Blue Bear Blog

Christmas in July 2026 With Blue Bear Flutes And A Few New Products

BLUE BEAR FLUTES Hello Again My Friends, This is a quick reminder that our 2026 Christmas in July Sale is going on through July 31, 2026 - but it won't last much longer! If you've been thinking about adding a new Native American style flute, flute-making tool, or accessory to your collection, now is a great time to stop by and see what's available before the sale ends. This has been one of our busiest and most exciting summers yet. Along with continuing to build the handcra

How to Prevent Flutes from Wetting Out and Overcoming Misunderstandings in Flute Making

When you build or play a Native American style flute, one frustrating problem you might face is the flute getting wet under the flute block. This "wetting out", as we call it, makes the flute nearly impossible to play until it dries. After 38 years of crafting flutes at Blue Bear Flutes, I’ve developed simple, reliable and natural methods to prevent this issue. Alongside that, I want to address some common misunderstandings about flute making that often arise from incomplete

Sound, Story, and Survival: A Maker’s Perspective on the Native American Flute

by Charlie Mato-Toyela I have been making and playing what are now commonly called Native American flutes since I was fifteen years old. At that time, I spent a great deal of my life with friends and distant relatives traveling the powwow circuit and observing what other Native people were doing musically and artistically. Much of that time was spent in the southeastern United States, though my experiences also include travel and extended stays with Cherokee and Choctaw famil