Haswell Headjoints

In our workshop, the beauty of classic Rudall Cartes meets the demands of today's performers

As specialist restorers with over twenty-five years of experience, we have an intimate knowledge of the world’s finest vintage wooden flutes. We understand the English Sound, a unique, reedy, rich resonance that balances lyrical warmth with technical flexibility.

Our aim in crafting new headjoints is to evolve the Rudall Carte tradition for the modern player. We recognise that while many flautists value the character of a classic wooden instrument they require a more even response from bottom to top. By retaining a balanced level of resistance, our headjoints offer the player an opportunity to develop their own sounds and colours.

We are proud that our work bridges two worlds, enhancing the playability of vintage Rudall Cartes, while bringing the soulful depth of wood to modern silver flutes.

Every headjoint is the product of two pairs of hands in our small workshop. Our tools and methods are analogue and traditional.

Finishing is done by eye and a feel for the individual piece of wood, so each headjoint is unique. Whether it is our Signature model in seasoned Grenadilla, or a custom Boxwood headjoint with a silver lip-plate insert, our goal remains the same: to provide players with a voice as unique as the wood from which it is carved.

We don’t just restore flutes — we ensure the wooden tradition continues to inspire the next generation of players.

Our Woods

Each wood offers a different density and grain structure, resulting in a unique harmonic profile. While the cut of the embouchure is the heart of the headjoint, the wood provides the "soul" of the resonance.

Seasoned Grenadilla

Prized for its immense density and stability, Grenadilla produces a powerful, focused, and centred tone with a dark core. It is the most versatile choice for the modern orchestral player seeking a robust alternative to silver. We have chosen to use Grenadilla for our Signature model.

Mopane

A dense, oily African hardwood that is rapidly becoming a favourite among contemporary flautists, Mopane is visually striking with its warm, reddish-brown hue and dark grain. With a density close to Grenadilla, it has  a rounder or more velvety edge.

Cocobolo

A beautiful, oily wood that offers creamy legato and a rich, complex mid-range.

Kingwood

This wood gives a crisp, bright, and highly articulate response. If you find Grenadilla too "heavy," Kingwood provides a vibrant brilliance with good projection.

Red Lancewood

A rarer choice for the connoisseur. Red Lancewood is remarkably agile and "quick" under the breath. It possesses a shimmering upper register and a clear, transparent quality that allows for immense tonal flexibility and nuanced colouring. We find it a good alternative to Grenadilla.

Boxwood

Sweet, lyrical, and intimate. Boxwood is responsive to a delicate touch, making it ideal for chamber music or early music repertoire where a sweet, singing hautboy-like character is desired. We like to add a Silver Under Lip-plate Insert to bring slightly crisper articulation without sacrificing any of its natural warmth.

SPECIFICATIONS

Our Signature model is made from dense and fully seasoned Grenadilla. Thinned with an integral lip-plate, it features our latest S3 embouchure cut to give a balanced resistance that will offer you opportunities to develop your own individual sounds and colours.

Options range across different woods, silver inserts, a thicker or thinner wall, and a more free-blowing embouchure cut.

UNLINED or SILVER-LINED

Most of our headjoints are unlined. We also make headjoints with a full silver lining, following Rudall Carte's practice.

SILVER LIP INSERT

A silver insert under the lip aids comfort and tightens articulation without sacrificing sound quality. We also offer a silver insert on the strike edge which can bring a lot of zing!

SFUMATO

Our special edition SFUMATO Grenadilla headjoints undergo extensive hand-sculpting; each is unique, sinuous, and elegant, with an extra-thin wall that allows lots of resonance. We make these only occasionally or to order.

PRICES

Unlined headjoint £1675

Sfumato headjoint £1845

Each headjoint is supplied in a wooden case handmade for us by Chris Raven.

All headjoints are thinned with an integral carved lip-plate.
Silver insert under lip or on strike edge add £150

Full silver lining add £150

Collar to cover a Carte-style cork tenon £60

Deluxe inlaid box by Chris Raven add £70

Our sustainably-sourced Grenadilla has been seasoned for more than 30 years. This is a dense wood that works particularly well on wooden flutes. Boxwood, Red Lancewood, Cocobolo, and Mopane, all fully seasoned, bring different qualities that can work well on both wooden and silver flutes.

Fittings are silver. Stoppers are phosphor bronze made at different weights and matched to individual headjoints - the heavier stoppers tend to bring a certain depth to the sound. All headjoints are thinned with an integral carved lip-plate.

Finding Your Sound: A Tonal Profile

Please fill out the form to help us work together towards the most suitable headjoint options.

Sfumato headjoints

fashioned by Tina Haswell, are elegant and sinuous.

The ultra-thin wall brings maximum resonance.