Could someone please tell me are copper whistles heavier or lighter than the brass cheapies? Thanks.
My copper O’Briens are definitely heavier, but that has more to do with wall thickness than material. That said, copper is softer than brass, so it may not be practical to make a copper whistle with as thin walls as the brass ones.
PS. I love my O’Brien whistles. David made me a set with one head and five bodies in Bb, C, D, E and Eb. All bodies are his Rover model. The head and D body are in my pocket right now (at work).
Owen
Copper is definitely heavier. Sandy Jasper (Elfsong Whistles) makes some nice copper whistles but they’re a bit hefty.
I’ve been reading through your posts and it seems you prefer light whistles. You mentioned you wanted something lighter than a Syn. I have one of the first Syn aluminum Ds and it’s not what I’d consider heavy at all, although a bit heavier than a Generation, Dixon trad, etc.
Have you considered a Burke aluminum? They’re light as a feather and among the finest whistles on the planet. I know they’re pricey compared to what you’ve been mentioning, but if you’re serious about playing whistle, sticking with it, and want an exceptional whistle, take a look at the Burke narrow bore aluminum. Also, one of the players in our sessions has a Burke narrow bore composite that sounds great and is extremely light. I have a narrow bore aluminum and it’s wonderful.
You may also want to consider a Dixon tunable poly that’s very light and has a nice pure warm tone…and significantly less expensive than the Burkes. But the ultimate would be the Burke for the combination of lightness and quality.
Thanks all. Yes, I like a light whistle (old hands, eh 
). I’ll look at the Burke aluminum. I might just have to save a bit more:) I have been seriously considering the Dixon poly as well. It is definately priced good. Are you referring to the brass slide model or the one with the bulkier mid joint?
You don’t say anything about how you want your whistle to play or sound and my memory isn’t as sharp as Ballyshannon’s, but you might want to look at the Thornton. A wonderful whistle. Very easily controllable and a sweet tone with just a hint of chiff.
Think of the Thornton as a cheapie with all the bad points ironed out. Quite similar in handling to the Dixon Trad, but even easier to control. (The Trad is of course an excellent whistle too.)
One of my favourite points about the Thornton is that you can play really soft in the second octave. This is a whistle you could play a lullaby on, but it’s just as loud as the Gens and Waltons etc. when you need it. It’s not as loud as a Cheftain, or any of the session whistles of course, but you didn’t say that is what you’re looking for.
Owen
I like a light whistle (old hands, eh ). I’ll look at the Burke aluminum.
The suggestion of a Burke aluminum is a good one for a lightweight whistle. If you want to go lighter still try a Burke composite. They are darn near weightless in the hands. It’s easy to forget you are holding it, it is that lightweight. And they sound ovely as well.
Feadoggie
Yes, the composites are really light. I have a composite C that’s very light and one of the best sounding whistles I’ve ever played. Either way…aluminum or composite, you can’t go wrong.
Here’s the way I look at it and what my father taught me. If you’re really interested in something, buy the absolute best you can afford because it’ll pay off in the long run. And the “absolute best” doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive. Burkes are pricey but certainly not the most expensive whistles you can buy. But they’re definitely among the best you can buy, and fine whistles are an investment. It’s amazing how a truly fine instrument will encourage your development and desire to improve and keep playing.
And everything is relative. If all you have are cheapies and have never played higher end whistles, there’s nothing to compare to. And that’s where Whoa comes into play…and we’ve all suffered from it, most of us never really recovering. It’s always interesting to see what’s out there and try different ones as you can afford. The good thing about C&F is it’s a good source to trade and sell. I’ve bought and traded many whistles over the years and sure, I’ve lost some money. But that’s the price of of finding some great whistles that really best suit our tastes. And it’s nearly impossible to find what suits our tastes without actually playing different whistles. It’s a vicious but wonderful circle 
In your case, I’d seriously consider:
Burke Aluminum Narrow Bore
Burke Composite Narrow Bore
Sindt
Dixon Tunable Poly (all poly with poly slide)
Susato Kildare standard bore
One of Jerry Freeman’s tweaked whistles
Thanks for all the helpful replies everyone. In regards to tone, pure or “chiffy” doesn’t matter too much to me. What does matter is having a sweeter upper register while still keeping a decent lower register (I guess I’ve found so far in the cheapies that a sweet upper octave usually comes with a weaker lower octave.
I’m currently talking with another member about a Thornton he has for sale. We’re still working out details. I’m also still very interested in the Carbony high D as I really like the taper bore feel. I read the Carbony Tour thread but didn’t get that much info out of it. If any Carbony owners would like to elaborate more it would be greatfrul. Of course a Copeland is out of my price range at the moment.
I think you will love the Thornton (and hope you won’t be too upset with me if you don’t.) One thing to watch out for is that it is quite sensitive to dirt in the windway or inside the tube around the holes, so keep it clean.
I’m also still very interested in the Carbony high D as I really like the taper bore feel. I read the Carbony Tour thread but didn’t get that much info out of it.
The Carbony has not been around very long, so it’s probably difficult to find too many informed opinions about it. However, looking at the tour thread, it seems it’s quite close to a Sweetone which is no surprise since it uses a Sweetone head. Given the choice between a Sweetone and a Thornton, the Thornton wins hands down.
No reason you can’t have both of course… 
Regards,
Owen Morgan
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Sorry to bring this thread back up but I just came across some extra dough and I am ready to purchase a Burke. The aluminum narrow bore and the composite narrow bore have been mentioned but not the brass narrow bore. Is the brass not as liked as the others? Perhaps the brass is heavier? Thanks.
I own all three materials. The brass narrow bore is a very good whistle. It’s one of my favorites. Since it was mentioned that you liked lightweight whistles, the alumium and composite Burkes were logical choices. The sonic differences between the brass and aluminum narrow bore whistles are subtle. The weight difference is quite noticable though. The brass is not terribly heavy to me in the end. If I were forced to only have one high D whistle the narrow bore brass Burke might be it. Thankfully no one is forcing me to make such a choice.
Feadoggie