I have been playing on this whistle for about 10 years. Pictures of it are here: http://jeremaya-art.com/my-tin-whistle/
It looks a lot like a Clarke but it has not name on it and it does not look quite like the instruments I see on the Clarke website.
It was given to me by a friend after I pretty much told him he had to give it to me because I could play it and he could not. He said it was his grandfather’s (I don’t know if it was).
What kind of metal is it? It seems like it might actually be tin. Who made it? When? It plays very well on all three octaves. I love it!!
Welcome.
Is that a lead fipple? If so, you might want to be a bit cautious about putting it into your mouth.
I hope it is not lead. I have had it my mouth a lot.
From the pictures, the fipple block looks to be clearly wood. So that leaves the question of what the whistle body is made of. Goodness only knows from those pictures - I think you’d have to actually have the whistle in your hands to be able to tell. I wonder if using a magnet would help? AFAIK, lead is non-magnetic, so if a magnet sticks to it, that would mean, to my simple mind, that it isn’t lead. But I think we may need more expert help than I’m able to offer on this one.
It does look like a Clarke though, doesn’t it?
Nah, I wouldn’t think it’s lead. On whistles with a lead block, it’s usually pretty obvious. This looks just like a Clarke, whether it is or not: conical rolled tinplate, wooden block.
Added: Crossed with Ben.
Oh… yeah… the block is wood. I thought it was the rolled metal that was in question. If it is a Clarke, I wonder how old it is. It seems to be shaped a little more crudely than the ones on the website. The tube is not very round. A cross section would be more of a tear drop shape and there is a lot of little dents that seem like they were made in the process of folding it.
I don’t have a magnet right now…
Looks like a Cooperman. These are often sold at historical sites like Williamsburgh and are pretty inexpensive souvenirs. A lot of them play poorly but once in a while you find a keeper. Shaws look similar, but have their name stamped into the metal.
I went to the Cooperman website… I didn’t see any whistles, just drums and fifes. I was hoping to see some pictures. Actually… It didn’t play to well at first but I messed around with the shape of the fipple with a pair of needle nose pliers and eventually made it work… so maybe it is a Cooperman.
That’s because I don’t think Cooperman sells them directly, only as OEM. You tend to find them in gift shops at historical sites such as Colonial Williamsburg, Old Sturbridge Village, etc. They’re manufactured in China, IIRC and intended as souvenir purchases, whistle-like objects that may or may not actually play. But as Paul says, you may find an occasional winner. And as you said, tweaking is always a possibility.
That’s not to say yours is definitely a Cooperman. I don’t have one handy to check for identifying marks. But there were tons of late-19th and early-20th century whistles that followed the same basic designs.
I don’t think it is a Cooperman. Quality control is too high and angle of the block too sharp. In addition, Cooperman whistles usually have a block that extends past the metal.
Their website
http://www.historylives.com/music.htm
They have different ones.
Thousands of these were made at Sweetheart Flute, some personally soldered by yours truly. I believe that part of production was sold off around 1980, to a fellow in Pennsylvania. Then, I understand the whole kitten kaboodle was sold to Cooperman, and he produced them without any real change in design. Present status, I do not know. The whistle was designed at SFC (the design was sold with everything else).
SFC went from a maple block to a molded plastic block (brown, with undercut). Cooperman, of course, needed wood for authenticity purposes. The body is tinplate, like a tin can: steel that’s plated with tin. You can see how it loses its lustre around the fingerholes.
Walt Sweet
Hi, Walt!
Best wishes,
Jerry
So much to learn. 