littlejohn's, and the price for it would have depended on where and when it as purchased originally. If it was acquired at a show or pow wow, it would have been less, than in one of the shop outlets. The shops buy them and then mark them up. A tourist shop that used to carry his flutes, near where he lived, marked them up at least 50%, to the tourist trade. The same shop now carry's Danny Bigay flutes, Hawk's son-in-law. Danny's flutes in the shop are pretty pricey, in the $400.-up range, for a basic flute.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the flute, until a couple of years after Hawk crossed over, so his flutes were already collector items by then. I still might run into one, in a garage sale or something, if I can ever get moved back to that area.

Red Wolf actually contemplated, at one time, starting his dad's workshop back up, but he never did it. Of course Geri is making some flutes, in the same style as Hawk's, for those who want one of hers. I might get one of hers, if I ever get back to the area, again, also.