Congratulation to Nancy for receving O’Riordans Whistles.
I just wonder how many C&F members or friends you know bought new or used O’Riordans whistle for last 12 months.
If you are one of the lucky persons or the lucky person you know, please let us know on the message board. Thanks.
Hi, KC.
I’ve had my set for about a year or less. When I ordered the set, I expected a 1yr wait. Later, I heard it had gone to 18months, then maybe 2yrs. Eventually I gave up waiting and decided Pat wasn’t making them and didn’t worry about it. Then, 2yrs and either 3 or 8 months later, I walked in after work and my wife said, “Guess who just called? Pat O’Riordan. He wanted to know if you still wanted the whistles, you weren’t obligated since it took so long. I said I didn’t know, so he said to call him back.” I figured I’d let Pat stew awhile, so I waited (until my wife remembered where she left his phone number and pried my fingers off her neck) and I diffidently told him, yeah, I guess so. (My memory is faulty on that detail.) Then the dear wife says, “Like you need more whistles.” :roll: My response: “You’ll never understand.” 
Tony
Please excuse this remark, some people won’t like it -
but it’s a great shame that the old guy, Pat O’Riordian doesn’t TRIPLE the price of his whistles,… this afternoon. Across the board, triple them, or more! And them, ask a friends wife or daughter to come over and go down the list of names. Just offer a brief apology for the long wait and inform the beggar of the price change but say this was necessary, (which it is). Michael Burke did the same thing. Clear up this mess of several hundred whistle wannabe’s. Today.
It is grossly unfair to the old guy top be backed up with hopeless work and to be giving away his whistles which are obviously worth 3 or 4 times what he is selling them for.
I wish a close friend of aquaintance would give him the message and convince him.
I don’t know if Pat really WANTS to raise his prices, as I’m not convinced he makes whistles for a huge profit. In my many correspondances with him, he seems to be one who creates for the joy of simply making new things - as well as making people happy.
I think a large part of Pat’s fame has come from exactly the fact that he hasn’t raised his prices higher and higher like so many others have. His whistles aren’t for everyone, and you’ll fine more than a small few who probably hate them, their playability and their tone. I for one however love the whistles as well as the man.
I’ve had mine since St. Patrick’s day (When Pat was kind enough to overnight them to me to make sure I’d have them for the concerts and sessions over the weekend) and the more they’re played, the more I really enjoy their voicing and playability.
Here’s a big SLÁINTE to you Pat!
B~
I seem to recall that it has been suggested to Pat that he raise his prices and he declined. The other thing besides being in high demand is he doesn’t spend that much of every day out in his garage making the whistles. I heard he cut way back as he’s gotten older.
Lastly, he’s told people he’ll put them on a long waiting list but there’s no guarantee he’ll still be making whistles when their name comes up. I don’t think he’s stressing himself over it.
Tony
Looking at this objectively from the user end, comparing relative costs and quality, you’re absolutely correct; Pat’s whistles should probably go for a bunch more bucks. In fact, when I ordered my whistles and spoke to him some time ago (the O’Riordans I own are second hand, the reason I ordered more, and sold to me in perfect condition at the original low, low price), I noted that he could get a lot more for his product. He is a lovely man and I inferred from our discussion that he was not particularly interested in marketing differently, was uncertain how much longer he’d be making whistles, and was perfectly happy as is.
Conclusions:
Pat O’Riordan marches to his own drummer.
I for one would pay whatever he deemed to be fair price at any time.
Anyone that talented and apparently fulfilled is not being short-changed.
Hope he keeps plugging away at whatever cost per whistle.
Regards,
Philo
The world would certainly be a much better place if there were a few more Pat O’Riordans in it don’t ya think? Meaning simply that if more folks took as much pride in the quality of their work, and less in gouging others for every penny they can squeeze out of them, not to mention just being as open, honest and helpful as possible all along the way…
If only the average politican had this kind of business ethic huh? 
I would think that many who own Pat’s whistles are not likely to part with them only partially due to their craftsmanship, but also to their dealings with Pat. He’s an absolute gentleman by all accounts - honest and fair. And if he only charges a third or even a quarter of what many other makers do for their “high-end” stuff, I feel it just anchors him as one of the all-time greats of whistle-smithing even more.
There are precious few makers who are so willing to give so much to those who buy their products, but they are out there. I’m sure to start a major flame-war (if I haven’t already here) so I won’t mention specific names, but I can think of at least two other makers who fit this bill. Here’s to you guys!
Brian~
I don’t know the price of the O’Riordan whistle. When I asked Mr. O’Riordan to put my name on the list, I even didn’t ask the price. Based on the information from message board, I believe Mr. O’Riordan sells his high quality whistle to oridianry working people with an afforable price. He is really helping us to enjoy playing whistle. I only regret that I was not asking for extra more then. It is too late now, Mr. O’Riordan is no longer accept new orders.
Anyway, based on my experience talking to Mr. O’Riordan, he is a very kind person. Mr. Burke is another kind and gental whistle maker. I know both are in the 70s. They already brought a lot of joy to many whistle blowers. I hope they keep good health, happiness and enjoy life, also enjoy making whistles and don’t let the order backlogs stressing their mind and health.
I knew I would get some interesting reaction to my posting… Exactly the reaction I anticipated.
I hate to say this, but EVERYBODY knows that O’Riordian’s are way underpriced. This planet we live on is called EARTH, not UTOPIA. I wish I had a Corvette and I wish that GM didn’t need to get $60,000 for them, but if they were only $10,000 there would be a 10 year waiting list…
Pat, sadly, is way old, he will not finish the orders he has, and he should not only quadruple his prices immediately, but he should also limit the buyers on his list to one whistle or a single two body set, only one set per customer. … I know most of the back orders he has are people buying one, or more of EVERYTHING he makes. Because they are so cheap and so nice…
Okay, that is two points, the third and final is that he should make everyone who reconfirms their order with him, pay in advance, within, ten days. You send the check, or you’re off the list… if there are some prepaids that don’t get completed, the estate will send you a refund.
Again, on Planet Earth, where I live, this is fair to the ligitimate buyers and this is (most importantly) fair to Pat O’Riordian, a very nice, very old man, who is too nice for his own good, and is being taken advantage of. He has a right to the extra money. He may not be “starving” but he could make a nice payment on his Grand daughters college tuition or her first car as a senoir in high school. Or just take his wife on a nice trip to Europe in these last years of his life.
I’m not kidding about this, - a large part of my day job is devoted to investigating financial frauds, not this kind, but 90% of my work is specifically investigating crimes against the elderly. They are gullible, they are non-assertive, they do not look out for their own best interests, and they get taken advantage of… Does somebody,… some friend of Pat’s want to help him straighten this quagmire and the last few years of his life out… I hope so! Do it…!
Ps - I do not have an ulterior motive. I am not on the list as I have long had my C/D combo set and am happy with them, although, quite honestly, they do not walk on water,… and I believe the clamour over his last few whistles are because the are too cheap for the quality and everyone knows that it a race against the grim reaper to get one.
So, to everyone that “freaks” that I wrote this, let me ask if you would work for the per-hour wage that Pat gets,???.. given the amount of time he puts into each item. You saw the photos posted below, and a combo set like that is about $85 bucks! I bet that is not even $2.50 per hour and THEN you need to deduct the cost of those gorgeous raw materials. My guess is that he is losing money on each item he sells…
Sorry, I live in the real world!
With all due respect Parcour25, this is nonsense, and you don’t appear to me to live in the real world but in a fantasy world in which everyone should behave exactly as right-wing economists say they do behave. You seem to be indignant that Pat prices according to what he himself wants rather than according to what market forces would tell him he ought to want, on a model of human motivation that Pat most certainly doesn’t share. You talk as though Pat were somehow letting the side down by being motivated by something other than greed. Maybe the economists you seem to admire should frame laws to model actual human behaviour rather than the wholly selfish behaviour they pretend all of us display.
Pat’s method for determining order is perfectly fair—first come, first served. We all know this in advance of ordering. As for whether Pat is ‘too nice for his own good’, I’m glad Pat works out his own priorities rather than listening to self appointed ‘financial advisors’.
But don’t despair. If you deem it a massive injustive that O’Riordans don’t find their way directly into the hands of the only worthy people—those who would pay most for them—there are plenty of second hand sellers around to restore your faith in human nature. They’ll glady sell you an O’Riordan for maybe four times what they paid for it a month or two earlier, thus saving the world from the subversive behaviour of the dangerous Mr. O’Riordan and his fellow travellers. Aren’t you lucky.
Sorry, I missed your question. As an academic I put in much longer hours than I’m actually paid for. I give keen students instruction for nothing. I referee for non-profit making scholarly journals for nothing, as do thousands of my fellow academics, a kind of behaviour that puzzles economists. In the real world you keep talking about, some people only have jobs; other people also have callings. I strongly suspect that Pat has a calling. He baaaad!
Touch a nerve, did I wombat… 
And, did you call me a communist? 
Don’t worry, things aren’t going to change because I advocated for somebody. I do this all the time,… I’m more of the Robin Hood mould, and you seem to be more the Sherrif of Nottingham… It’s fun to have a discussion with someone about money, the ultimate lie detector. Facades are quickly uncovered.
you will still git your pile o’cheap whistles.
Well now you’ve got me completely banjaxed. But if this is the joke I take it to be, I don’t think you should be playing it on Pat. On second thoughts, maybe Pat would find it quite funny.
Actually you didn’t touch a raw nerve, my response to this kind of rant is so well practised I hardly have to think about it any more, and I certainly don’t feel anything, even if it sounds as though I do. But, as for what you really believe, you’ve lost me long since. 
Hey goofy
I’m dead serious about the lack of ethics involved here. I also know there are people like you out there. I can’t change the world, but I will speak out against the hypocrites like you.
Here’s Pat having his good laugh and the thought of a loser in the disfunctional education system considering herself with a calling busy “making scholarly journals for nothing, as do thousands of my fellow academics”.
KC, give a look to Greenwood whistles, made by David Boisvert. When Tony Higgins saw mine he said it looked a lot like the ones made by O’Riordan. I don’t know how he’d compare the sound, but of all the whistles I own, my Greenwood sounds the very best, and he only charges $100 plus shipping for the cocobolo version. He also uses other woods. Drop him a line. You can do a search and come up with his email address and website.
The first time I heard of Pat’s whistles was when I met a man at a session who had a d-c concert set. He told me about his friend, a great engineer, who had made them as a hobby. Both the owner and his story about the maker told me they got it. Their story was about the joy of making and the joy of playing. The jest of the story was that Pat had been very successfull as an engineer and made the whistles in his shop as a favor for the man who owned them. This was several years ago, befor I owned my first whistle. Everything I’ve heard since has only confirmed my initial impressions.
It’s not about money, or the wait, or what they’ll be worth.
It’s about how you …
Par, dear, do you have stock in a mortuary somewhere??? You’ve got Pat in his grave already! Your many references to his advanced age would undoubtedly be extremely insulting to him if he ever read this thread. Your inference that he needs a friend to warn him about his business dealings because he’s incompetent to take care of himself at his advanced age is ridiculous. He obviously loves what he’s doing and his reasons for charging whatever he chooses are his own. Period.
Susan
Had a bad day, Parcour? Sounds like you’re trying to rouse a useless argument.
That’s called trolling.
… and I believe the clamour over his last few whistles are because the are too cheap for the quality and everyone knows that it a race against the grim reaper to get one.
That’s one of the most insensitive statements I’ve seen on this board.
Pat’s not in it for the money. This seems obvious to many of us I think. He makes whistles for pretty much the same reasons just about every other maker on the planet does. They like to make whistles. If people want to pay more for their stuff to be “fair” or any other motivation, then it’s up to Pat to decide if he wants the extra money or not. He makes the whistles so it’s HIS call. Pretty simple economics huh?
As for the cost of time and materials discussed earlier. Have you actually prices aluminum and/or delrin? Let’s just say it’s not quite on the same plane as your everyday gold bar. Even the wood, while it can be expensive at times, is easily found, and for the sizes needed to make a D or C whistle body (the only part of the Concert series that IS wood) it’s still a pretty good deal to Pat. I’ve also seen a couple of other makers turn out a VERY nice whistle un under twenty minutes - start to finish. Simply amazing how fast it can go in the hands of an experienced craftsman.
While it is also true that he isn’t in his twenties, I fully expect Pat to continue on for many years whether or not he decides to keep making whistles for the public or not. Either way it’s not really any of our concern is it? I might recommend a call to Pat to ask him what HE thinks of all this. After all, don’t you think HE’D be the very BEST one to get an idea about what HE’S feeling from? His number (from the C&F site - http://www.chiffandfipple.com/Expens.html) :
O’Riordan Music Workshop. 7516 Avalon Drive. Ft. Wayne, IN 46819. Phone (219) 747-2557
I bet he would LOVE to talk economics with someone for hours on end, when he could otherwise be making whistles or enjoying his family. Maybe whistle smiths and pipe makers should start charging for their time on the phone or the cost of postal correspondence the way lawyers do? It would, of course, be more economically viable. :roll: