I have a feeling this is a foregone conclusion, but I’ll ask anyway. Can anyone talk from experience about these two, and compare them?
Yeah, it is a forgone conclusion. The Silkstone Alloy is a fantastic whistle, totally reliable and loud enough without being piercing, in excellent tune, of course, and attractive, and durable. Great strong tone. The Laughing whistle is QUIET and the fipple is, well, not particularly scientific or attractive. It makes a fine middle-of-the-night whistle, but is not in the same league as the Silkstone Alloy.
Jessie
I can, but will explain my background with them.
Laughing whistle - Ordered one last fall, it arrived in January-ish.
Silkstone Alloy - borrowed one from a C&Fer back in February/March for about a month.
I have only been playing whistle since a year ago August. At the point that I had the Alloy, I had only played Susatos, Dixons, Doolins, and a laughing.
OK. The laughing is my favorite whistle, hands down. it is very quiet, and I need that because I am a) self conscious and b) a student living in close proximity to other students, none of whom like irish music. It is very sweet and pure sounding and can get a clear third octave d with little trouble. It’s very responsive and sounds great for both fast tunes and slow. I love playing in sessions when I am trying to learn a tune and don’t want to be heard. This is not a session whistle.
The downsides I have found to this whistle? 1) You need to get used to fingering Cnat as OXXXOX if you want it to be accurate. 2) at some point in its life, the material Noah uses to narrow the windway may come loose (from moisture, I think…) You need to either send it to him in Canada for repair (which he has no problem with) or epoxy it in - he sent me instructions. 3) the material he used to seal the vertical wall of the fipple block (you know, the surface perpendicular to the windway opening) has begun to peel off, letting moisture into the wooden fipple block. This causes my whistle to clog dramatically in humid areas, especially when I travel there from dry Boise.
The Silkstone I have had MUCH less time with, and was at an earlier stage of whistle-knowledge, but I will do my best. It is a very loud whistle. I liked it a lot but didn’t want a loud one. It’s a gorgeous piece of work and of course won’t tarnish like the brass Laughing whistle. If I remember correctly it had great response to the few quick tunes I knew at the time. I don’t recall the Cnat fingering.
Hope this helps some!
Edited for typoes.
[ This Message was edited by: avanutria on 2002-09-23 19:04 ]
I’ve had my Laughing Whistle since 1999 and my Silkstone since 2000(I think). My Laughing Whistle has the nicest sound, my opinion of course, of any whistle I have. It’s not very loud though. Louder than a Hoover to be sure but still not loud. It seems to shut down (maybe it’s clogging but I’m not sure) when I play outside at night so that may be a matter of humidity or something.
The Silkstone has a much bigger and louder sound. It can hold it’s own in all kinds of conditions. I have yet to have it clog on me.
As you might imagine, it’s apples and oranges and I’m not just referring to the price. Jessie’s Abell will be the last whistle she would sale according to her recent post. My Laughing Whistle would be the last of mine to go.
You won’t go wrong with either.
\
Peace
Namasté
jim
[ This Message was edited by: livethe question on 2002-09-23 19:30 ]
Well, I know this is going to be a huge surprise (yeah right), but I agree with Jessie: The Silkstone is clearly the superior whistle - It’s very well made, clog proof, and nearly bombproof. Not a quite late night whistle though mind you.
Noah’s Laughing whistle is now $75 by the way. It’s a neat little, quiet whistle, that’s clogs a lot, but for the money it’s better than some I’ve seen around, that’s for sure. Besides, it’s really cool being collapsable and all. However the craftsmanship is a good bit below that of the Silkstone, as is it’s durability.
Both whistles are nice for the money. If you want quiet, go with the laughing. If you need volume, durability, and/or something that won’t clog, go with the Alloy Silkstone.
That’s my opinion having owned both.
I do still have the Silkstone by the way, and it’s not for sale.
Loren
On 2002-09-23 19:24, Loren wrote:
I do still have the Silkstone by the way, and it’s not for sale.
Well, that’s good!
Well, some things are more important than money.
Loren
I’d like to add my voice to the Silkstone fan club. Not only does it look like the USS Enterprise, but it really never clogs!
The only thing (had to find something!) is that it’s easy to destabilize when your little finger is wandering around the last hole at the bottom, can create some unpleasant output.
On 2002-09-23 20:10, Azalin wrote:
The only thing (had to find something!) is that it’s easy to destabilize when your little finger is wandering around the last hole at the bottom, can create some unpleasant output.
And don’t forget to mention that it’s designed to cross-finger C natural OXX OOO instead of the more traditionally accepted OXX XOX.
While many would see this as a plus, it throws me off quite frequently.
Of course, the smooth chamfered finger holes make it very easy to half-hole and avoid the issue of correct cross-fingering for C natural. 
Raindog I had always thought OXXOOO was the more traditional one and OXXXOX was the odd one out. It’s the other way around?
Beth, you are right. For whistles, the tradional cross-fingered Cnat fingering is OXXOOO. Can’t trust those Tennesseans. Hee.
Jessie
Hmmmm, my pesonnal understanding is that OXXXOX is really the “traditionnal” way to get the most accurate Cnat, altough I play OXXOOO myself.
In what tradition? Seriously? I never heard that. I mean, I know that flute Cnat is different from whistle Cnat. I also know that OXXXOX works on a Generation, but from the very beginning of my whistling days, I was taught that OXXOOO was traditional, and that whistlemakers cater to it. Susato d whistles require OXOOOO. Hmph.
OXXOOO works on all my whistles except Hoovers and Laughing. Laughing is OXXXOX and Hoovers are OXXXXO. My hybrid feadog/Hoover can do either OXXOOO or OXXXOX with no problem and it’s my favorite loud whistle.
I have both, and I agree with Jessie and Loren. If you aren’t in the market for a quiet whistle, the Silkstone’s definitely the one to go with.
That said, I have to disagree with everyone here…my silkstone alloy clogs pretty regularly at our regular gig. I assume it’s because Houston AC air is frigid as all get out, and where we have our regular gig has a vent blowing directly onto me. Couple that with Houston’s high humidity, and it’s a recipe for clogging. In my house, which I maintain at a more reasonable temperature, it doesn’t clog.
Well, it could be OXXOOO, I just don’t remember why I thought OXXXOX is the traditionnal way. Maybe it is in some indian tribe!
On 2002-09-23 21:18, Azalin wrote:
I thought OXXXOX is the traditionnal way.
Az, are you sure you’re not getting this confused with hugs and kisses at the end of your girlfriend’s letters?
Chris
Hehe, I don’t think so, as she’s usually playing a first octave “D” at the end of her letters…
Nice! My kind of girl!!! I hope she holds it and gets a good growl out of it!
Chris
Hee! Come on, Guys…you know what we all think about religion on the board.