I’ve always observed bad taste in music to be the most dangerous side effect. You know the joke:
Q: What did one deadhead say to the other when the pot wore off?
A: Wow! This music sucks!
No better here, Joe. With the humidex its in the low 100s. You are welcome to take it back any time. 
Cynth, I saw a double-D chanter made of metal in the possesion of Kevin Henry once, not sure if it was from a PR-24 or not. I do not support police battery based on race, but I get sick to death of apologies being demanded by the self-righteous for every dumb joke that may appear here from time to time.
djm
Yes, I know, you’ve mentioned that before. I do not demand apologies, what point would there be in that?, nor do I expect the dumb jokes to stop. Far from it. 
I read once about a flute made from a bicycle pump. They used to make fifes out of elder shoots (boortree) and a type of bamboo (furawn). I’ve seen old flutes that looked like they were made from table legs, or wagon wheel spokes perhaps.
The old style of bass regulator had a removable top section - some make this style now. That’d be more of a sure bet for a weapon, you wouldn’t break any keys in the process.
I have to get into it once more! The police baton, and it’s use in the USA, was probably started by Irish immigrants who became policemen, during the 19th century. These men would not have been strangers to the sprig of “Shillelagh”. That is, the stick, made of blackthorn, ash wood, holly, or oak, used in " Faction Fighting". I first read about this in a book entitled: “Irish Faction Fighters of the 19th Century” by Patrick O’Donnell, the Anvil Press, Dublin, 1975. I can’t find my copy, but I remember that one of the faction men named his stick “Death Without a Priest”(____gan Sagart) could somebody call a chanter by that name? Certain out of tune chanters come to mind…
The stick, when held in the hand, was supposed to extend a little ways past your elbow (the same length as the Scots knife, Sgian Dubh,the Skein Dhu, or black knife). The “Shillelagh” part of the name is taken from the name of the oak forest that grew near Arklow, Co. Wicklow.
There’s a site by John W. Hurley (I think about the hurling stick,at the appearance of that name), called Irish Martial Arts or Bataireacht Sail Eille, that has plenty of info on this subject. I also visited the short, one page, The Bata, An Overview. The ordinary Gaelic word for stick is “maide”. In O’Donnell’s opinion, the origin of these 19th century fights were in the ritual combats that were part of the Big Fairs of the Middle Ages (and earlier) at Carman, etc. A sort of Olympic Games affair. Music Competions were also held at these events, and also the pipers leading the sporting teams on and off the field. I think about that everytime I play the Hurlers March! Sean Folsom
P.S. Then there’s baton twirling, that art of American High Schools, throughout the nation, that was something the Faction men were good at, as well! S.F.
This probably explains the title of Irish Air ‘Fear an Bhata’ (The Man with the Stick).I always wondered if it was referring to a plain old ‘walking stick’ or something a bit more ‘martial’.
Some will never understand the purpose of this kind of humour (for want of a better word) and will seek answers in rectitude .
I’m a big fan of all Mel Brooks films but some people just don,t understand how they work
RORY
What’s to understand? I view it as being in poor taste. As Cynth has pointed out, many, many people were killed and injured, businesses were torched as result of the Rodney King fiasco… not one damn thing humorous about that. :roll:
I prefer the Arthur Guinness explanation of the origin of the faction fights.
Is there any humour in watching two afro-americans being ordered into a pit of quick sand (while constantly being refered to as the N word) to retrieve a rail cart as not to risk the lose of horse;s and then being left there to die once the job was done,(blazing saddles)is there any humour in watching men being crucified while singing always look on the bright side of life (life of Brian,Monty python) and there are hundreds more examples I could call on.
You might think these are humourous but millions would disagree,there seem to be plenty of laughter in the cinema when I was there .
Look we could talk about this till we were blue in the face,you get it or you don.t get it , that’s it
I,m sure everybody is getting tired of this now ,I know I am
RORY
Rory…
… there is a big fecking difference between Holly-feckin-wood and reality… but no, I didn’t find that scene particularly amusing. How could you possibly compare Blazing saddles with the LA riots?!? There is no fecking similarity there… ask the residents of LA and the family of the dead if they think it is humorous.
I am growing tired of your lame defense for a joke in poor taste. Though I agree with you, it is time to move on.
Cool schtuff Mr. Sean!
All of the rest of youse off to the Pub forum please.
There’s a Set Dance called the Sprig of Shillelagh, perhaps it has a bit of laying about the head in it, like the wobbly steps of the Drunken Gauger.
Here’s a chanter I made some years ago.
Nick Whitmer
I vaguely remember reading somewhere how Sean Read would show up at piping events with a trunk full of chanters so badly made they were referred to as “broomhandles”. I’m starting to wonder from this thread if maybe they were, in fact, made from broomhandles.
djm
Nice one nick .What kind of wood is it ?
RORY
PS does it also double as a chinese finger trap??
But seriously do you hold to the theory that the extra mass or more wood somehow helps the tone
RORY
Visit an old pipemaker years ago and you’d see their prototypes or experiments lying about - chanters (without keys mostly) made from chair legs, etc. Pat Hennelly made a stock out of a bowling pin once.
I read once about a flute made from a bicycle pump.
I heard lots of lads doing that. Ask Mick O’Briens dad, Dinny, about that. He made them as a kid, as did my dad and grand-uncles.
These men would not have been strangers to the sprig of “Shillelagh”. That is, the stick, made of blackthorn, ash wood, holly, or oak,
Or Willow. Willow being the english version of Saile Eile, Saileach or Salix in Latin. Buy and read the notes in David Powers cd for more info on that.
I vaguely remember reading somewhere how Sean Read would show up at piping events with a trunk full of chanters so badly made they were referred to as “broomhandles”. I’m starting to wonder from this thread if maybe they were, in fact, made from broomhandles.
Broom stick chanters was a general name given to chanters of wide girth. Old makers would tune chanters by making the chanter thicker and thus the lenght of the vent holes or chimney longer. Then they’d scallop the holes to fine tune them. See a Wooff version of some old Coyne stuff. Big chanters!
Tommy
Understood, but if table legs need to sleep with one eye open, I am suggesting that broomhandles may be fair game, too.
djm
The late Matt Kiernan certainly made chanters from police batons and also greenheart from the quayside docks. He told me this himself back in the eighties. IMHO not the best material for resonance but still functional non the less. More of a solid sound with the top frequencies lacking. IMHO of course.
Joseph (the IMHO UK one) 
I just saw the pic of the chanter Nick made 
, Very cool