Charlie … Excellent video tutorial!!! I’ll be oiling my eastern cedar five hole when I return to the ranch later this week. As I told you before, it is one of my most prized possessions. Thanks for all of the excellent information!!! Me and mine wish you and yours all things great and good; be safe and God bless!!! Chuck Knight from Buffalo, Texas. 👨‍🌾🐩✝️🙏🦌

Thanks Charlie! My 1st flute is indestructible pvc from an unregistered Cherokee friend. But, y 2nd flute is Cedar from a Powwow vendor and it came with no instructions! The 5 year old cedar flute is now anointed with virgin olive oil, along with a lot of my kitchen. I see the wood floor in there getting olive oil in the near future...

Thank you. Praying you stay Blessed and safe in these times.

I like peanut oil because it never dries leaving a residue, it evaporates very slowly over time, and never goes bad. It brings out the timber in the wood or bamboo flutes in a remarkable way! However some individuals may possibly already have an allergy or sensitivity to peanuts. I also enjoy walnut oil.

Thanks, Charlie. I use coconut oil on my Cedar flute in G, and have had no problems so far.

Thank you for the video! Such perfect timing, just filtered some beeswax yesterday and wasn't sure if olive oil was a flute-safe choice for thinning out the wax. I do use olive oil on my skin like you mentioned (especially during the winter.) Absorbs quickly and works great. I noticed putting a little bit of pure wax on the seat helps with holding small adjustments to the block positioning when I'm trying to diagnose problems (I need to find a clip like you use rather, tired of struggling with rubber bands!) *can totally hear the difference, surprised how much it changed the sound. In retrospect, it sounded sort of 'dry' before the oil.

Thanks for sharing this video Charlie, Another great video. 👍

I use flax seed oil to do a hand rubbed finish on wood. It can go rancid, but since I am not drinking it, it has never been an issue. Old school wood workers recommend once a day for 7 days, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year there after for furniture. Maybe flutes would require more, but I have no experience with that. Heavy coat allowed to soak in for about 15 minutes the first coat or two and wipe off the excess. After that very light application and rub enough to create some heat with a cloth or your hand. It should create a protective coat when finished. Flax seed is the raw form of boiled linseed oil without the chemical drying agents. Very thin coats is the key to not needing the chemicals. I use bees wax for soap making. A couple of tablespoons melted in the batch makes the soap last longer and adds nutrients for skin. It can be melted in a thick, heat resistant, glass jar (like canning jars) over very low heat in a pot with some water in it, but not so much water that it floats. Like a double boiler. A repurposed food tin can can also work or even in a crock pot on low with what ever oil you choose. It’s best to chop or grate the bees wax because it resists melting a bit. Keep in mind that it will stick to whatever you use to break it down so if you can buy it already broken down in smaller form like the little beads even better.

Thanks, Charlie for this info. I am a beginner who loves all your videos!

Thanks for the. video on flute care

I use grapeseed oil as an alternative to olive oil because it is much thinner and I prefer the “runnier” ones, lol. I add a lot of tea tree, clove & peppermint essential oils to it. The combination smells AMAZING and I believe I got the idea from you. Now I don’t know if grapeseed oil goes rancid or not, but with the amount of EO I add I think it will preserve it for a WHILE 😅. Also I make smaller batches so I can make it more frequently rather than having sitting around for longer periods (Also it helps to own MANY of your flutes, haha) Afterwards I put the imitation bear wax from your shop on them. I LOVE that product. Speaking of oiling, I just went through a flute-oiling session this past weekend and it was unexpectedly very theraputic & relaxing. Other than playing it, I think oiling it is my next favorite thing to do with them hahaha Oh and yes you can hear a difference in the sound after it’s been oiled!!

Just got a Googol flute from you guys, love how beautiful it sounds. Oiled my flute following this video, and it made my flute shine ❤️ Have a question about oiling though - i noticed you did not instruct us to oil the top section of the flute above the sound hole. Does this section not need oiling? Thought I ask in the comments in case others are wondering, too. Thank you for the beautiful work you and your team does, making flutes and these videos!

Charlie, Thank you so much for your knowledge and wisdom about all things flutes. I made a flute yesterday from bamboo using your methods and it turned out very well, I think so anyway. I oiled the flute before I saw this video, but I think I am ok as far as the type of oil, I used the same oil I used on cutting boards that I made, as well as my butcher block counter top. It is a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax, your thoughts on this oil? Thanks again!

Thank you for this very helpful and informative video. Answered all my questions related to how, when and why to oil flute. Loving my Western Cedar flute you made in the key of E. Be well.

Hey Charlie, when I watched your video a day ago I thought that if mineral oil is the go, them mineral oil and bees wax would have to be better. Using you formula from making your bear oil (earlier videos), I replace the oils with mineral oil. WOW does it shine my flutes. Smooth and no blemishes. Thanks for all you do. Tom

Thanks for this information! I was thinking that I would put an oil finish on when ever I try to make a wood flute. Does it help prevent the saturation issue? If so wouldn’t it be a good idea to use on the block?

Is it true that Cherokee originate from the Iroquois Nation? My grandmother was Mohawk, turtle clan. I know these are not the true native terms, but I always forget them as I did not grow up with my birth family and they are lengthy. I hope this is not an offensive question.

Actually, viscous means thick. Water is not viscous, oil is. Olive oil may be less viscous than other oils, but dripping slower than water means that it is MORE viscous.

I think if I oil the interior I’ll olive oil a thin cloth and run that into the whole inside with a long knitting needle.

I use coconut oil on my flutes. No smell no taste. Works great..

Does olive oil prevent fungus/mold growing in the flute?

I saw your beeswax video, and made some wax using sunflower oil. Should I've used olive oil instead?

Coconut oil ???