anniversary of rare whistle site

February 5, 2013 by

it's been a year now !!! whoah !! Who'da thunk !!!

—– we put a counter on at the end of November and have 20,000 pages loads !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                         So what has happened behind the scenes and what is going to happen ??

We re wrote a lot  and made corrections a LOT !!! Changed the pix somewhat and decided to post only our whistles. Makes things tougher but hey, gotta draw the line somewhere 🙂

We're bulding a data base to share with you. Already up to BEE 🙂

The SPOTLIGHTS  are coming monthly now. Added a LINKS page for you. And breaking news to watch for. We are soooo very close to selling now that we have worked out the financial bugs with ordering.

Added Facebook for comments again.

redesigned a few things………

Selling posters of an arranged whistle cabinet for those of you that love whistles but don't want to go broke !!!!

Books will be for sale in a month or two !!!

We're setting up for some more innovations you will like — hopefully…

It is amazing how much time and energy it takes to maintain the site. ( and money ) The data base is REALLY  going to take a chunk out of me 🙁

Well, thought you might want to be in the loop. We're getting more and more emails, so keep 'em coming !!!!

Feedback – feedback- feedback !!!!!

Filed Under: Website

Protected: whistle wars on eBay

February 2, 2013 by

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Filed Under: eBay News & Updates

whistle notes

February 2, 2013 by

well, I have deceded to go thru all my notes and collate them to one area. AND thought to drop you a note in the process.

Why talk about notes ?? Aren't the ones on the tags ( you USE them right ?? ) enough ???

Noooooo !!! Cause they are easy to neglect, here's a reminder. — Hard copies are great to peruse, soft ( computor ) copies are great for ease. BUT, they CAN get spread out huh ?? One large file for hard copies, perhaps catagorized for access can be cumbersome. The computer can be a little hard to navigate. So think this one out…..what works for you is all that is needed.  

However, I am going for totally organized in the computer and in one batch of files.

hard notes
soft notes
research notes
memos
emails
EVERYTHING !!!

Even my notes have levels of notes in sub files. Sometimes to track down a detail it takes some hunting and ironically I actually have it here and can't find it !!!!!

So what is the point ?? Perhaps think ahead about how you want to access your notes–but above all, HAVE them to go to. Memory is always fading and tags can only hold so much right ??

1) manufacturer
2) where you got it
3) amount paid ( you will be surprised how often you look this one up !! )
4) providence
5) why dated when you dated it
6) What you called it and where you think it should be filed 🙂
7) repaired, refurbished ?? Damaged ??
8) model number and catalog reference from where you got that number.
9) listed in one of Martin's Books or even pictured there ??
10) internal components that are unsual ??

Thought I was kidding huh ??? There are reasons for keeping a lot of notes !!! >>> You can thank me later 🙂

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

BGI whistle on auction

January 31, 2013 by

check this out !!!   >>>>>>>  251217953552 on eBay.

Wow, I guess money is no object 🙂 With a starting price in the stratosphere why not ?? Perhaps an offer for 250 dollars ?? Of course that would be about double its relative worth even then.

Interestingly enough there are TWO on eBay for the same amount and the other has bids on it. Will be interesting to see if it garners a bid on this blank one.

Of course there would be no kind of shills ….

Filed Under: eBay News & Updates

whistle research

January 30, 2013 by

Doesn't it drive you absolutely crazy some of the statements made on the internet to sell whistles ??

Saw one the other day attesting to the fact that a certain whistle was made by Hudson from 1860s — Oh really ??????????????????????????

Hard for Joseph to do at the age of 12 don't you think ??

Besides that, the name The Acme wasn't registered till 1886 — making it another fau pa —–( just kidding — faux pas ) Annnnnnd then beyond that it was actually stamped PATENT which applied to the 1898 patented diaphragm.

Now the whistle is dated between 1898 and 1908.

However, what sells better ?? the circa 1900 whistle ( in reality ) OR ….

….. the 1860 whistle — making it the earliest Hudson known !!!!

Gotta love that confidence and bravado in the statements made on those auction sites. "researched this and…."

No wonder many hesitate to buy whistles on eBay !!!!!!

Grrrr…….

Filed Under: Uncategorized

whistle stophole

January 29, 2013 by

— one of my favorite things in whistle design is the stophole. Know why ?? Of course not, but I will tell you anyway 🙂

Although they are installed on many different designs of whistles, I love to see them on round whistles the most becaaaaaause…… wait for it ……. it makes the whistle look like a face with a cyclops eye !!! Unfortunately with the window opening it usually looks like a sad faced cylops   🙁   ….. You know, because of the frown ….

Bet you didn't 'see' that one coming did ya ??? Yeah, I know, kinda dumb. After all the stophole is for making the whistle vary in sound now isn't it ?? In fact you could even use it for Morse code, which was touted by the Boy Scout whistle supply houses.

Nah, not me. I just like collecting rounds and in the process lining up all my little soldiers on their respective hooks and then being able to look at them giving me the ONE EYE !!!!

Yup — cyclops, no winking either, very vigilant guys. Never blinking.

Now, for collectors,  the placement may help in identifying who made them, but the type of stophole ( yes there are different types ) can vary quite a bit even in a single manufacturers model. Some whistles have the hole, but nothing attached that arises out of the whistle. No it isn't missing, they just didn't want one there and so made a hole for old man Morse's code…

Makes one wonder, could a collector specialize in just stophole whistles ?? That would be a first now wouldn't it ???

Filed Under: Collecting

two tube whistles

January 28, 2013 by

For a brief period there were some fantastic dual chamber whistles made. Heavy too. Brass. And constructed like battleships !!! Circa 1880 to 19oo ?? Not a very long period of time huh ?? 20 years is all, but WOW what a period that was !!!!

 Don't you wish they still made them like that ??? Alas, all good things must come to an end I suppose. And it does give us a special period of time to investigate, study and learn about.

It went by so quickly though. Perhaps about 20 years is all. Then the inevitable — cheaper ones came along.

However Ward, Barrall, DeCourcy, Lilly, Yates, Stevens? Even Hudson,  you know, all the BIG name whistle manufacturers in the UK got in on the action. Curious not seen outside the UK huh ??

Usually pure brass and thick metal tubes. The mouthpieces were in line and also very heavily made. I love 'em. But they are hard to come by.

Multichambered whistles can vary up to even 6 tubes. We see so many variations that perhaps these heavy walled ones get mixed in, but we think they deserve and extra moment of applause !!!!

Still, it is very curious we have only seen ones from that period and from the UK only…… hmmmmmm…. makes one wonder if…..

Filed Under: Collecting

Reed and Barton whistle

January 26, 2013 by

Reed and Barton silver whistles are pretty decorative, but collectable ?? Don't know.

I see five shapes usually. Are there more ?? ( hope not ) 

1) Owl
2) Pineapple
3) Clover
4) Butterfly
5) lady bugs

Picked one up the other day and to my dismay my wife liked it and wears it now !!! Now I have to look at it all the time. Besides that we all know of my aversion to silver whistles. AND all the R&B whistles come in silver !!!!

Really flat and kinda large, they border on obnoxious —- to a reeeeeal whistle connisseuuuuuur you know. And to top it off, ours is a very high ptiched whistle — help !!!!

I was just being nice to the guy who wanted to sell it off. I didn't expect to have to see it,  more than any other of our whistles. WRONG !!

Well, here is to hoping that my wife gets tired of it soon…..

Filed Under: Collecting

brass and copper boatswain whistle

January 25, 2013 by

I'm sorry, but I just can't get into these brass and copper bosons, boatswain,  or bosun or WHATEVER  !!!!!. In fact they are almost degrading to my frind the whistle. Yeah I know they are whistles — sorta…..

However they flood the market from China, India, USA or where ever they 'cross the sea' from.

All I know is that they are close to the cheapest whistles seen and sooooo highly produced that one sees them everywhere and it confuses the masses ( well even more ) as what are genuinely collectable whistles or not. I guess I have to accept that if they whistle they are indeed genuine. ARGH !!!

From tiny 2 inch models >> for the smallest sailors hands in the universe ( or seas ) —  to the standard 5 inch size they are omnipresent. Aaaaaaand many times complete with wooden boxes and fancy chains.

All of it shouting genuine or presentation or YECH !!!!

Am I the only one ???

Filed Under: Uncategorized

whistle geography

January 24, 2013 by

Outside the box there are a LOT of whistles that come and go that get little attention. What do we mean by that ?? Good question.  A better question might be — where are the whistles ??

The big three get all the attention don't they ??

UK
USA
France

Why is that ?? Well, three books written in the UK — reason number one
Lots of whistles made in the USA back to mid 1900s
Very creative whistles were made in France back to the same time if not longer.

So a direct answer would be that the whistles are mainly there.

HOWEVER not ALL the whistles are there !!!

India has tons of whistles, if not mostly cheaply made.
China has a tremendous amount of whistles to be seen yet.
Argentina has been slow lately but has terrific whistles ( although many come from France and Germany !! )
Eastern European countries are starting to release some interseing ones now
Germany has fantastic whistles, but alas, many have been melted down 🙁

keep trolling and fish where the others don't go or look —  and your collection will really widen out !!!!

 

Filed Under: Questions and Answers
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