"Pin-in-block" refers to the early methods of including key mounts as an integral part of the tubing or body materials of woodwinds, usually those carved from hard wood or ivory. Oversize ferrules or beads were left during the outer turning operation and designated to be channeled and drilled to mount one or more keys. Either the entire ferrule supporting such keywork would remain in place, partly as a decorative device, or, it would be cut away for most of its circumference leaving only a "block" having a channel for the key. In either case each key was usually mounted with a brass "pin" as the fulcrum or pivot.

Detail of DCM#: 88, Flute in C. Maker: Gerock & Wolf Pin-in-block keywork.	Detail of DCM#: 97, Footjoint of Flute in C. Maker: Johann (John ) Pfaff Post and rod keywork.

"Post and Rod" refers to the later mechanical method that employed all metal keywork replacing the block mount with two posts which would support one or more keys. Each pair of such posts was drilled to receive a fulcrum pin like the pin used in the pin-in-block method or, more commonly, they were drilled with one of the two posts tapped to retain a steel screw that functioned as a pin. Instead of drilling a hole through the key for a pin, a larger hole was made to accommodate a "hinge tube" or "hinge rod" that was inserted and soldered through it to rotate on a pin or screw, or between two short, steeply tapered "pivot screws" in the posts. This "hinge tube," by increasing the effective width of the key pivot, improved stability and alignment. It also permitted an easy repair of misalignment resulting from lateral wear by the technique of stretching the hinge tube over its pin with swedging pliers. If stretched too far it, or a new replacement tube, could be quickly adjusted with a hinge tube end cutter.

Hinge Tube End Cutter.	Swedging Pliers and End Cutter.

"Direct mount" refers to the direct method of attaching the post whereby each post was threaded on the bottom and screwed into a tapped hole in a nonmetallic instrument body.

"On ribs" refers to the indirect method of attaching the post whereby the posts were silver-soldered to long, narrow metal (often nickel silver) ribs which were either screwed to a non-metallic instrument body or soft-soldered to a metal instrument body. "On flanges" refers to cases in which usually only two such posts were soldered or riveted to a single flange, often of a diamond, crescent, or other decorative shape that was attached to the instrument body as above. The flange method applies almost exclusively to nonmetal instrument bodies which were sometimes mortised to have the flanges recessed flush with the surface.

6-keyed bassoon, Goulding & Company, London Key saddles.

The "Saddle" or "Key Saddle" is a metal version of the block and pin key mount but which also shares aspects of the post and rod mount. The key saddle was made from fairly heavy gauge sheet metal, usually brass, most often rectangular, which was bent, cast, or forged into a form, staplelike (or U-shaped) in cross section, to duplicate in metal the pin-in-block key channel principle. It was sometimes mounted on a flange, and usually took a steel or brass screw rather than a pin for the fulcrum. Like the post and rod mount it was a separate piece and was usually attached mechanically using flat-head wood screws. Key saddles have been applied to all early woodwinds but were usually reserved for large instruments such as bassoons and serpents.

"Key flaps" or "Flat key flaps" refer to the flat, pad-retaining end of an early woodwind key which was padded with a piece of soft leather for covering its tonehole. The shape was usually square or round, with many decorative variations. For an excellent illustration of the flat key shapes which have appeared on early woodwinds, the reader is referred to Phillip T. Young's 4900 Historical Woodwind Instruments (London: Tony Bingham, 1993, p. xxxiii).

Detail of DCM#: 88 Saltspoon design.

"Saltspoon" refers to those later key flaps, actually, key cups, which were concave--nearly hemispherical like a saltspoon--to receive a stuffed leather pad for more convenient pad seating. The back of the pad was essentially the shape of the cup and would automatically swivel to seat itself over the tonehole when applied with a heated adhesive such as shellac.

"Modern key cup" or "Modern style key cup" refers to those early key designs having a modern style pad retainer or cup. Early examples of such key cup designs were similar to the modern recessed key cup form, which takes a disc-shaped stuffed pad, but were otherwise old-fashioned with respect to mounts and other elements.

"Pewter plug" refers to a nineteenth-century type of key in which the flat leather, or formed stuffed leather pad was replaced by a tapered plug of pewter or other soft metal riveted loosely to the key end. The tonehole covered by such a key was then lined with a similarly tapered metal bushing or sleeve that supposedly insured an airtight seat. These were liberally used during the first three quarters of the nineteenth-century and were usually reserved only for foot joints, although some flutes, especially English, were outfitted completely with plug keys. It is rare to find them applied to any woodwind other than the flute, which was the wind instrument most popular with amateurs. While the amateur flutist may initially have found their durability an advantage, the reverse was true when repairs required costly professional assistance.

A "Flat spring" or "Leaf spring" is a hammered brass or tempered steel spring tongue that is riveted or screwed to the finger spatula end of a key. It was also sometimes tucked into the mount assembly or attached there with a screw, so that it exerted an upward pressure on the rear of the key. Keys mounted in metal saddles were frequently sprung in this optional reverse manner in the early stages. In some cases each key will have both types of flat spring exerting pressure on each other for very efficient key return.

The term "Needle spring" pertains to some of the post and rod key designs in which round, tapered springs wedged into small post holes controlled key return for some or all of the keys that pivoted on a hinge rod assembly. They usually work in parallel to the axis of the key, and the narrow end of the spring is engaged by a small hook brazed to a key element.

Conventions and Definitions