(Test 1 - port topic from old blog) Now that Really IS a leaky tonehole....

... and it's not a Martin  !  (it's not magic, either) Carolyn emailed me, and put some pictures up on Flickr of an interesting C-Melody saxophone she's acquired. It's marked J.R. LAFLEUR & SON LTD, 147 WARDOUR STREET, LONDON. W1

Here's the link to the Flickr photo set (click here)

At a quick glance you'd notice the'Pontiac rings' on the bell/bow joints, and that (partially) soldered tonehole, and say "Ah - Martin or IBI Co".  But then there's both bell toneholes on the same side, and the long soldered 'guard' feet so typical of European design.  So, a little more investigation is called for. I guess more will be added later, as the mystery unravels...  Any suggestions as to the origins ?

Some of the angular bits on the mechanism (and the bow/bell joint rings) are very similar to my recently acquired Kohlert C-Melody  - but only some !