Cosmetic ornamentectomy of the Clarke pennywhistle via
thumbnail-executed dermabrasion
The Clarke pennywhistle is the flageoletphile's best remaining approximation of the classic pennywhistle of the 19th century. It is, therefore, indispensable. However, some enthusiasts, including the present author, find the gold diamond ornamentation on the shaft to be frankly unattractive, in a cheesy-classic sort of way. Fortunately, recent advances in flageolet aesthetics and the surgical altering thereof, offer a bold new solution. Qualified fipple surgeons can scrape off the unwanted gold paint with a thumbnail, preferably one of their own. The results (Figure 1)have been described as "boldly postmodern," principally by critics that do not understand the whole concept of postmodernism.
