Grenadilla (African blackwood) Fifes

Due to the supply of grenadilla wood, we are limiting how many fifes of any one model we have in stock for fast delivery at this time. For models marked "not available at this time", please check back often or email us to get on our notification list.

MODEL 19 One-Piece Model 6 Hole Fife is patterned on mid- to late-19^th century antiques in our collection (Cloos, Hall,and  Firth & Pond), and made with the Cloos/Ferrary style simple bore that allows for notable ease of play. This is our stock model of grenadilla wood fifes, in the traditional fife key of folk B♭ (concert A♭).

Standard One-Piece Model 6 Hole Fife is the model currently most popular with the fifers of the ancient fife and drum corps. This model is made with the Cloos/Ferrary style simple bore that allows for notable ease of play, the body turning being a slight taper profile with short brass ferrules. This is our stock one-piece model fife, in the traditional fife key of folk B♭ (concert A♭).

Cooperman Traditional Model Fife has a bore that is slightly larger size than our Standard Model fife, designed to create a bright, loud field instrument. We turn this fife in the classic 18th century/19th century tapered design with mid-size brass ferrules, in the traditional fife key of folk B♭ (concert A♭).

"Old "Pitch" Model Fife is the model Cooperman developed in the 1960's for Colonial Williamsburg based on a fife in their collection. This is an 18th century pitch fife, quite sharp to our modern ear for what we expect to hear as the traditional fife key of folk B♭ (concert A♭). While there is no one 18th century pitch, this is certainly one of the pitches appropriate for that period.

McDonagh Models and Cooperman Concert Models are not available at this time, please check back or email to be added to our notification list.

STOCK SUPPLIES OF GRENADILLA. Grenadilla (African blackwood), long a traditional wood for making fifes, is part of the genus Dalbergia, the "true rosewoods". As such, international regulations (CITES) now ban the import of this material as lumber. For more details, please go to Exotic Hardwood Restrictions. We have a small supply of grenadilla wood that predates the updated CITES regulations, which we can continue to use for making fifes. Any fifes listed in our store are either made from this in-house lumber or were made from lumber that was imported pre-CITES.