I am fascinated by the number of different materials that whistle makers are using. (The PVC drain pipe ones look great!)
I was wondering if anyone uses tin anymore? - And if not, why? - I assume tin was used originally… And what about other metals/materials, like steel or even glass? - Is it possible to make the tube part out of glass?
John.
I believe the Clarke whistle I just bought is made of tin. I guess it’s just easier to use other materials so many don’t use tin anymore.
I think the “Tin” is short for “Tin plate” Steel sheet plated with tin to prevent corrosion and allow soldering.
Pure tin would be far too expensive and have malleability problems.
John S
Yep, same stuff that tin cans were made from. Really, as you say, it’s tin plated steel.
Tin-plated steel, that would make sense.
Now I just have to work out is it possible to use glass for the tube! 
But aren’t tin cans made out of aluminum? 
Have you heard of the Hall crystal flute? You can make the tube from glass but it is more difficult to work with and is more fragile. Also there is no sound advantage.
Ron
Haven’t heard of that one, I’ll have to google…
When you say there is no sound advantage, how much of an impact on the sound does the material of the tube have?
I would have thought that one made of glass, for example, would have a totally different timbre and harmonics to one made of wood or brass.
Which has more impact on the tone/timbre of the sound - the material/construction of the tube, or the mouthpiece?
I just found out yesterday that they are making lots of other things as well, including pan pipes and dijeridoos! Cool designs too.
A quick answer. The mouth piece. There are lots of factors but this is the biggie.
You can add Shaw to the list of folks making whistles out of tin.
Some are…some are still made of steel, though they’re generally enameled inside anymore.
Redwolf
I have a Hall’s Crystal Flute that I am s-l-o-w-l-y learning to play. It would be wonderful to have a clear whistle with some interesting designs. If glass is difficult to use, is a clear lucite possible? Any of our resident whistlemakers have an opinion?
~Judy
How’re you doing, Erik? Hadn’t heard much from you of late.
Seems like there was someone selling whistles with clear plastic bodies on eBay, a while back.
Things are good - thanks for asking! It’s a combination between summertime in Alaska and a new baby (2 months old). I haven’t been in front of the computer much at all and my time seems to evaporate. I might be needing to admit that they were right to all of my friends that have said “three children are tougher than two children”. Well, not tougher, but that extra mouth to feed takes up a substantial amount of time and I’m feeling a bit exhausted.
Catch you on the flip side,
Erik
I’ve heard Shaws are made of “German Silver,” an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc.
I’de like to see a whistle made from Damascus steel
Soo pritty… 
It would be - until it started to rust. Damascus steel is beautiful, and has many virtues, but “rust resistant” isn’t one of them. Unless you were downright religious about swabbing it out and keeping it oiled, it probably wouldn’t last too long.
Now Mukume (a japanese jewelry technique that has a somewhat similar appearence) might make a beautiful whistle - but I shudder to think of how much it would cost.
Perhaps so… I’ll e-mail him.
Oops… no need. His website says nickel-silver. Thanks for correcting my error
Erik