I used to play the whistle a little but but want to get back into it now . . . and also buy a Low D. I’ve asked Dale this but am trawling for other answers. I don’t have too much cash but my main priority is that it doesn’t require too much breath, second that its fingering isn’t too difficult though I have big hands and long fingers. What do people think? I’m in the UK so have Dixon on my doorstep (I’m told they require a lot of breath), as well as MK (I could perhaps afford the Kelpie) and Shearwater. Many thanks for your thoughts.
With the caveat that I haven’t actually tried one yet, the new Kerry Optima sounds like it might fit the bill?
Wow, thanks Peter. They sound worth investigating. Where did you hear about them? Do you have any links apart from Kerry’s web-site? You live in a lovely spot. I’m up near John O’Groats. At least we don’t have midges here!!
No midges in Caithness, then… what, ever?
Heard about them from the Kerry Whistles site, so no obvious links apart from the videos etc. there and on Tony Hinnigan’s (can’t remember if that’s a duplicate or not). Not after a D myself because I’ve already got Overton and Chieftain V3 low Ds, but am definitely in the market for a low E and Eb sometime and they’re amongst the options I’m considering.
Found via another thread here (and, yes, I had seen this review before now I see it again)…
If you have Tony Dixon on your doorstep then talk to the man… he is very helpful. Ask to try his new Tapered Bore low D - it is a very easy and pleasant whistle to play. It takes more air than my ‘medium’ Goldie-Overton, but less than a Copeland - probably similar to most easy-blowing whistles. Some ‘breath management’ is helpful on longer phrases but I do not feel I need to breath overly often. Fingering is standard spacing.
I have posted a clip on YouTube, and a mini-review on this forum.
Thanks Peter for the link. Great site that is!! And the fact is that Caithness is so windy bugs rarely get a chance to land especially something as small as a midge!
Thanks Phill too for your comments. I’ll check out the Dixon.
Mike
Have tried one, tis very good indeed 
And low in breath requirements?
Mike I play a Dixon dx300 low D. Very nice tone, low breath requirement and great intonation. Not very loud but I guess you know that already. I keep mine in my kitchen where the acoustics give the whistle a suttle reverb. We don’t have midges in south New Jersey but we have a lot of greenhead flies. I will gladly trade you for the midges… Bob.
Only played 3 low d’s so not a great range to compare with.
Relative to a Howard, much less breath required.
Relative to a Dixon three part with whistle head, more breath required.
The pipersgrip review is pretty accurate and I read that after I bought the Kerry.
If I wanted to put a perspective on the breath requirement I’d have to compare it with the Low G’s I own. Dixon, Reviol, Alba. I’d say that it is on par with those (at least I found myself hooking a breath at similar points in the same tunes).
The only real way is to try a few different whistles, I started on the three piece Dixon which is a fabulous instrument with a lovely flute like sound. But, I wanted something chiffier and kept trying stuff till I found what I wanted, luckily the music tent at Sidmouth festival had a big range of whistles and more to the point I was allowed to play them! I found what I wanted, probably the cheapest and best route to getting any new whistle.
Good luck.
Thanks for that. Very helpful. Interesting about the Dixon, considering others have suggested their Low D one piece tapered bore as a low breath possibility.
A folk festival sounds like a great place to check out possibilities. It would have to be next year now though and I live at the end of the world . . . near John O’Groats!!
The Optima seems like a good possibility. Has anyone tried the MK Pro? I wonder how much breath that requires?
Thanks again for your help.