How do you care for and store/carry a Burke composite whistle?
I’ve just gotten a Burke Composite Narrow Bore D. It sure is lightweight and thin-walled. I’m amazed that Mike can machine something this delicate.
Are these whistles fragile? Do you store them in something more substantial than a soft case?
Yes, they’re pretty fragile. I cracked the headpiece of my composite low E once. I was carrying it in a backpack (dumb, dumb, dumb) and leaned against something. Now I keep it in a hard case.
Oh, that must have been a downer!
What kind of hard case do you use, Lisa?
I made one … go to this page and scroll down to my post there. 
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=27315&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
I have one. It seemed sturdy to me, so thanks for the heads up.
I don’t think you need to be over paranoid or anything but they are made of fairly rigid material so will crack or chip with concussion.
Common sense handling should be fine. PVC pipe makes great whistle cases if you want something bullet proof.
Doc
No, the neighbors don’t like 'em, but they’re peaceful people.
A person who goes to our session kept one in her trunk this summer for three days and it got misshapen and loose around the joint. So, don’t do that.
Thanks, FJohnSharp. That’s odd and good to know. I wouldn’t expect bakelite to be heat sensitive.
Doc Jones, I like the PVC tubes, too, but if you get more than three or four of them sorting through them is like herding cats!
Hi,
Just a question. I´m planning to buy a Burke myself. Why did you choose the composite over aluminium or brass?
/all the best, Falkbeer
Oh my. After reading this thread, I wonder if I should try to find a hard case for my new D/C set. I received them from Pat O’Riordan in August and have been taking them almost everywhere with me. (They’re blackwood…sooo beautiful. He is such an artist.)
Starr
Hi Starr! Still bummed we weren’t able to hook-up when I was in St. Louis a few years ago. I haven’t been back since.
Your Pat O’s should be fine travelling with you during the mild months of the year, just don’t leave them in a hot car in the summer, and I’d think twice about taking them out and about in the winter if you can’t either keep them warm, or allow them to slowly adjust to colder weather and then back to room temps - playing cold wooden whistles/flutes, or taking warm (just played) instruments out into the cold, even in a case, can lead to cracks I’m afraid.
Pat makes wonderful whistles (I miss the set I had), enjoy!
Loren
Hi, Falkbeer, I’ve never played an aluminum Burke. I do have a brass Burke, which is very nice, but I wanted the quieter sound of the composite for practicing around the house. It may also be useful when I’m playing with friends on tunes I’m still learning.
I think the quieter noise level is working out. I’ve gotten fewer “Can you give it a break?” requests from the family. It’s also very pretty sounding and extremely easy to play.
But if I was going to have just one, I think I’d choose the brass. I like the way feels in the hands a little better. This is probably an emotional rather than rational thing. In my head, at least, the brass one comes closer to my own ill-conceived ideal of whistleness.
Care? Besides giving your whistles love and tender lips?
Yes!!! Yes yes YEEESSSS. O’Riordans are not readily available, and Pat’s not taking orders. You mess those up and you’ll be kicking yourself for many years to come… find some kind of a hard case, please… either that or send them to me and I’ll put them in storage for you (heh heh heh…)
Dave
For Falkbeer again…
As many have said, the Burke composite narrow bore is relatively quiet. My first experience with it in a session is that it’s hard to hear myself playing. I’m also making some ugly noises, probably because I’m overblowing it in trying to play louder. Obviously, I’m not totally in control of the whistle yet, but I’m pretty sure that this won’t be my top choice for a session whistle.
I do really enjoy playing it at home.
Hmm. Different whistles for different purposes… sounds like an excuse to buy more whistles, doesn’t it?!
Now that an acceptable level of thread drift has set in, I can safely make the post that I immediately thought of when I saw the title: same as for any whistle - leave it out in the open somewhere that you frequently pass by, and give it a tootle every time you see it.