Notus, Greek God of the South Wind

 

The South Wind

Whistle Manufactory

Handcrafted Pennywhistles

 

The South Wind Whistle

  1. Born of Earth yet wrought by Man
  2. Each blade carved by caring hands
  3. Slowly shaped rich husky timbre
  4. Voices tried and true
  • Tunes that flow all South Wind sultry       
  • Mute metal sings so warm and coppery
  • Brought to life by whistler’s breath
  • To light the Celtic fire

 

 

The South Wind Pennywhistle Story

 

At the turn of the millennium, the South Wind Whistle Manufactory was no more than a notion.  In the year 2000 C.E. (Celtic Era), Thomas discovered the pennywhistle, quite by accident, while surfing for construction details of the simple bamboo whistles that his father would make for him so long ago when Thomas was not but a wee tot. 

 

From that one serendipitous pennywhistle encounter, the resurfacing of an early fascination with wind instruments swiftly churned into a swirling Charybdis.  Love-at-first-sight for the pennywhistle sailed straight into an inescapable vortex of delight.

 

As with any lovers, Thomas and the pennywhistle have had their (rarely fair) share of quarrels, sulking, shrieking, moaning, etc. over the years.  But they stuck together.  In 2004, the blossoming of their relationship gave birth to the production prototype of the South Wind pennywhistle.

 

That fateful summer while he attended Celtfest 2004 on Vancouver Island, B.C., Thomas was privileged to engage in his first pennywhistle playing lessons with a consummate musician, teacher, whistle maker and elf by the name of Sandy Jasper.  A personally guided tour of Sandy’s Elfsong pennywhistle factory in Ladysmith, B.C., inspired Thomas to try the pennywhistle making craft himself.

 

Despite Thomas’s nearly-half-century of handcrafting everything from horse harnesses to houses, early versions of the South Wind pennywhistle proved to perform less than satisfactorily.  A design breakthrough came when Thomas chanced upon a lonely David O’Brien pennywhistle at auction.  Certain construction details at once made perfect sense. 

 

Thomas revisited the pennywhistle fipple designs of his Michael Burke pennywhistles as well as a recently acquired blackwood beauty made by Chris Abell.  After considerable experimentation, refinement and tweaking, the resulting pennywhistle design has exceeded our highest expectations.

 

"Steal from the best," or "we stand upon the shoulders of giants" may come to mind at this juncture.  Yet, Thomas has arrived in the craft with his own unique blend of experience and desire.  Toss in a strong sense of organic history, a love of Celtic traditional music, a touch of magic and a wish that every South Wind pennywhistle might radiate a little joy through those who play it and those who hear it.  

 

In the South Wind pennywhistle, Thomas has melded metal-craft with the carved fipple blade design of a wooden pennywhistle to create a rich, mellow tone.  Thick-wall copper tubing enhances the warm timbre, resonating a husky voice often mistaken for that of a wooden flute. 

 

A curved wind-way follows the contour of the fipple blade, reducing air requirements as well as air noise. The curve also reduces moisture-related clogging, although Thomas can clog any known whistle with spit, given half a chance.  (Don’t worry *grin* , your pennywhistle will be thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, waxed and polished after testing and prior to shipping…)

 

There are many fine and various instruments made today that fall under the category of “pennywhistle”.  And there are many rightfully proud pennywhistle crafters.  Our own whistle maker, Thomas, still proudly displays his personal pennywhistle collection and secretly lusts after seductive new prospects. 

 

So, where does the South Wind pennywhistle fit in?  Why another pennywhistle?  (Anyone afflicted by WhOA please put your hand down!)

 

We believe the South Wind pennywhistle fills a needy niche in the pennywhistle market.  The field is crowded with the cheap pennywhistle, the expensive pennywhistle imitating the cheap pennywhistle, the expensive pennywhistle imitating the expensive pennywhistle, the expensive pennywhistle imitating nothing at all, the ultra-high-tech pennywhistle, the plain plumber’s pennywhistle, the exquisitely-appointed pennywhistle, et al...     

 

Priced at the low end of high-end whistles, each South Wind pennywhistle is carefully handcrafted, then tested and tweaked and retested before earning the South Wind label. 

 

Persnickety  pennywhistle-for-a-penny players may be hard-pressed to endure the mellow flute-like voice of our pennywhistle.  Still, there’s plenty of chiff and pop lying just beneath the surface; speed enough for even the fastest fingers; the sound of wood at the price of copper; the South Wind pennywhistle.  We think you will agree. 

 

 

Policies and Procedures 

 

  • Ordering:

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  • Please use the method of ordering that is most comfortable for you!  We prefer that you use the shopping cart located in our storefront, however, a variety of options is available. 

  • Any combination of Internet, email or snailmail will work for us.  If you are uncomfortable with Internet transactions or prickly about PayPal, you may print your order from the shopping cart and send it along with payment and shipping info via post.  Or, be creative and design your own special order form.

  • You may order your South Wind pennywhistle prior to payment, but payment is due in full prior to shipping.    

  • Payment:

  • We prefer payment through PayPal via the storefront shopping cart.  We CANNOT accept credit card payments except through PayPal.

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  • Shipping:

  • There is a shipping and handling charge of $10 USD on pennywhistle orders shipped to the continental United States.  No additional shipping on more than one!  Contact us for info on shipping outside the United States. 

  • We prefer to ship via US priority mail.  Let us know if you have any other requirements.

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  • Availability/Delivery Dates:

  • Currently, we are able to ship orders within about 7-10 days of receipt and payment.  Occasionally this may be delayed due to events and vacations, materials backorders, communications breakdowns, etc.

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  • Communications:

  • Email is generally the quickest way to contact us. 

  • We advise you to follow up your shopping cart/PayPal order with an email message to make sure that all those buttons you clicked on actually work (We are still a bit skeptical, ourselves, and making sure never hurts). 

  • We try to check our email every day and endeavor to respond to your questions, comments and concerns as quickly as possible.  The occasional delay is inevitable and usually happens at the worst times.  Please be patient and persistent in equal amounts.

  • Our Guarantee:

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  • It is our goal at the South Wind Whistle Manufactory to provide you with a quality instrument at a reasonable price.  We hope that you will enjoy your South Wind pennywhistle for many years to come. 

  • In the unlikely event that you are dissatisfied with your pennywhistle, please contact us to arrange a return, repair or exchange within 30 days of purchase and receipt.

  • Refunds (less shipping and handling) are subject to our receipt of goods in original condition.  

  • Defects in materials or workmanship are covered indefinitely at the discretion of the South Wind Whistle Manufactory.  Normal wear and tear, accidents and abuse are not covered.

  • Pennywhistle Care and Maintenance:

  • Your South Wind pennywhistle will arrive with a generous coating of our specially formulated whistle wax gently baked into the metal.  All ingredients are food grade so don't worry about putting any nasty chemicals in your mouth!

    Wash your pennywhistle as needed with mild soap and water.  Give special attention to the mouthpiece and windway.  The smallest bit of debris in the windway or on the blade can ruin the sound and playability of any pennywhistle.

    A soft pipe cleaner works well to remove any stubborn particles lodged in the windway.  Take special care when cleaning around the blade as this is the most delicate and finicky part of a pennywhistle.

    Wax your South Wind pennywhistle on a regular basis.  South Wind Whistle Wax contains beeswax,  sweet almond oil, and carnauba wax -- the same premium ingredients found in the finest furniture and metal protectants.

    Copper is a soft metal.  This property contributes greatly to the mellow sound of the South Wind pennywhistle.  It also contributes to scratches, dings and nicks.  Don't be afraid to make minor cosmetic repairs to your pennywhistle.  Use ultra-fine emery paper or steel wool followed by a good buff with rubbing compound.  Files should be used with utmost caution. Avoid any alteration of pennywhistle length, finger holes or fipple/mouthpiece.

    Above all, love your pennywhistle!

 

Please visit Peregrine Druid on MySpace for a taste of original folk music with a splash of Pagan filk.

©2007 by Thomas Hubbard, all rights reserved