Hi friends!
After 5 days of playing my black Clarke’s Original in Hi D, I received my Shaw Hi D today.
I INSTANTLY liked the Shaw much better for several reasons.
The holes are bigger, that makes it easier to “sense” or “feel” the holes, which makes you realize much easier whether your fingers have the right position.
I have very slim fingers (almost like a skinny woman) and still feel much more comfortable with the bigger holes.
The Shaw plays better! While still getting the wrong notes on the Clarke (mostly by mispositioning fingers), it hardly happens with the Shaw at all.
The Shaw looks better (matter of taste). Even though playability and sound are the most important factor in an instrument, I rather tend to prefer “eye candy” (not ABOVE the first two factors, but ADDITIONALLY)
On pictures I liked all the black whistles better but when placed in front of me in real life, I like the brass look much better.
The Shaw sounds a little “smokier”, more “airy” (I mean you can hear more of the flowing air), which from the sound samples I heard online wasn’t my preferred sound at first.
Here the Clarke is slightly ahead with a little mellower/warmer sound.
The Shaw is a little louder.
Both need almost the same amount of air with the Shaw needing a bit more in the very upper registers. As a beginner I still have some difficulties with those, I tend to underblow them.
The Shaw feels more comfortable! While the Clarke has a detectable “edge” on the underside where the thumbs rest, the Shaw has just a groove. Both sides of the metal are of the same height
while with the Clarke there’s one side higher than the other. The Shaw’s metal edges come together evenly, leaving nothing but a groove along the underside of the whistle.
Somehow the brass looking metal (natural) also feels like I have more “grip” on the surface, the Clarke seems to be a little more “slippery” due to the very smooth surface of the paint but I’m not
yet absolutely sure about that. It’s just a kind of “gut feeling”, if you know what I mean.
Even though of slightly different form, both blowholes feel comfortable (both whistles are without mouthpieces). The Clarke’s upper edge is slightly rounded while the Shaw’s is straight.
The Clarke seems to be a little off tune with the first (most upper) hole! 
OVERALL: I’d say the Shaw jumped instantly in pole position so far.
I ordered a couple more: I’m presently waiting for a Dixon Low D, a Clarke Sweetone (yes, with plastic mouthpiece! I thought I’d give them a try because I liked the sound on several videos, even though I don’t like the look) and a Waltons Mellow D.
Furthermore I ordered a Sweetheart Irish Flute Rosewood Low D and two Wahajo Native American Flutes in A and G. ( http://www.indianerfloete.de/floeten/floeten.html )
I’ll keep you posted about how it goes!
So far I’m having awesome fun with my new flute hobby! 
I’m afraid I won’t touch the Clarke Original very often but I’ll keep coming back to it with increasing experience for comparison reasons.
I’m especially looking forward to receive my Sweetheart and the two NAFs. I instantly fell in love with the latter! 
(calling a 47 year old adult “crumbs” would be considered pretty rude and respectless in Germany, so I guess it’s a matter of language barrier on my side?) , I quote myself:
)
