It has just stuck me after plowing through a few sites that there is now such a diversity of whistles on the market.
When I started playing whistles in 1980 there were only Generations (as far as I knew)and they were very hit or miss.
When I started making whistles there were a few more makers that I was aware of and a few fine instruments but now the market has grown beyond anything I would have dreamed of.
I would have thought that the market would have been flooded years ago but it just keeps on growing and embracing more and more models and makers.
I just did some sums and calculated that we KWL has sold over 3500 Chieftain low Ds in the last 2 years alone..astonishing.
Every month I read or hear about another maker,another design and sound,it’s all very exciting and everybody seems to be uping the game as far as quality is concerned,most makers are getting better and better.This is GREAT for the whistle playing public as they now have an phenominal choice and at every price from a few dollars up to 100’s of dollars.
And ,the worldwide market is growing as well,only last week I sent whistles to Singapore.
I am gobsmacked.
It has been a great year for whistles and for us at KWL and I’d like to say a big THANKS to all the people who have supported us by buying our whistles and allowing our small industry to continue.
Whistles are becoming a way of life for many people and for many reasons but it is mainly the love of the music and the sound of the instrument that is the inspiration to go through the lows and highs of the learning process.Keep up the good work.
So a happy xmas to you all ,enjoy your whistles and your music.
All the best for the new year ahead.
Phil & Bruny and all at KWL
That is a surprising number to me, too. Congratulations and have a great holiday season.
Best, John
It’s the internet. Most players wouldn’t have heard of most of the whistles out there without the internet.
Makers can now connect with a lots of players, making investment in whistle designs much more worth while and also they can now get much better feedback on their designs from their customers thus making improvements much more in line with what the market is demanding.
It really does help everything all around when musicians can deal directly with the makers of their instruments.
We’ve never had it so good. 
Thank you Phil! Happy Xmas!
Evidence that WhOA is now pandemic - sombody call the W.H.O.! 
Who?
Exactly!
Phil-thanks for making the terrific Chieftain whistles. I asked for and got a Chieftain low D last year and I just know----I just KNOW I’m getting a low F for Christmas this year. I’ve been shaking the suspected box under the tree. That low D turns some heads at the noisy coffeehouses where our group usually plays-quiets them down too. During every gig someone comes up and asks about it.
I play fiddle and mandolin too but I’ve been playing the whistles more and more. The fiddle and mando are starting to feel neglected.
Pat
Third base?
(image from of PVP comics)
Hey, I’m also getting a chieftain F for Xmas this year! Can’t wait!
I second that. And thanks for the great website Phil. It’s an amazing service. It’s actually responsible for sparking my interest in taking the whistle seriously, and I’ve learned all kinds of tunes from it.
happy Xmas
Hi guys,thanks for all your kind words.
It’s been a very busy years for us as we moved house and had to completely refurbish the place,as any of you who have travelled this particular road will know,it’s a killer.
We are near the end now and looking forward to the new year and getting the focus back to whistles and the site.
I have also been amazed at how well the on line SHOP has done,more and more peole are choosing to deal with makers direct,I hope the delivery service has been up to scratch.
I will be adding much more to the PRO-FILES and TUTORIALS sections and getting out to more gigs.I’m happy to say that we are still able to keep the site free,but I would add that to keep costs down, PLEASE download the MOVIES you want to watch and save them in your computer as constant watching from the KWL site ups the gigs and gigs cost money.We are already trying to keep it down to 80 gigs per month.Because of overviewing I have to take down stuff to regulate the output and thats a drag as many don’t get to see some stuff and hassle me to put it back up.I thank you now for your co operation in this matter.
I am still on the hunt for the elusive Mike McGoldrick interview ie The Holy Grail."I don’t do f***ing interviews"he has said so many times but I’ll get him one day.
So any ideas about what you would like to see please let me know as it is you lot that I do it for.
Have a cool yule guys.
All the best
Phil.
ps just started playing the ol’ DEISEAL Cds again,totally inspirational.
I Don’t Know’s on third, W.H.O.'s on first.
Got to agree with you there. Without the internet, it would be much harder to hear about or find the makers.
And I second the kudos to Phil and his site. Excellent, helpful, inspirational!
Merry Merry ChrismaKwanzannukah to you all!
Complete cultural reference here: http://fisher.osu.edu/~tomassini_1/whotext.html
I always wondered why you didn’t have an interview of McGoldrick. It seemed to me like one of the first interviews you would have done…this explains a lot.
Phil;
I thank you for the effort you have put into your web site. I go to it frequently. Will download in future as you suggest.
Happy Xmas and new year to you and yours.
Phil,
Thanks so much for your site. Because I have a slow dial-up connection, I am only just beginning to understand the depth of what you have supplied for us in the videos. At times, I can get to a fast connection. Would it be possible for you to make a link somewhere so that people could download whole sections of your videos in zip archives? I would especially like to download all of the Profiles in one zip.
And you have probably answered this question a lot: What is the delightful jig that you play in the demonstration of the Granite Falls soprano D? Where can I get the sheet music? Do you have an index somewhere listing the names and sources for the tunes played in your movies?
It is really cool that this board includes long-time makers, professional players, and relative newbies like me. Thanks for sharing your experience and being an encouragement to us.
Oreo Phil