Oh, Kara, thank you so much! I really love this forum and I was so sad to leave you and Patrick and Darkelder...
I am sure your husband still loves you, though, bad temper and all!
Yes, the gold wears off the keys! It gets frusterating because I am not vain enough to take it in and spend money to get the gold re-done and have the finish replaced, but I am sad to see gold slowly become silver. It's been over a year now that I have had it and it has been well used. Considering how much it has traveled, I am not surprised to see an occassional scratch or dent or another flake of gold worn away. I am upset, though, because there is a small dent in my headjoint! It's so small that I am surprised I noticed it, but, since it is in the headjoint, I would like to take care of it as soon as possible! Gah.
So far, though, the D.C. Pro III (as it's full name is) has been holding up well. It was only a minor problem with a flipped piece of felt when it arrived, but that was probably through shipping. So far, it has held up better than any flute I have ever owned, with the exception of my Armstrong! I still love my Armstrong. It is one of the older models and has behaved very well!
I have forgotten what kind of flute you have, and if you play any more instruments, I am afraid. I have been gone too long! (Excuse my spelling, my fingers are more fluent on a flute than on a keyboard! )

Well, I am glad to hear that it is holding up well for you. Do you just send it back to Dominic every time it needs re plating? I thought I read that he had some sort of warranty.

I used to have a Yamaha 581 with gold plated keys, but I got tired of having to re touch it all the time. The flute I have now has solid silver keys, so I wouldn't bother gold plating them. That and I think it is like sac religious or something to do to a Powell? Lol! Someone once told me that and I thought it was funny. I did have to gold plate the lip plate on my new Williams head though because I didn't have the money to get a solid 14 K lip on it and I am very sensitive to silver especially under my lips.

I knew that I had trouble wearing earrings and realized later when I changed them to gold posts that I was fine. When I had my nose piercing done they told me it was titanium, WRONG! It was silver and dang did my nose hurt until I was able to put a gold stud in!

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Darkelder doesn't post on here anymore unless he is also using a different name.

No, I have never had to send it into Dominic. I talk with him very rarely. I have to admidt that I have not been a responsible flute owner on the fact I have not read the warrenty! Opps. But, I don't plan on sending it back to him unless the whole thing falls apart (knock on wood) because it is just too far to ship. I would really hate if my performance flute got lost in the mail!
You can't handle silver, either? I have slight reactions if I work on a silver headjoint for a few weeks. It isn't bad, my lower lip and chin just start to itch and it hurts a little. I am sensitive to earrings and peircings, too, and I have to watch that what I am wearing is really gold and not a substitue for gold, because that causes a slight reaction, too. I am so happy for my gold plating on the headjoint. Once that starts to wear away, then it will pass the line of being vain to being vital!