Aluminum anodized Whistle properties

[MichelleRH]

Hi! This is my first post. I am looking at getting an MK Pro Low D whistle. I was looking in Canada (as I am in the US) and found a distributer for the MK but they only have silver. I see that the colored ones look somewhat matte and I can't tell if the silver is shiny (like nickel) and I was worried that it might be slippery and hard to hold. Can anyone tell me if the surface texture would be different?

I currently don't have any aluminum whistles-I have brass, carbonite, wood, pvc and that composite.

Michelle

[RLindner]

Hi Michelle,

I owned MKs in different colours (silver, black and green). They are all anodized, the silver one too.
Therefore they feel roughly the same.

Regards, Rainer

[Dan A.]

Welcome to the forum, Michelle!

Speaking generally, and if memory serves me correctly, the process of anodizing leaves a surface relatively smooth. I believe most nickel-plated whistles are polished, and therefore tend to be rather slippery. When my nickel Generation arrives, I'll know for sure about that slippery quality. My nickel Dixon, on the other hand, has more of a brushed finish and isn't the least bit slippery. I would think that an anodized finish would be more slippery than brass, but not as slippery as polished nickel.

I hope I've at least been somewhat helpful.

[MichaelLoos]

All MK whistles I've seen so far had two areas of corrugated surface for the thumbs, therefore you shouldn't have to worry about slipperiness.

[fatmac]

My anodised MK has a surface that is slightly like a 'smooth sandpaper' - it's neither shiny smooth nor rough - I find it comfortable to hold, without it slipping, (mine is an 'F').

[bruce.b]

Silver MK whistles are anodized like all the other MK colors, and the surface is the same. It’s a textired surface, not smooth. It looks great. I love the anodized finishes on MK’s.

[pancelticpiper]

Silver MK whistles are anodized like all the other MK colors, and the surface is the same. It’s a textired surface, not smooth.

Interesting, seems that at some point MK changed.

I owned six different tunable Low Ds (pre-Kelpie, pre-Pro, back when all MKs were tunable) and all had an extremely smooth glossy glass-like finish.

I never found them "slippery" due to the whistle and my hands being dry. I think they would have to be smeared in grease or something to be slippery, in my understanding of that term.

[kkrell]

MK Whistles used to come in both shiny & matte finishes. It looks like the matte finish has won out as the only currently available option.

[pancelticpiper]

MK Whistles used to come in both shiny & matte finishes. It looks like the matte finish has won out as the only currently available option.

I don't remember seeing a matte one at the time I bought mine, used (back in the late 2000's). As best I can recall their site only pictured glossy ones at that time.

If people want a whistle rough as 80-grit sandpaper the Reviol I used to have was like that (Low C/D/Eb set). I didn't like that feel one bit.

[ecadre]

Welcome to the forum, Michelle!

Speaking generally, and if memory serves me correctly, the process of anodizing leaves a surface relatively smooth. I believe most nickel-plated whistles are polished, and therefore tend to be rather slippery. When my nickel Generation arrives, I'll know for sure about that slippery quality. My nickel Dixon, on the other hand, has more of a brushed finish and isn't the least bit slippery. I would think that an anodized finish would be more slippery than brass, but not as slippery as polished nickel.

I hope I've at least been somewhat helpful.

Dixon uses a copper-nickel alloy for its tubes, ie. they're not brass plated with nickel like Generations/Feadogs etc.

[Dan A.]

Dixon uses a copper-nickel alloy for its tubes, ie. they're not brass plated with nickel like Generations/Feadogs etc.

Thanks for clarifying that. It also explains why my Dixon Trad doesn't sound as bright as I expected it would.

[MichelleRH]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. As you know, MK Pros are on the spendier end of the whistle spectrum and so I want to make sure I do good research. My Dixon Low D is so quiet and takes so much air I feel short of breath!

[fatmac]

Tony Dixon used to make brass Trad whistles, then they used nickel, but now they don't seem to do a Trad model any more.

Their present website seems to only show ABS & aluminium whistles & flutes.

(I have brass Trad 'G', 'A', & high 'D' whistles, also 2 brass piccolos.)

[Dan A.]

Tony Dixon used to make brass Trad whistles, then they used nickel, but now they don't seem to do a Trad model any more.

Their present website seems to only show ABS & aluminium whistles & flutes.

Their Web site shows that the Cupro Nickel Trad D, but not the brass Trad D, is available. Hopefully the brass is just out of stock. If it's been discontinued, I'll be compelled to hunt one down. Guess I have WhOAD after all...

[Sedi]

And they still don't offer that full-metal model that they said would be ready for xmas 2019! There was even already a youtube video with the prototype a year ago.