Having tried all sorts of methods for displaying whistles I finally decided to make my own stand. If I can work out how to include a picture you’ll see it below.
The stand is made of cocobolo wood, a colourful dense hardwood from central America. It’s easy to work (providing you have a sharp saw and a power plane), and HEAVY. I squared off the wood (1.5" sq) using the plane and then cut it into two pieces (10"), and inserted walnut dowels (4" tall). I then finished each off with some striped inlay routed into the front face. Each stand holds 6 whistles comfortably. The wood is attractive and each whistle is fully visible. My total cost was $15.
What have others tried? Apart fom leaving my whistles strewn everywhere (until I bent one by standing on it),I tried an old pipe stand for a while but it never quite worked.
Keith
[ This Message was edited by: kgharper on 2001-12-11 21:47 ]
[ This Message was edited by: kgharper on 2001-12-11 22:05 ]
I’m definitely one for the ‘strewn about’ method. Here is my problem: the C whistle travels from the upstairs room where Tyghre plays it to my bag when I need it for session, to the downstairs curio cabinet prior to being taken back upstairs (this will soon change, as he is getting his own C and D from Santa). The ‘good D’ goes from session bag to curio cabinet drawer to kitchen where I practice while waiting for dinner to cook, to living room where I tweedle during commercials. The A goes curio cab to bag to living room, occasionally kitchen. The spare D’s and the Bflat go from curio to purse and occasionally upstairs for Tyghre’s practice. The G might get to the curio cabinet, but it’s usually in the living room, and of course it goes into a session bag…
I can’t see a way to play what I want where I want and still have a central display location. Maybe put a big enough vase on the curio cabinet and just stuff them in there? Of course the cats will look at THAT as a personal challenge to their pilfering techniques.
I found that a really cool way to display whistles is to buy a toothbrush travel holder, you leave off the cap of it and just use the bottom - it has a stand on it and it can hold two whistles - I think the one I bought was like a $1.99 and it’s a frosty white and it actually looks really nice!
There’s my two cents worth,
Sara
I keep my whistles in a big old cup-style trophy. It’s the old-fashioned, heavyweight solid silver type, won by my grandpa in a 1930’s music contest. So it’s really solid–couldn’t tip it over if I tried. Trouble is, my collection is about to outgrow it. I guess I’ll have to get out there and win another trophy.
Which means I’d better get good at something…hmmmm…
I have an old wire spool holder that someone was tossing at work. It works fine functionally (ie, it holds 20 whistles), but the dowels in it are about 3/8" (9 mm). So it’s perfect for most whistles, but my low whistles need a little support – I’m just gonna wrap some foam or something around some of the posts. It’s really a pretty cool effect – sort of looks like an organ with the high pipes in the front and the bigger ones in the back.
I really like your idea of decorative wood – I think I’ll make one with different diameter dowels and something cool like padouk or zebrawood on the base.
I usually play at historical reeanctment events. Display/holder is either my 1803 style “Mad Hatter” tophat; or a large heavy porcelain ale mug.
The carrying case is a stiff black leather tube. It started life as a $300 Italian designer handbag. I got it for 30 bucks at TJ Maxx. Holds my Riordans, Clarke tin, Sweet flageolet and a couple of recorders.
