Gallery
July 16, 2017: This page is currently being populated, slowly. Please forgive the starkness.
This gallery is just a small sampling of the scores of restorations and many shakuhachi I have made through the years, plus a few of my all-time favorites from other makers. More will be added over time. While the shakuhachi I make are primarily for my own use, I do, on rare occasions, make one available for sale. In such a case, it will be listed on the For Sale page, as well as here in the gallery.
2.62 Jinashi
2012: I have always loved the worn, antiqued, black Komuso aesthetic, so I approached this flute with that in mind, having a wonderful piece of Chinese madake on hand. This is one of those rare jinashi shakuhachi that just "comes together" with an ideal bore profile...
2.1 Jiari
October 13, 2008: I started this 2.1 over 4 years ago, with much of the exterior work done at that time. The major bore work was done over the past 6 months. Rattan and sterling silver nakatsugi joint, sterling utaguchi bordering / kinko inlay, very dense piece of...
1.8 Nobekan
Made in 2010, give or take a couple of years. 1.8 Nobekan jiari. Finish is black Japanese Cashew with a "rustic", weathered approach. Tozan buffalo horn inlay. Plays wonderfully and effortlessly, with a sweet, solid tone, and excellent tuning. Fun flute!
1.8 Ibushi Jiari
September 19, 2008: Made from ibushi (smoked bamboo). 24K gold-lined Tozan utaguchi, 1.5 rin rattan joint, lightweight with modest ji. I began this shakuhachi in 2003 and had 2 stainless steel joint rings custom plated with 24K gold to accompany the inlay bordering....
1.8 Jiari 2012
November, 2012: 1.8 Jiari - Very dense piece of madake harvested in Kumamoto, Japan, about a decade ago; classic natural lower mottling. Average diameter is 36mm, weight 388gr, average hole diameter 10-10.5mm. Buffalo horn Kinko inlay, Japanese cashew lacquer center...
1.7 Jimori
Wonderfully tonal 1.7 jimori (minor spot ji work). Very slender, 30-40yr old Japanese madake, mentori rattan bindings, Kinko inlay. I made this years ago and it has gotten a ton of air time. Extremely responsive and plays effortlessly well up into the 3rd octave....
1.8 Jiari 2005
August 25, 2005. 1.8 Jiari, silver-lined Tozan inlay, stainless/rattan center rings. The bamboo was originally harvested for a 2.0, but some noticeable bug damage at the root area allowed for some fill and resizing for a 1.8. For some reason, which escapes me at the...
1.8 Mega Nobe
May, 2010. Ultra beefy, 1.8 jiari nobekan, 40mm wide at the utaguchi. Harvested in Kumamoto, Japan, the bamboo had died in the ground creating very nice patterns and goma throughout. I began this one as a 2-piece with joint, but decided to play with cast a bore and...
Kyozan 1.8 Restoration
February, 2013: Restored 75+ Year Old Kyozan 1.8 Shakuhachi – Original Bore. Kyozan was a very prolific and very fine shakuhachi maker in the early 1900's. This pre-war flute is a prime example of his skill and tonal honing expertise. “Non-invasive” repairs were...
1.8 Mumei Restoration 2008
July 31, 2008: This 1.8 unstamped shakuhachi had a very nice piece of bamboo and was well played. The major issues were as follows: Missing utaguchi with "crooked" inlay slot, moderate "exterior" crack and missing rattan in the nakatsugi area of the upper, severe...
2.0 Jiari 2007
September, 2007: This 2.0 was started many years ago by my good friend, Jeff Cairns, and had a nice pataina. He sent it to me to bring to life, along with 2 others in varying stages of construction, last year. This one had some ji already applied, the utaguchi slot...
1.8 Jiari 2008
August 21, 2008: This was an unfinished shakuhachi begun many years ago by Jeff Cairns, in Kumamoto, Japan, sent to me with a few others that just had some rough work done. Stainless/rattan center rings, larger bore with great projection and tone. The original...
Pre-War 1.Mumei 8 Restoration
June, 2014: Pre WWII Mumei 1.8 Restoration. New urushi at the center joint, new urushi center rings, small chip repaired in the buffalo horn kinko inlay. Inlaid binding installed just below #1 to repair a small hairline crack. Bore was excellent and remained...
My Current Collection, 2017
Thought I would take a couple of shots of my current collection. It's always fun to look back on, years later, after the usual new additions and others venturing yonder. These are my favorite, daily players. These images are large, by intent, and are set to open in a...
3 Stamp Inoue Shigeshi 1.8
This is a very fine, 3 stamp, Inoue Shigeshi 1.8. Beautiful craftsmanship and a joy to play. Sold to Ronnie Seldin in 2011.
Gyokusui Kono 1.8
This is the finest Kono I've ever played / owned. I purchased it from Stan Richardson, who had used it as his primary for decades, and was used in the recording of his CD's - two of the many tracks include: Tsuru no Sugomori and Murasaki Reibo. I had...
Gyokusui Kono 1.8 Nobekan
This is the 2nd finest Kono I've ever played / owned. Purchased from David Sawyer in 2005. An amazingly sweet and tonal instrument. Much of the same properties as the Stan RIchardson Kono, though slightly less compression in the tone.
Gyokusui Kono 1.8
Another fine Kono II. Wonderful player, beautiful bamboo. Sold to Laetitia van Leeuwen, who sent me this note last year: "Hi Derek, I just want to let you know I am now playing on your Gyokusui 1.8 since 2008 with much joy. ...I’m very pleased with this...
Gyokusui Kono 2.0
This is a fantastic Kono 2.0 and a prime example of Kono's high-end bores--mirror finish, superb tuning, extremely refined tone color and response, with a very wide timbre sculpting ability. 24k gold bordered Tozan inlay and Sterling silver center rings,...
