to be born a flute...

there is an alchemical consciousness working in the invisible through the elements, the craftsman is an interpreter of the process and when he is integrated into the natural flow of the raw material, participating in cad stage of gestation, he develops the subtle art of perceiving what cad bamboo will be like flute. The craftsman's intent is shaped by the form and nature of the material, just as the material is shaped by the craftsman's hands.

preparation of materials

The harvest

Upon entering the bamboo grove we asked permission, bowed and thanked! The harvest is done at the beginning of the Moon's waning cycle, when the waters are low, we ask the clan if we can harvest. This Standing People belongs to the South direction of the wheel of sweet Amerindian medicine and is the giving people by nature. We cut gently just above the node, so the water drains and doesn't damage the root. We look for the oldest bamboos that are in the center of the clump, they must be stained with an aged appearance, they must be at least 3 or 4 years old. The older the better.

The bath

There are many types of baths to remove starch from bamboo and reduce the possibility of micro-organism infestation. We used a lot of chemical baths, but we weren't happy with the heavy metal disposal process. We are currently working in a forest reserve with access to pure spring water. So we use bathing tanks in running water without the need to use chemical products, simply leaving the harvested bamboos immersed for 15 to 30 days in pure spring water running over them.

1st Drying

When we remove the bamboos from the water, we present them to Avô Sol for a few days, but do not leave them exposed for more than 15 days, as ideal drying is done slowly in the shade. This is the first drying process just to drain excess water.

2nd drying and Arma zen agem

The bamboos are cad on the shelf in a horizontal position and away from each other to breathe. They stay for at least 6 months drying in the shade and with low air humidity. At this stage, the longer the bamboo is zen , the better it will sound in the future. It is a natural maturation process.

3rd Drying and Sealing

The last step in preparing the material to turn the flute is the final drying in the blowtorch. Where the bamboo is bathed in fire to eliminate the last traces of water and provide a natural seal through the evaporation of resins and starches. We call this process "fire testing", because many bamboos do not withstand the test and crack. Those who survive will certainly be born as resistant flutes and literally, tried in the fire.

Production Phase

The production stage begins with choosing the ideal bamboo for cad type of flute and tuning, the bamboo tells us what the flute wants to be and we try to follow it. After the time-consuming choice, we proceed to the cleaning, sanding, drilling, hot tuning, cold tuning, final sealing, finishing, assembly and secrets that are part of our flute creation process. See below images of some processes in our workshop. Come create your flute in our studio, we serve individually or small groups. Contact by email.