Whistle Categories > India Whistles
Where did India whistles originate?
India is of course the country of origin. However, the tube design and the escargot/snail design had been manufactured for years in the UK prior. Perhaps these categories were transplanted under the colonialism practiced during this time period. What ever the case, few whistles from India have been accurately recorded before World War two.
Rather than dwelling on tube shaped whistles in this section, concentration will be on escargots or snail shaped whistles of World War two, particularly within a 5-year period of 1940 to 1945, where idiosyncratic whistles are found with a plethora of stamps.
All these stamps indicate India as the country of production.
How are India whistles identified?
Whistles made from India have a very rustic, handmade, hand filed quality, that does not approach a finished manufacturing look. This was done by cottage industry and with labor that cannot be matched today. Many have been hand filed from cast parts such as the top knops and the mouthpieces.
Beyond this the stamps reveal the countries markings by the use of symbols and writing, even misspellings.
Many of these whistles are of limited issue, although some repeated markings reoccur. It is also not unusual to find them stamped with the year on the face.
Why were they made?
Mostly these whistles of escargot or snail designs are seen at the time of WW 2, they appear to be aimed at the military and for general use. They are very heavy and robust, able to hold up to a lot of abuse.
No escargot/snail shaped whistles have been seen made prior to 1940, certainly not one dates as such. However there are tube shaped whistles predating this war time.
After 1945 the quality and sturdiness fell rapidly as well as the hand filed qualities.
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