whistle names

October 28, 2014 by

How does a whistle get it’s name ?? You know, like ROUND whistle….

Somebody earlier on had to make it up is all. Then it sticks if it fits. Probably how it happened with the round whistle huh ?? Sure, cause it is round. Der !!!

Cool whistle too, as many times it has a stop hole in the front, so that when it ‘faces’ you it looks like a face with an upside down smile and a Cyclops eye peering at you.

Shoulda called it a face whistle….nah, not catchy enough. Perhaps a — I dunno, nothing else fits it.

Round whistle…OK cool. I can live with that. They are my favorites anyway. All is good and well with whistle names and along comes some strange French or English or …. some unobvious, inpronounceable, dishomophonic….ech…

So what is up with BEAUFORTs…..doesn’t even SOUND like a whistle……

Filed Under: Uncategorized

selling whistles

October 27, 2014 by

terrific show in Portland. Lot’s of whistle talk Sat and Sun.

And made a fortune in all those whistles sales. Yah sold a hundred…well not quite, but close, maybe 50 anyway, or close anyway.

After totaling up everything and two people for two days ( that’s four days labor if you are adding it up ) we made 300 dollars to divide between the two of us.

So 150 dollars divided by 16 hours is close to minimum wage anyway. What do you think ?? Is it worth it ???

Well, YAH, no brainer. Of course it is worth it !!! Whistle talk all day for a whole weekend !!! Sheesh, I would pay 150.00 for that kind of audience — well I wouldn’t go that far……pretty far though….an hour to Portland anyway……

There’s hope yet…. 🙂

Filed Under: Shows

whistle variety

October 26, 2014 by

How many different whistles ARE THERE ?????????????

Hard to say, but probably just short of endless.

Here is the catch….different countries have many varieties and they don’t coincide with the other countries models, material, sizes. uses. So the catch is how to see what each country had/has without going there.

That’s where the best garage sale in the world comes into play. — The internet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So contact us and use us as a CPU or central processing unit 🙂 Well, it certainly would be fun.

Let’s think about just one country for example-CHINA. Think of how old the history is there — hundreds of yeeeeeears and seeing just a few whistles from China tells us that there is an incredible variety just waiting to be seen and studied !!!

Now compare that to the countries that have been involved with the internet for old metal whistles —

Here is what we have seen so far:

USA ( lots)
UK ( the most )
FRANCE ( lots )
GERMANY ( many )
ARGENTINA ( many )

URUGUAY ( a few )
Eastern Europe ( some )
INDIA ( many )
here and there a whistle or two from other countries…

Can you imagine if all the countries were able to show antique and vintage whistle characteristics from their own sources ???

WOW…makes me shudder….

Filed Under: Uncategorized

whistle talk

October 26, 2014 by

=== saturated and sated. The whole day talking whistles !!!

I tried to tell a shopper that the safety whistles are ones you listen to and ALL the others — it’s the least thing you do with them.

His reply was that he bought books that he never intended to read. Just to collect or resell !!

guess that is it in a nutshell.

We did discount a couple of Stevens GSWs enough for a buyer to grab them both. One is an ‘improved’ CITY POLICE, not described in Collecting Police whistles. Odd huh ?? I thought so too. A smaller model than normally seen, but Stevens none the less.

2 great picks. Another couple ones that went were steel and brass combination whistles by DeCourcy circa 1915. Great patina on that old steel.

Then there was that filigree lace cuts into what looked like a Yates pewter round. Wooden pea with the hole through it. How rare is that ?? Don’t really know ?? Could be post 1900 French. The again even older….

well, more later tomorrow.

Filed Under: Shows

whistle types

October 25, 2014 by

QUESTION:

What is the difference between multi-chamber whistles and multi-tube whistles ??

Well, that subject came up recently looking into my whistle books. You know what ?? I had them confused !!

YAH, I have been calling whistles with more than one chamber inside as just regular whistles like police and general service whistles. The confusing part is that they still are until ….. there are 3 or more chambers. I suppose….

On the other hand a whistle with more than one tube is a multi-tubed whistle not multi-chambered of course.

SOOOOOOOO…. do I reclassify all my multi-chambers as multi-tubes ??? ——- nah!!!

Why not ??? Because of that problem with the fact that ALL tube shaped whistles for over a hundred years have more than one chamber inside.
So rather than split the subject ( good pun huh ? ) we will call all multi-tube whistles multi-chambers ( as they technically are anyway ) and call all tube shaped whistles with one, two or more internal chambers — as they are. ( i.e.police, general service, tube shaped )

got that ?? …. I am not sure I do…..

 

Filed Under: Questions and Answers

whistles for sale

October 24, 2014 by

—tomorrow is the big weekend !!! Finally, saturated for three whole days with antique whistle talk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah !!

AND it is only a short time before posting another SPOTLIGHT.  This one will be landmark original 🙂 A whole new subject in the whistle world 🙂 Can’t wait….well I guess I can….

AND got in this terrific BGI horn whistle….BUT that means I gotta add back into the collection a NON metal whistle >>> traitor 🙁                How could I do such a thing ???
Can’t help it….there are some fantastic NON metal whistles to collect and study about. Hmmmm what to do ?? Guess I will have to set them apart so that when I get tired of their unwholesome influence on my other whistles I cam always sell them off….Yeah, that’s the ticket.

However they are way cool and over a century old and all that stuff…

I know, I can take them to the show and put a really high price on them and they won’t sell………. And if one does then I can tell myself that I made so much that it is worth it, right ???

But what if one DOES sell….

Filed Under: Shows

whistle art

October 22, 2014 by

Now this is going to sound weird but, can collecting whistles reach an art form ?? Hmmmm….

Some think that everything is art. That being the case then maybe so with whistles.

What if it is more than just collecting ?? What if the research, study, and appreciation has connective tissue that rises above just a hobby ?? Forms a body. Something more than whistles when gathered together.

It’s like an orchestration of feelings, beauty…art

Could it be that every whistles designer is putting their selves into their creations and your delving into them is unlocking their appreciation, creativity, ingenuity — joie  de vivre.

oops, stepped over the line there didn’t I……

Filed Under: Collecting

whistle chains

October 19, 2014 by

Really, really into whistle chains as of late ( well, this morning anyway ) — SEE SPOTLIGHT whistle chains

Trying a new ( to me ) technique of soaking the rusty steel chains in molasses – weird huh ?? Seems to work though. I think I need to oil them or at least shoot some WD40 on them afterward.

Then it is mix and match !! Yah, tried to stay with the original chain for each whistle, but that was waaaaay too hard to maintain. Frankly speaking it was sometimes ugly. Beyond that it may have been an owner that attached a chain rather than a manufacturer.

SO… what to do ?? Rob chains from whistles that come in and reuse them. Some are just thrown out. Most find a home somewhere.

In the process one learns a lot about hooks that seem to have been ONLY for the whistle trade 🙂 Split rings come in all sizes, and many uses, so that is great. However those hooks are very ‘specialized’ in materials are specific too. Gotta match up nickel silver or plated over brass or even oxidized paint that LOOKS like brass over steel, It goes on and on.

Then there is the shape of the hook, which dates it pre WW two or later — yes there is a large difference !! I am beginning to recognize manufacturers hooks !!!

But the real challenge is in the chains. UK whistle chains were manufactured in much more variety, However there are some very distinct USA chains — we are talking about the shape of the individual links right ?? Sorry, may have left that out.

LOVE nickel silver
LOVE old steel
LOVE brass
LOVE copper

well now what else is there I have been missing ??? I’ll have to go look….

Filed Under: Research

whistle mouthpieces

October 18, 2014 by

In whistle collecting so much can be seen in the different parts — even the mouthpieces. Take for example the mouthpiece on a general service whistle. You might say that they all look alike, but ARE they all alike ???

No. Each manufacturer used different molds, tools and style. In reality each would be a reflection of the individual as much as personality.

Consider the Knoxall GSW that is up for auction on eBay right now ( the Google of on line auctions ) It is being sold as being made by John Barrall manufacturer. Why ?? Because the seller uses a book and follows it rather than following the Manufacturer.

There are two types of cast mouthpieces that DOWLER made. The second was made circa 1890 to 1900. It is slightly longer than most cast mouthpieces and curved in wards, not rounded outwards and short — ( distinctive to Dowler ) just abruptly finishing it’s curve at the opening. It is very distinctive. However Barrall never did this.

Barrall is not stamped on the whistle, but neither is Dowler. It turns out that Barrall never even made a Knoxall Police call or general service whistle.

What’s the point ?? You can become adept at this hobby and tell a lot more about your whistles with research !!!

Filed Under: Collecting

whistle rings

October 17, 2014 by

Now there is an obscure subject !!! The rings on whistles — who notices ??

I do.

But whyyyyyyyy you ask ?? Good question ….

—cause they are fascinating. Sometimes nickel silver. They would of course match up to the nickel silver whistles right ??

Then there are steeeeeeel split rings. Not just any split rings though. Gotta be those old very tough steel rings that are kinda skinny and very tight closing too !!! Great for having rust but that can be easily removed right ?? yup… tell ya later….

However, after the subject starts we have to discuss sizes to !!! Large rings or at least appropriate for each whistle. The circumference has to match the hole or they don’t move after installing do they ?? Finding the right ring can be frustrating.

In fact finding solid old brass rings can be very hard huh ????

You can actually date your rings to match your whistles and makes them more ‘fitting’

Brass for brass, or sometimes certain manufacturers didn’t use brass but steel only. Some times split rings sometimes solid.

Wow, what an interesting subject. I could get lost in it….where was I ??

Yah, gets complicated huh ?? Whoda thunk ??

Filed Under: Collecting
« Previous Page
Next Page »