This blog is dedicated to the sublime instruments called nose flutes and which produce the most divine sound ever. We have chosen to discard all the native models from S. Pacific and Asia, for they need fingering to be played. We'll concentrate on "buccal cavity driven" nose flutes : the well patented and trademarked metal or plastic ones, plus, by a condemnable indulgence, some wooden craft or home-made productions.

Nov 12, 2011

A German metal Nasenflöte

There was (at least) one German metal flute which appeared in the end of the 20s or the beginning of the 30s. Very comparable to the original Humanatone, with very minor differences (the length of the mouth cap, the shape of air-duct wings and their fixing system, and the shape of the nostrils hole).

We can find it in several catalogs. Here, respectively, in the Gebrüder Schuster (ca. 1924-29), Matthias Hohner A. G. (ca. 1923-35), Meinel und Herold 1930, Meinel und Herold 1932, Vogtlandsperle (ca. 1923-35) and Max Adler (ca. 1929-32).


Here is the Gebrüder Schuster page :


If you look closely at the Max Adler picture (the last of the 6-series), it will appear to you that something seems to be written on the base of the mouth cap.
The flat part of the air duct cap seems shorter than on the other drawings.

So, are there two different German nose flutes ?

Well, I have two old flutes which correspond exactly to the drawings. The first one, with no stamp on the mouth cap was sold to me in Danemark as "a german flute". The second one, shows a stamp "Made in Germany" and comes from USA.

I took all the measurements possible, and can affirm those 2 nose flutes are absolutely superimposable, on any point, except the stamping "Made in Germany".
I don't know if one is a later model, or if the stamped one was destined to abroad market...

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