Happy Labor Day All! I’m in RI again for the Labor Day weekend. It’s been hectic as the kids are still on Summer Break. The temps were in the 90’s this week.

I managed to finish a repair before I left the city. This was an Ichijo Kobayashi. A fine instrument. from a fine maker. I had four Ichijo flutes in here lately. They all meet a high standard.

I enjoy working in the RI shop. There’s more room and I get to watch the kids play in the yard. There’s nothing like the sound of children laughing.

Inlays prepped for the rattan wrap.

After.

The flute was stored in very humid environment to keep the crack closed but for too long. The result was mold on the ends. I scrubbed it off with a bleach solution.

After a coat of Pure Tung Oil and polishing.

I also cleaned up the bottom and refurbished the Honshu Red urushi as it buckled due to the humidity.

The Hanko of Ichijo.

When it rains it pours. The day before I left town, I also had a few visitors come by for consultation on their flutes. One needed a chin rest adjustment and that is certainly best done with a personal fitting. The other needed the RO and Tsu pitches raised. This can sometimes be a personal issue also so it was good to have him over. Better yet, he came with his teacher. It’s quite necessary to be on the same page when tweaking old flutes for a specific ryu (school). Then, just as I was going out the door on Friday, my postal carrier delivered another package wiith a flute in need of help!

So just a little more work then it’s official Labor Day for me. Let’s get the BBQ started. My life rules!