Anyone know the maker of this bamboo or cane whistle?
At a renaissance fair in 1998 (Medieval Faire, University of Oklahoma) I purchased the whistle, a Low D, from one of the booth vendors. This whistle, as well as the other products this vendor was selling, look very much like the line offered by Erik the Flutemaker, but I don’t think it was him.
The whistle is made of straight bamboo or cane, wall thickness about 1/8 inch. The holes and fipple appear to be burned, not drilled or cut. The mouthpiece is wood (or possibly more cane), sealed with some sort of black lacquer, and is set at a very comfortable 60 degree angle.
The only “maker’s mark” is on the bottom side near the end, consisting of the monogram “bSj”, the number “98” (the year of manufacture), and “D”. The mark appears to have been made with an engraving tool or Dremel bit.
It plays in tune with itself, except for the high-octave “D”, which is slightly sharp.
Anyone recognize it? I may be planning to sell it, but it would be nice to know what I have first.
I don’t know what it would be, but I think you can rule out Erik for sure. He doesn’t make a low D, as far as I know (though, looking at his website today, I see he is making a low D Irish flute now).
There is a store in this area that carries low D’s from India. I haven’t tried one but they look similar to what you describe, I think. Maybe it’s one of those?
Hmm… I know of a bamboo flute/whistle maker in Abuquerque who burns wholes instead of drilling. She normally wraps them with some sort of black waxed thread to help prevent the bamboo from splitting. I own a nice bamboo flute she made. Her name is Ingrid. Can’t remember her last name. I think “Bamboozled” or something like that was the name of she was using. However, on my flute there is no trademark burned in on it…Good luck …randy
Nabi & Sons make Indian bamboo whistles, but the fipple hole is distinctly cut, not burnt, though the other holes are slightly blackened so probably burnt. That is, on their higher whistles. Also, there are no other markings on my Nabi whistle other than the stuck on gold label with their name.
Was there any binding or wrapping on the whistle? My Nabi came with 3 blue nylon bindings, which I took off immediately.
Was there any binding or wrapping on the whistle? My Nabi came with 3 blue nylon bindings, which I took off immediately.
No binding of any kind - the material this is made of is pretty solid, and it doesn’t seem prone to fraying of any kind. I don’t think this is an Indian import - the vendor that sold the whistle said he made them himself, as well as the flutes and bamboo saxophones he was selling.
Something else that might help the ID process - the toneholes are not drilled in a straight line, but are slightly offset to allow for better finger placement. It’s actually possible to play this whistle with the fingertip pads instead of using a “piper’s grip” (even with my small hands), although I find that a piper’s grip is easier when playing fast jigs.
Now that I’m admiring the whistle again, maybe I’m not so sure I want to sell it after all.
