Whistory
The Kohler beaufort or conical whistle has been seen for years coming and going on auctions and for sale. It is a smaller size conical whistle simply stamped with a crown and the Kohler Whistle in a circle below.
Occasionally one will surface with the stamp changed to the beaufort whistle. Why has this become a subject for study? Who made this whistle? Presented here is a history of this stamp, some comparisons, and further highlights.
During research into whistles I found there was no existing name for the tapered tube whistle and everybody at the time had to describe the design as best they could. When going through an old order book in the archives of J Hudson & Co. I came across an entry for an order placed by the Duke of Beaufort. It was for calls the same as those already supplied – the tapered tube whistle. It seemed befitting to name this design the ‘beaufort’ .
— Martyn Gilchrist, 2011
Thanks to the research by Mark Adrian Leach and Grosvenor Merle-Smith, in conjunction with hunting horns, we have a detailed history of Kohler dating 1905-07 and thereafter. This dates the Kohler beaufort stamp to this particular window framed in time.
Kohler, Stamped Beaufort
Reference is made to past orders by Martyn Gilchrist. That research is based on Hudson orders, that could have come from Kohler as early as 1905 to 1907 and then only Hudson from 1907 onwards, both having beaufort stamped on them.
This is a confusing period. Dowler had ceased making whistles in 1904, farming their whistles out to Alfred De Courcy and Joseph Hudson. Yet, Kohler was supplying Dowler body whistles with their stamp from 1905 to 1907 from the Adeney & Swaine address. And Kohler also apparently supplied Hudson body whistles with the Kohler same address.
Dowler preferred to stamp their conical whistles upside down on the body. It does appear these at first were farmed out to Dowler. We find Adeney & Kent address for Kohler horns, used for them, the broad arrow and WD 52 is stamped on the reverse or simply a broad arrow over an ‘I’ for India. (At the same time J.H.& Co. made silver models for Adeney and Swaine)
The difficulty with beauforts, the fingerprint usually used for identifying is usually the internal parts and while there are some differences and nuances to the diaphragm, with the ‘wedge’ most of the time, very little was changed over the years. Hudson changed to patent 435 and did indeed flatten the wedge to a flat plate or disc, in some beauforts.
Differences in Kohler Whistle Top Caps and Knops
Differences can also be seen by the top caps and knops from the two makers, a slanted top cap and higher sitting, sometimes more spherical knops for Dowler and this contrasted with a flatter top cap and upward sloping neck to the knop for Hudson.
Gilchrist notes found that Dowler used an identifying truncated wedge for a diaphragm. Hudson used a sharper wedge or flattened disc typically.
Kohler were independent makers of hunting horns dating back to 1780, Bromley Kent from 1905 to 1907 when Swaine and Adeny acquired the business and in 1907 the company was acquired by Swaine & Adeny 185 Piccadilly.
It appears that Kohler used the Swaine and Adeny address from 1905 to 1907 and then sold to them moving to 185 Piccadilly.
Whistle Classification
| Category | Beaufort / conical |
| Order | Kohler/Bent and Parker/Hudson/Dowler? |
| Type | military GSW |
| Class | nickel silver |
| Sub class |
Whistle Archeology
Various stamps inside a circle and below a crown:
Kohler & Son Bromley Kent / The Beaufort Whistle ( Ade ) —————————- Hudson ( pic 1 )
Kohler & Sons 185 Piccadilly London / the beaufort whistle ( eBay ) —————- Hudson ( pic 2 )
Kohler & Son Bromley Kent / The Beaufort Whistle ———————————- Dowler – yet to buy
Kohler & Sons 185 Piccadilly London / the beaufort whistle England (worthpoint ) Hudson ( pic 4 )
The Kohler whistle ( upside down ) ( WD 52 broad arrow ) ( RC ) ——————– Dowler ( pic 6a )
The Kohler whistle ( upside down ) ( broad arrow over ‘I’ ) ( Lisa ) —————— Dowler ( pic 6b )
The Kohler whistle ——————————————————————————- Hudson
Kohler and Son London The Kohler Whistle ———————————————– ?? ( pic 8 )
Whistology
Kohler by Dowler 1898
(Picture courtesy of Tackagain)
Note the Beaufort stamp inside the circle – left – Hudson
the Dowler upside down stamp – center
the silver stamp for Hudson – right
Hudson left 1905-1907
Hudson right 1907 onward
( public domain, need source )
A more slanted top cap for Dowler
Conclusions:
The Kohler beaufort whistle stamp seems to be the basis for the conical name of the ‘beaufort’. Is it connected to orders from 1907 at Hudson? Was the first use of this name because Kohler ordered it from Dowler?
Regardless, the name has embedded itself in whistle language, thanks to Martyn’s research.
TWG
First Printing July 8, 2023
Updated October 29, 2023
Edited July 20, 2024
Posted August 5, 2024
Bibliography
The Whistle Gallery Reference Collection
https://www.tackagain.co.uk/content/19-kohler
The Hunting Horn What to know and how to know it – Grosvenor Merle-Smith
https://foxhuntinghorse.com/the-hunting-horn-by-grosvenor-merle-smith
