Meet Jim Kiel
"Making His Case the Traditional Way"
by Alan Markowitz

I interviewed Jim Kiel of Northwind Cases at his factory in Tucson, Arizona.

Alan: Jim, you have a very interesting and specialized operation making cases for flutes and double reeds. How long have you been doing it and how did you get into such a niche craft?

Jim: I started out more than 24 years ago. At the time, I was working for another case manufacturer that was making the whole gambit of student style cases. He was contracting me for the wooden shell part of the operation since my background had been in woodworking. Money was a bit tight in that line of work at the time and he suggested that there was a need for the more professional French style cases. His current supplier was no longer consistent in his quality, nearing retirement, and people couldn’t depend on him any more. He was getting requests from customers for this type of case and he thought since I was a small one-man operation that I could keep closer tabs on the costs, especially the leather which is so expensive. His operation was making 800,000 cases a year and he couldn’t devote the time to making sure the leather wasn’t wasted.

Alan: Did you start making French style cases for him?

Jim: That was the original idea but we never reached an agreement on how to do it. My part of the deal was to develop the cases and his was to sell them and guarantee the revenue. It took me nine months to develop a case and when it came time to sell he wasn’t able to devote the time. So I took on the sales and marketing. I was only 27 years old at the time and wasn’t well known in the business, which made it harder to get established.

Alan: How did you actually learn how to make the cases?

Jim: I talked to many leather crafters and learned a lot of tricks from them. Being an experienced woodworking person, I knew how to build the box and install the hardware (latches). The leather was really the challenge since it wasn’t in my background.

Alan: What was the challenge?

Jim: Unfortunately, this type of leatherwork requires a unique technique that is becoming a lost art. We hand-stretch the leather over the case. We have to have our leather processed to our unique specification so it does stretch. Most leather is stitched or tooled like you see on a leather belt.

Alan: When you first started the business was anyone else making this style of case?

Jim: Yes, a family by the name of Bermotti made similar cases. Bermotti originally worked for Haynes flute in Boston and from what I understand, went on his own after World War II and eventually sold to all the manufacturers.

Alan: Is Mr. Bermotti still around?

Jim: No, I believe he passed away quite a while back.

Alan: When you first started out you must have gone through stages of trial and error and left a lot of leather on the cutting room floor.

Jim: Yes, we tried a lot of leather that just wasn’t suited for this type of product. We had to learn what we needed to ask for from the leather manufacturers. It was also a tight time for leather manufacturing which was moving overseas and so there were fewer and fewer suppliers we could count on. The closest leather to our uses was bookbinding leather and that is a product that doesn’t stretch. As I mentioned, it took nine long months to get the first prototype to show for sale. From that point on we continued to perfect the process and now we get the leather tanned exactly the way we need it. We use kidd skin leather imported from Pakistan. It’s very tough, very durable and very thin leather. It has to be thin enough to stretch over the wood and cowhide is just too bulky.

Alan: Are the cases you make considered a traditional French style?

Jim: Yes, these are the same style cases that were being made two hundred years ago. We have made some technical improvements but the materials and the stretching process is the same.

Alan: Why is the French style case still so popular. There are so many new styles, shapes and materials being made now - backpack cases, tube cases, synthetic materials and on and on. What’s so great about the French style case?

Jim: It’s a wooden case, made out of Bass wood, which is a good durable wood. It’s a lightweight yet durable case that is compact and easy to carry or slip into a larger bag and it’s a status symbol. If you own an expensive handmade flute, you expect it to be in a fine hand-stretched leather French case. A lot of time and handwork is involved. The leather is hand-stretched over the case, all of the parts are handmade and covered by with quality velvet. The parts are then custom fitted into the case for each individual instrument. Hand-stretched leather and hand-cut parts seem a natural fit for the handiwork of the instruments themselves.

Alan: Have there been imitators and knock-offs of your cases?

Jim: There is a Japanese manufacturer and a few in Europe but other than that, none that I am aware of. The demand is so small; it is such a niche market that it really isn’t feasible for someone to start this up from scratch. As long as I keep my customers satisfied, there really is no need for them to look elsewhere.
Alan: You also make cases for oboe and bassoon. How did that come about?

Jim: A manufacturer approached us and asked us to develop a case specifically for them. It was based on the French style oboe cases they were getting from Europe.

Alan: Any plans for clarinet cases?

Jim: That would really be the next logical step for us in an expansion from flutes, piccolos and oboes, which have always had traditional French style cases with leather. However, with other instruments the leather becomes too expensive. It’s much more difficult to stretch leather over a clarinet or bassoon case without showing blemishes in the leather. People are more accepting of the alternate, synthetic materials for these cases. Every time I approach the clarinet market something comes up and I haven’t had the time to devote to it.

Alan: In the last 24 years have you seen any changes in the approach to making cases or the demand for these types of cases?

Jim: When I first started out, one of the things I noticed is that when you opened a case there was an imprint of all the keys on the insides. One of the first things I did was make the case larger to try and avoid some of that pressure on the keys. Over the years that has probably been the biggest difference. Now our cases are quite a bit larger than the ones made in the sixties. That change has been universally accepted and in fact most of the manufacturers are demanding the larger cases. They don’t want the pads to be kept closed when the flute is not in use. They prefer the flute be stored so keys are in the open position.

Alan: Do you have to make a variety of cases to accommodate different manufacturers?

Jim: Yes, I make different cases for each manufacturer because the way they cut their flutes is different, especially the length of them. Over the years the posts have gotten longer and the keywork if further away from the tubing, which also makes a larger case a necessity.

Alan: If I have a case from a vintage flute made in the 1940’s that is falling apart, can I call you up and order a replacement?

Jim: We do a lot of specialty, one-of-a-kind custom work for customers. In essence all of our cases are custom. We will run, for example, 30 custom cases for one manufacturer specifically fit for their instruments.

Alan: Can I order a case to fit extra headjoints or a flute and piccolo?

Jim: Yes, we do a lot of variations with C-b foot convertible and extra headjoints and flute/piccolo combinations, and cases for two flutes, etc. Another thing we do is custom design cases for people with instruments that have been modified to accommodate players with specific problems. For example, some players have flutes with extra long G# keys that would be damaged in a regular case.

Alan: Besides the size of the case, has anything else changed over the years?

Jim: The padding we use on the interior is orthopedic foam used in orthopedic shoes that has a lot more durability and cushions a lot better. Another thing we do differently is the routing on the inside of the wooden case. It is done with a CNC computer, which gives a lot more exactness and consistency than hand carving the mold.

Alan: Does this type of case offer any addition protection from heat, cold, moisture and other environmental problems?

Jim: Because it is made from wood it takes heat, cold or moisture a longer time to penetrate the case. Also, wood is much more stable than plastic, which expands and contracts with temperature changes.

Alan: Describe the components that make up a fine flute case starting with the Bass wood.

Jim: Basswood is from the Linden tree, which grows in the Midwest. It is light and durable and works very well on the grain, which means we can shape and sand it without it pulling out so we have a nice smooth surface underneath the leather.

Alan: Can you tell us a little about how you select the leather? I see you have marked up a section of leather here for cutting. Out of a section of hide how much is usable.

Jim: The average square of hide is about five square feet and we get one case out of that.

Alan: Wow! That’s not very much.

Jim: No. The case itself is about one and a half square feet so there are about three and a half square feet of leather that is trimmed.

Alan: What actually gets trimmed?

Jim: We cut away blemishes, scratches, tick bites, and other bug bites. There is also damage done when the hide is removed from the animal.

Alan: What does leather give that you can’t get in synthetic materials?

Jim: Durability all around including the hinge. On a traditional case, the leather is the hinge and leather holds up better than the newer made-made materials.

Alan: Doesn’t this leather hinge also wear out with time?

Jim: It does eventually, but not like the old days. In the old days, the hinge was a big problem. With the way they process the leather now there are almost 60 steps in the tanning process and the leather is tanned so it doesn’t lose moisture and therefore doesn’t become brittle and break. I have been told stories about a time when it was a status symbol to have a case held together with rubber bands because you had the case for so long and the hinge has worn out.

Alan: Can an old case be re-leathered?

Jim: I can do that but it’s two to three times more expensive than just building a new case, which would also be a much better quality. The only time I would re-leather customer wants to restore a vintage instrument and restoration of the case is part of the package.

Alan: Is there anything special about the hardware you use, the latches?

Jim: We have always used the same style of hardware. Our hardware is imported from Germany. We found the quality of the German product so much greater than what we could get elsewhere.

Alan: How about the velvet used on the interior. Is it a special kind of velvet?

Jim: We use the highest quality fabric we can find. It is quite expensive and purchased in large rolls.

Alan: Is there something you do to keep the instrument from moving around inside the case?

Jim: We hand-fit each instrument to the case using very exact measurements. When someone orders a custom case, we are adamant about getting measurements to the closest ½ mm or the closest 32nd of an inch.

Alan: Does a player have to send their flute to you in order for it to be fitted to the case?

Jim: Not usually, unless there is something special about that instrument. We have a large cabinet full of measurements from flutes over the years and can usually match an older instrument. If a customer needs a replacement case, I will often refer them to the manufacturer who might have the exact fit for that instrument.

Alan: If you don’t mind telling us, which manufacturers use your cases?

Jim: Almost all of the domestic manufacturers except maybe a few small makers use our cases. We also sell some to Europe, Japan and Australia.

Alan: How long does it take to make a custom case?

Jim: It depends on the complexity of the case but it usually takes three to four weeks. If it’s a case I’ve never made before, it can be closer to two months.

Alan: What’s the strangest case you’ve made?

Jim: I once made a case for a manufacturer to hold sixteen headjoints. He wanted to be able to pack all of his headjoints in one case for tradeshows. I have also worked with Eva Kingman to develop bass and contra bass cases, which are very challenging.

Alan: Any plans for new products?

Jim: Basically, we plan to keep on doing what we do best – making beautiful cases for our customers. This is a great industry to serve because the manufacturers of these finer flutes are dedicated to quality and excellence in their product and are looking for the same quality from us. They are very responsible and a pleasure to work with. I have been doing this for 24 years and only had one problem with a manufacturer, which is remarkable in manufacturing.

Alan: Thanks for taking time from your busy manufacturing schedule Jim. I enjoyed talking with you and touring the factory.

Northwind Cases are available from J. L. Smith & Co.