Anyone play or familiar with Hermit Hill Folk Instruments - Whistles?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281227292438?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
In particular, I’d be interested in how the Hermit Hill whistles compare to a Busman, Head, or any other wood whistles.
At least they had enough sense of humour (I hope) to leave the dog’s reaction in the soundclip
Website: http://www.hhfi.biz/index.html
I own two Hermit Hill High “D” whistles, one in Brown Ebony and the other in Boxwood. I also have a Delrin High “D” in the works. The Hermit Hill whistles compare very favorably with a Busman. They are finely crafted and easy to play. Paul Busman has been at it somewhat longer and his whistles are among the elite whistles being made today. Alex DeWilde, the face behind Hermit Hill Folk Instruments, has been making whistles for about three to four years. His whistles play clear and sweet and cost roughly half the cost of a Busman and a third the cost of an Abell. As his name becomes better known, he will emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the hardwood whistle-making world. His whistles are well-worth the asking price.
Well, the whistle clip with the dog was favorable… 
I don’t mind background vocals personally.
@MTG, thanks for the website. I don’t know how I missed it thus far. Nice website.
@ggunner, thanks for the feedback.
more wood… oh my, 
I received my Hermit Hill Delrin/stainless steel whistle with Celtic knot ferrules in today’s mail. The craftsmanship and tone are superb, very comparable to the work of Paul Busman and Roy MacMaghnuis and a step above many of the other whistle makers in craftsmanship and attention to detail. These high “D” whistles are a real bargain, and I can highly recommend them.
There’s a brass Hermit Hill whistle with a delrin/brass fipple listed on E-Bay now for a very reasonable price ($50.00 Opening Bid or $65.00 Buy It Now). Alex DeWilde of Hermit Hill makes very nice whistles. Take a look. Surely there is a Chiff and Fippler with a little spare cash to start off the New Year right. I have no financial interest in Hermit Hill Folk Instruments. I’m just a very satisfied owner of some of Alex’s work.
While you’re at it take a look at the Hermit Hill Folk Instruments website for some very nice wooden whistles at a very reasonable price.
I bought it and will report when I’ve played it for a while.
Please do, as I’m curious why the Killarney whistle is getting so much attention, while the Hermit Hill is getting seemingly less. Both whistles are in the same price range as far as I’m concerned. Killarney $90USD / Hermit Hill $65USD
Just looking on that Hermit Hill website, and trying to take as much as possible like-for-like, the cheapest tuneable whistle seems to be listed at $100-$125. Are there cheaper prices on eBay? I suppose $100-$125 is still in the same price range, but they look like very different beasts from the metal Killarney whistles.
I’m curious why the Killarney whistle is getting so much attention, while the Hermit Hill is getting seemingly less
I think for one we have seen the Killarney is a fine whistle in the hands of capable players, as yet, the Hermit is still pretty much an unknown entity of unrpoven capability. We have seen it but not really heard it being put through it’s paces. The economy model looks like it could have potential but looks aren’t enough when it comes to deciding the merits of a musical instrument..
Alex DeWilde of Hermit Hill makes and sells hardwood whistles, Delrin whistles, and brass tube whistles with a Delrin fipple. These include both tunable and non-tunable models. The non-tunable brass tube/Delrin fipple whistle has been listed on E-Bay at $50.00 or But It Now for $65.00. It looks like he currently has a tunable set of brass tube/Delrin fipple models for sale in the $100.00 range. His non-tunable hardwood whistles sell for about $75.00. His tunable hardwood models sell for $125.00. The ferrules on the hardwood whistles can be engraved with Celtic knots for an additional $10.00 (non-tunable model, two ferrules) or $20.00 (tunable model, four ferrules). So the price of his whistles range from $50.00 to about $150.00 for hardwood whistles with the added cost of engraving.
I don’t have the technology to post sound clips, but his whistles are very comparable to whistles costing twice as much. Since his name is not well-known he has very little wait time. At the present time, he can usually have your whistle ready to ship within a week or two. His waiting list will grow substantially as his whistles become better known, and when it does he may be tempted to raise his price. His hardwood whistles, especially, are a real bargain.
The info ggunner provided helps clear up some questions I have.
But, I am still somewhat befuddled as to how someone is supposed to go about ordering a Hermit Hillfolk instrument. There does not appear to be a process in place to take orders online from the website. By visiting the ordering page http://www.hhfi.biz/order.html my impression is that these are the products being offered:
Current Pricing (note the price range refers to eBay’s auction starting price and the “Buy it Now” values):
◦Delrin: One piece non-tunable high whistles (soprano): $50.00 - $75.00 USD
◦Delrin: Two piece tunable high whistles (soprano): $100.00 - $125.00 USD
◦Hardwood: One piece non-tunable high whistles (soprano): $75.00 - $100.00 USD
◦Hardwood: Two piece tunable high whistles (soprano): $125.00 - $150.00 USD
◦Coming soon: Delrin two piece non-tunable whistles in the key of Low D (alto)
Additional Options
◦Engraved Celtic Knots for High Whistles: $5 per engraving (typically 2x on non-tunables, 4x on tunables)
◦Stainless Steel Ferrules: $7.50 - $20.00 (non-tunable vs. tunable)
How ever, down at the bottom of the page there is a listing called current listings which is a link to an item for sale on the ebay store..
BTW he has a new set for sale (Which I’ve never seen before as a product he is offering).. Here is a link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/281242342544 This is a set of whistles that seems to be unique to what he normally offers?? At least it is not included in the current pricing list as noted above 
…
So, I’m not really sure if a fella is supposed to just contact him if you want him to make a whistle for you or if you’re just supposed to wait till something shows up on ebay?? The economy set he currently has listed on ebay must be just a one time deal?
The site says to contact him if you want him to make a custom whistle for you, which would seemingly be different than just placing an order for the products listed above.. The ordering process isn’t really clear to me. I suppose this could all be cleared up with a simple email to the guy.
BTW: I was very close to pulling the trigger and buying the whistle made out of dogwood…
Here is the only youtube vid I could find using a Hermit Hill whistle.
Be Thou My Vision
David
Too bad it’s the only one. It’s a bit unfair to compare it with the Órlaith McAuliffe video with the Killarney whistle.
I have to say that the Hermit Hill whistles look interesting—be nice to have a tour and get some hands-on response. It’s also nice to get some new whistle makers into the mix.
Best wishes.
Steve
Moderator Note: I have invited Alex DeWilde to join the Chiffboard.
Although Alex does not have a Buy It Now button on his website, the process is really quite simple. Decide what whistle you would like and then e-mail him with the details. He normally responds the same day. If you are looking for a tunable hardwood whistle with brass fittings the basic price is $125.00 plus shipping. If you want nickel-plated fittings or stainless steel fittings there is an additional $10.00 charge. If you want the fittings engraved, add $20.00 to the total. Alex will quote you a price and ask you to send a check while he begins construction. If there is no waiting list the whistle is usually done about the same time your check arrives. He keeps you updated throughout the process with pictures of your whistle being built.
The brass tube/Delrin fipple whistles are a relatively new product. Alex has not updated his website to show pictures of them, but usually updates the website every month or two. It appears he is making them as both tunable and non-tunable models with the tunable models costing slightly more.
I’m sure you can order a whistle (wooden or brass) to meet your needs. If you ask in your initial e-mail, he will let you know what woods he has in stock. Just drop him an e-mail. He’s very friendly and professional.
+1 
ecohawk
It would be nice if a tour could happen and even nicer if say the Hermit Hill and the Heikes whistles (any other new builders) could join up for a go around.
Hi everyone, sorry for the late introduction here and thanks to MTGuru for the invitation.
First off I’d like to thank everyone for the interest in HHFI and for all the kind reviews and clarifications offered by Greg. Secondly I’m sorry for any confusion that people might have had on the website over pricing and what was being offered, this was the first time I’ve run into the situation so I’ll work on some updates to the various pages to try and make it a bit more user friendly in future (feedback is always welcome). If there’s any specific questions anyone had I’ll be more than happy to answer them, just toss me an email or PM or whatever else works for you.
There have been quite a number of recent additions in just the last few weeks that I haven’t gotten around to writing the updates for since it’s a bit of a juggling act between writing the webpages, expanding the product lines, private orders that come in via email requests, and items that I put up directly through eBay (not to mention all the paperwork and bureaucratic red tape in getting the business started/continuing 
).
Anyhow, I’ll leave the hermit’s rant there for the meanwhile. Merry whistling to all.