Whorfin Whistles is the name of hardwood and fruit wood whistles crafted by Mr. Charlie Tarrio. He sells through commercials posts here on chiff and fipple under the username “chas”. Prices hover around the USD$100 range.
While other makers advertise their whistles to have consistent voicing, Mr. Tarrio advertises the unique personalities of each whistle he makes. While they usually have voices leaning towards sweet and easy, the subtle differences are described so that you are sure to find what you are looking for.
Let me introduce to you Whorfin Whistle #95: A tunable high D whistle in Burmese blackwood with aluminum fittings. Most my whistles are on the quiet side, so I chose this whistle because he described it as an easy player with a clear and robust sound but louder than what he usually makes.
Construction
The craftsmanship of the whistle is wonderful. The wood is finished with renaissance wax, highlighting the almost zebra-like grain pattern of black and brown.
This whistle is the first that I have of its kind for two reasons: it has aluminum fittings and it has a cedar block. I have not seen such features on whistle of this style. The aluminum has a brushed finish. The cedar block is good news for wet players thanks to its absorbency and the aroma is wonderful.
The tone holes and the ramp are noticeably hand-worked, but very well finished. Plenty of care was taken into tuning and voicing this whistle. If you look up close it has a small mark on the mouthpiece BUT I new this before purchasing the whistle. The whistles are properly described down to the smallest detail. You will not be dissapointed!
Tone and Volume
It is slightly louder than the usually gentle Whorfin whistle, this one has moderate to higher volume. I would not call it loud, but I would call it powerful with a good presence. Despite this, it is not painfully piercing. Played correctly, it remains sweet up to the second register. You may find it quieter than I describe since I am so used to playing gentler whistles.
It is pure-ish but not totally. It has a nice character to its voice. It is spot on as Mr. Tarrio describes: an easy player with a clear and robust sound.
The best feature it boasts is the volume balance. I have never had a whistle with such a strong bell note while still having a sweet upper register.
Tuning
Tuning is spot on with good intonation between octaves. The whistle boasts a substantial brass tuning slide. Infact, if pushed all the way in, you can see it peeking a bit through the Cnat hole. It plays at A440 with the tuning slide around ¾ of the way in;plenty of room to play sharp or flat.
Air requirements and back pressure
The whistle has low to moderate air requirements and has low back pressure. It does not push back much, but the bell note is very easy to play loudly without breaking into the second octave. The whistle does need proper breath support in the notes high A and above. It takes some getting used to if you are like me, but it is worth the adjustment.
Responsiveness
No problems here. It seems to be able to handle all my ornamentation weather played gently or aggressively.
Wind resistance
The whistle has a decent resistance to wind. I can play it right infront of an electric fan and it seems to hold well outdoors. As long as you don’t play it in the middle of a storm or high up on a mountain, you will be fine.
Conclusions
Whorfin whistles are a wonderful choice for those looking for hardwood whistles. For the price that they are offered, I believe they can easily compete with whistles more than twice their price. For whistle #95, USD$125 is a bargain.
You will not be disappointed with your Whorfin whistle. The options provided are not only wood and fittings; Mr. Tarrio takes great care to accurately describe each whistle in terms of voice and construction. You will be sure to pick out a whistle that matches your playing style and needs from each batch he creates. Each of them is equally well made but have their own distinct personalities.