Those hornpipes seem really cool! 
I think Iām gonna get one! They have such a unique sound, and I really like it!
Iām more interested in the Wee Dee Highland Hornpipeā¦ (edited to add) Same company, apparentlyā¦ the price of this one linked above is waaaaaaay too much for me.
I actually own a Wee Dee Annie and I like it a lot but it is kind of hard to use Piperās Grip on (you know it is meant to use the same fingerings as GHBs).
I am waiting till I can afford one to try to get used to that gripā¦ er ratherā¦ I already use the āpiperās gripā on whistles, particularly the lower ones, but is the fingering differentā¦ like it is for a piper?
I play (somewhat) the traditional Welsh hornpipe (the pibcorn or pibgorn)
Itās in key of D, plays one octave plus the high D with a thumbhole. It too uses same fingering as a whistle. Has a great sound when itās āonā but keeping the cane reed consistent/stable is a real challenge.
Tell me about itā¦ Iām having trouble with my reeds. 
Who made your pibgorn, Barbuck? Was it made over here in Wales? Mine is by John Tose, by the way.
Mine was made by Alan Keith in the US, who is no longer making them. I was first turned on to the instrument when I saw Carreg Lafar, a Welsh band that has played over here several times. Their playerās (Antwn Owen Hicks) instrument was made by Jonathan Shorland, who I believe is also from Wales.
I know another player who has a John Tose instrument, and one other who has a John Glenydd model (who I donāt believe is currently making them 
)
Iāve done some experimenting with synthetic reeds (in concert with a pipe drone reed maker); starting to approach a usable version, but not there yet. Every change that improves one aspect worsens something else! 
Aha. Yes, Iāve heard Carreg Lafar. Have you come across āPibauā - the Fflach Tradd Cd of pipes and so on with Jonathan Shoreland and Ceri Rhys Matthews? Good stuff.
Now, Iāve got a some bapipes on order from John Glennydd but Iām not sure when it they be ready, and am itching to get hold of them. I had a go on one of Johnās pibgyrn at the start of the month, in the National Eisteddfod. Nice! Now, John uses carbon fibre reeds on his pipes nowadays, but an old-fashioned cane reed on his pibgyrn. The pipes are much more stable, I believe.
John Toseās pibgorn has a very interesting sound - he describes it as being āethnicā, I think. Mine is also the chanter for a set of his ābag-horpipesā.
Let me know if you make any progress with synthetic reeds for your pibgorn, eh? Thereās a pint in it for you, or a cup of coffee 
I think the thing sounds like a saxaphone.
A saxophonist with weak embouchure and poor support. But I should know better than to judge based on sounds from $9 computer speakers.
Reminds me a bit of the Hungarian Tarogato I played in a Klezmer band.
No, I hadnāt heard of that CD; Iāll see if I can find it online. Thanks.
If I do come up with a serviceable synthetic reed, Iāll take the pint! 
A friend of mine recieved a Highland hornpipe last week and said he would bring it to a session tonight. I donāt think he has any clarinet or saxophone background so I donāt know whether heāll have his embouchre in shape to play it. I hope heāll be able to play it.
For what itās worth, I heard the Highland hornpipe at a festival at the beginning and it sounded much more like a clarinet than a saxophone.
I have made working pennywhistles and I know how to play the saxophone, so Iām tempted to make a small sax. I would use the mouthpiece off my tenor sax and give it the holes and fingering system of the pennywhistle. Being a sax, it would have the conical bore and be able to jump by octaves like the pennywhistle. There have been many small wooden saxes made that way, usually with the mouthpiece integral to the instrument, preventing tuning like with keyed saxes, but I would be tempted to give it the traditional cork on the neck to hold the mouthpiece on and allow for tuning. It would be interesting to see if a shallow angle to the bore would give it an uilleann pipe sound. I would choose a material that is easy to work with or find things that are already conical to adapt as the instrument.
Rod