How do I care for my Native American style flute?

Your Ancient Territories Native American style flute is a fine musical instrument made of natural materials. My flutes are well constructed and have a good layer of protective finish. However, in order to keep your flute in good condition it should be cared for properly. Your flute should be given the same care and respect you would give any precious, delicate object.

The wood a Native American style flute is made from is subject to expansion and contraction with changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, the first rule in caring for your flute is to avoid subjecting the flute to sudden changes in either one. The more sudden or extreme the change the more dangerous it could be for your Love flute. An example would be to take a flute that had been sitting in a cold automobile and start blowing your warm breath into it without allowing the flute to heat up slowly to room temperature first. Another example is to take a flute from an air conditioned room into the direct hot sun. Worst of all, don't leave your flute in a car that will be sitting in the sun where the temperature can very quickly go up to 100 or more degrees.

Generally I wouldn't leave a Native American style flute sitting in the direct sun. This doesn't mean that you can't play your flute out of doors in the sun. Just don't leave it in a place where it could absorb direct sun rays for any length of time and thus overheat. The heating can cause uneven expansion in the wood fibers. This stresses the wood which may eventually lead to cracking. If you care for your flute avoid leaving your precious instrument within the reach of children or pets.

When I am through playing my Love flute I always blow what moisture I can out of the flute. I also leave the bird pulled back away from the nest of the flute so that air can circulate freely through the slow air chamber. Some people also leave the flute with the head end pointing down so that any residual condensation in the slow air chamber of the flute can drain out.

The polyurethane finish on your Native American style flute should not need to be oiled or treated with any conditioner. If it gets a little smudgy with oil from your hands you can wipe the flute down with a dry clean cotton cloth. Use a brisk polishing motion. I wouldn't use a synthetic fiber cloth. Synthetic fibers can be very hard and could put fine scratches on the finish. If you do get a minor scratch on your flute you can polish it out with car polish (the kind that is used to restore a dulled automobile finish). This may change the luster of the affected area in comparison to the rest of the flute. If this happens just polish the whole flute to bring the finish into uniformity. Deep scratches cannot be removed this way. If they annoy you call me and I'll refinish the flute for you.

If you are going to be taking your flute outside the home I would suggest that you obtain a padded protective bag to transport it in. A hard case is even better.