Shakuhachi Flute Department:

I learned the basics of flute playing in high school and over the years I have collected quite a few of them.  Here are the shakuhchi flutes I have collected.

How old are they? Well, all I know is that they were old when I purchased them 40 years ago.  I don't play them these days ... so ... onto the selling shelf they must go. 

For general interest, from Wikipedia:

The flute now known as the shakuhachi was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the fuke shakuhachi (普化尺八). This style of shakuhachi is longer and thicker than the older shakuhachi, and its volume, range, scale, and tone are superior to those of the older shakuhachi. It is made from the base of the bamboo, and the average length is 54.5 cm (21.5 in), which corresponds to 1 shaku 8 sun; the outside diameter is 4 cm (1.6 in), and there are 5 finger holes – 4 at the front, 1 at the back.^[4][1][2]

During the medieval period, shakuhachi were most notable for their role in the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks, known as komusō ("priests of nothingness" or "emptiness monks"), who used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs (called honkyoku) were paced according to the players' breathing and were considered meditation (suizen) as much as music.^[10]

Also, please note:  These flutes are made according to the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale.  Pentatonic is the foundation of Shakuhachi compositions. It consists of five notes: Ritsu, Hyo, Iwato, Yo, and Daito

Click on the picture to enlarge

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#232 - Shackuhachi - $165

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#236 - Shackahachi - $220

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#233 - Shakahache - A Big Fat One - $165