In my inaugural post (to which I got several very helpful replies–thanks), I had this one concern about the fipple of my Clarke:
What kind of wood is the fipple made of? It reminds me of drinking from a wooden sake cup (then I get distracted from the whistle). After tooting on the Clarke for a while, I notice a tingling sensation in my lower lip. Anyone have a similar experience? What’s up?
miffle
I just got a Clarke today and it’s fine.
Have you tried using lip balm?
The fipple on a Clarke Original is some sort of aromatic softwood (cedar, juniper, cypress, etc.) that is naturally resistant to moisture. You may be sensitive to it.
Best wishes,
Jerry
I don’t know about the Clarke, but after my incident with Flautist chin I contacted dave Shaw and he told me that a Shaw fipple block is made of moisture resistent peach wood.
I agree with Jerry that most makers with wooden fipples produce them out of moisture resistent woods such as he has suggested.
a sweetone is more suited for you, 't has a plastic mouthpiece.
http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/whistles/inexpensive/Clarke/Sweetone/tweaked.htm
i like it better than any whistle costing 10 times more 
Yes! The tingling lip-numb of playing a Clarke! Never could get used to it. Had to switch whistles after my lips fell off one day.
An idea…
I’ve just been playing my whistles, and i think that it’s the angle of the block on the Clarke that’s probably causing the tingling by pressing against the lower lip. If i press too hard with it i does start to tingle as the circulation in the lip is reduced.
On my other whistles the mouthpiece sits between the lips but on the Clarke the mouthpiece presses against the bottom lip because of the steep angle.
I’d try playing with the Clarke at a less steep angle and see if it makes a difference.
I just remembered the right word! “SANDPAPER” Thought I would get lip-splinters with the Clarke so I sanded the fipple plug and that really seemed to lessen the effects.
Lip balm would work good too. Protects the lips and seals the wood.
Anybody out there oiling their Clarke-wood on a regular basis?
Pressure, huh? I hadn’t thought of that. I just figured since I didn’t get a tingle lip from the plastic whistles that it was the wood.
Since I absolutely hate lip balm (and thankfully almost never need it–as I am just naturally juicy–besides, you know there might be bat guano in it), I will try this experiment: The already very smooth wooden fipple will be covered by a piece of plastic wrap, eliminating the confounding variable, then I will see if the tingle builds up just because of pressure.
miffle