Buyer Beware - whistle similarities

[ytliek]

eBay has a whistle listing that I want to caution buyer beware. what whistle is this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sindt-High-D-I ... SwmOhfsqo8

[Steve Bliven]

Looks pretty much like the Killarney sitting in the jar on my desk. The newer ones seem to have printing on them but the older ones didn't and have the additional aspect of the un-filed pin holding the head in place. All the Sindts I've seen have the pin filed smooth with the delrin in the head.

Sent a note to the seller regarding the possible inaccurate labeling based on the photos.

Best wishes.

Steve

[qaantar]

What timing! I just received my first Killarney whistle in the mail about 20 minutes ago, and then on a whim, I checked eBay and saw this very listing. I own a Sindt as well, and they certainly have their similarities, but as Steve noted, the Sindts have their pins filed smooth (or at least, mine do). So I agree that it's likely a Killarney, barring any further details.

A further caution, you can still order whistles from John Sindt. A new D runs about half of the auction's asking price, and a new Killarney is even less expensive.

[Steve Bliven]

I contacted the seller who, unfortunately, purchased the whistle as a Sindt at the usually inflated prices Sindts go for on the open market. He's mad that he got ripped off and has indicated that he intends to cancel the eBay sale.

Thanks Bernard for saving someone else from falling victim to what may well be a mistake doubled.

Best wishes.

Steve

[kkrell]

BTW, I've purchased from the seller before, and they've been stellar. I agree, however, that this whistle looks more Killarney than Sindt. Can probably tell by fingering a C as 0xx 000.

[busterbill]

Definitely a Killarney. The pins are the give away.

[Steve Bliven]

I don't think the eBay seller knew it wasn't a Sindt. He emailed that he was crying in his beer for his having paid Sindt prices for the whistle when he got it.

Best wishes.

Steve

[busterbill]

I don't think the eBay seller knew it wasn't a Sindt. He emailed that he was crying in his beer for his having paid Sindt prices for the whistle when he got it.

Best wishes.

Steve

Yes, and the other whistles he is selling appear to be what they say they are. It was good he was responsive to you and took the listing down.

[gbyrne]

Definitely a Killarney.

A friend of mine has a Sindt D whistle with a titanium body. He visited John's workshop some years (decades) ago to collect whistles and the titanium "experiment" was just sitting about and John was happy to sell it to him. I've never seen another titanium Sindt (in the flesh or advertised online).

[ytliek]

Thank you everyone for all the replies confirming my belief the whistle was misrepresented. I too have been in contact with seller who I do think is a reputable seller. eBay can be a wonderful vehicle for selling and buying items, but, it needs to be watched carefully. All is well so have a beautiful day.

[whistlecollector]

And to bring this sad tale to a close, the seller has ended the auction.

Hopefully he'll relist and at least get some recompense. If he bought the whistle as a Sindt recently, perhaps he still has recourse through Ebay to get a refund.

Another tell: doesn't Mr Sindt sign his whisltes "JS"? I have one and it is so signed (and I certainly hope it IS a Sindt!).

[ytliek]

Yes, JS usually is on his whistle. However, with so many folks switching tubes while retaining the headjoint one cannot be sure. Anyone could scratch a JS on a whistle. Also, I've always preferred whistles that have specific maker's marks, names, initials, serial numbers, etc., but, some makers just turn out plain unmarked whistles. So it is always buyer beware especially in the "used secondary market."

[TxWhistler]

I've seen a few pictures of John Sindt's whistles and from what I've seen they have all been the traditional brass body. The whistle in the eBay listing had a body that looked like it was nickel. Does Mr. Sindt also make nickel bodied whistles or just brass?

I've got a D and an A whistle that he has just finished making for me and is shipping it to me. I assumed they were going to be brass body's so I never specified that I wanted brass.

Can someone shed some light on this please?

(Yes, I know that I could email Mr. Sindt directly but his answering my question would take time away from him making someone else's whistle and I don't want to do that.)

[Mr.Gumby]

Brass will be standard although he has done sterling silver tubes on occasion. People have been known to replace his D body with Feadóg or Generation ones for better (cross fingered) C nat intonation.

[paddler]

I have genuine Sindt whistles in Eb, D, C, and Bb. The C and Bb whistles are brass head and brass body, with JS initials scratched into the head.
The Eb and D share a stainless steel head, which has JS initials. The bodies are sterling silver tubes! On all of the heads the JS initials are located
on the underside close to the edge of the Delrin sleeve. The body of each whistle is marked with its key (Eb, C, Bb) scratched on the upper side
near the head. The D body is not marked with its key.

When I say "scratched" it would probably be more accurate to say "hand engraved", because on close inspection it looks like they were done by
hand using a pneumatic engraving pen, or similar tool. There are other details that also help identify genuine Sindt whistles (at least the ones I
have seen) such as parallel machining marks on the blade rather than a smooth blade, and a pin that is flush with the surface rather than protruding.