Whistles Aweigh!

[MTGuru]

Ahoy! The other day I finally bought myself a nice digital pocket scale for weighing miscellaneous stuff. Naturally, the very first thing that occurred to me was to weigh the whistles.

So here they are, D whistles, in order from low to high.

Code: Select all

D Whistle          g    oz
=========       ====  ====
LBW (a)         15.0  0.53
GG (p)          28.7  1.01
Sweetone (t)    29.0  1.02
Clarke (t)      30.3  1.07
Dixon Trad (b)  30.6  1.08
Susato V (p)    31.9  1.13
Dixon Trad (n)  32.5  1.15
Feadóg (b)      32.9  1.16
Susato S (p)    33.4  1.18
Feadóg (n)      33.9  1.20
Generation (b)  34.2  1.21
Clare 2pc (b)   34.6  1.22
Generation (n)  35.1  1.24
Waltons (b)     35.3  1.25
Parks Walk. (p) 38.2  1.35
Mellow Dog (b)  38.6  1.36
Feadóg Pro (n)  44.2  1.56
Burke DASBT (a) 44.3  1.56
Oak (n)         44.3  1.56
SZBE (a)        49.6  1.75
G. Somers (a)   52.3  1.84
Overton 2pc (a) 58.0  2.05
Sindt (b)       62.5  2.20
Impempe (a)     69.3  2.44
Burke DBN (b)   71.4  2.52
Elfsong (c)     83.2  2.93
Copeland (ns)   87.5  3.09

Key: (a) = Aluminum (b) = Brass (c) = Copper (n) = Nickelplate (ns) = Nickel-Silver (p) = Plastic (t) = Tinplate

At 1/2 ounce the Waltons LBW is clearly the bantamweight champion, half the weight of the nearest competitor. That's about the same as 3 sheets of letter paper or 3 US nickels.

At the opposite end, the heavyweight champ is the nickel Copeland at a whopping 3 ounces, about the same as 2 empty soup cans or a small apple.

At the same 6:1 ratio, my 5 lb guitar might weigh as much as 30 lbs.

Is there any other 0.5oz/15g instrument that could manage a complete solo concert or recording? I can't think of one.

Note to science geeks: Yes, I know I'm using "weigh(t)" to mean mass. Phooey.

* * * * *

Added: Contributions from thread posters*:

Code: Select all

D Whistle               g    oz
=========            ====  ====
Parks Every Blk (p)  35.3  1.25
Bracker Narrow (a)   40.0  1.41
Bracker Std. (a)     42.0  1.48
Bracker Session (a)  44.0  1.55
G. Somers (a)        50.0  1.76
Overton 1pc (a)      53.0  1.87
O'Riordan Wild. (a)  57.7  2.04
Burke DBS (b)        86.0  3.03
Reyburn (b)          98.0  3.46
Dixon DX203D (b)    130.0  4.59

* Peter Duggan, rhulsey, hans, bernez. Thanks!

[Jerry Freeman]

If you wouldn't mind, could you please create a related chart showing postal rates for each brand of whistle to and from each country?

That would be very helpful.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[MTGuru]

That would be very helpful.

I'll bet.

[Peter Duggan]

At the opposite end, the heavyweight champ is the nickel Copeland at a whopping 3 ounces, about the same as 2 empty soup cans or a small apple.

Got two Dixon DX203Ds with solid brass bodies here... one at 128g and the other at 130g (so both over 4.5oz)!

[killthemessenger]

If you wouldn't mind, could you please create a related chart showing postal rates for each brand of whistle to and from each country?

That would be very helpful.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Good one.

[rhulsey]

I'll add to the list: O'Riordan D, plain jane anodized aluminum "Wilderness" model, no trim rings. 288.5ct (or 57.7g)

[Nanohedron]

Ahoy! The other day I finally bought myself a nice digital pocket scale for weighing miscellaneous stuff. Naturally, the very first thing that occurred to me was to weigh the whistles.

Sounds to me like that was the second thing that occurred to you.

Is there any other 0.5oz/15g instrument that could manage a complete solo concert or recording? I can't think of one.

I dunno, could you sit thru 13 tracks of kazoo?

[hans]

Here some not mentioned yet, from my shelf:

Code: Select all

                    grams ounces
Bracker Narrow  (a)  40   1.41
Bracker Std.    (a)  42   1.48
Bracker Session (a)  44   1.55
Somers          (a)  50   1.76
Overton 1 piece (a)  53   1.87
Burke Session   (b)  86   3.03
Reyburn         (b)  98   3.46  

Key: (a) = Aluminum (b) = Brass

[MTGuru]

Got two Dixon DX203Ds with solid brass bodies here... one at 128g and the other at 130g (so both over 4.5oz)!

Impressive. So now my guitar weighs 45 lbs! (9:1 ratio)

I dunno, could you sit thru 13 tracks of kazoo?

I don't think so. Though I do have that Temple City Kazoo album with "Stairway to Heaven" and "Also Sprach Kazoostra".

The Hohner Little Lady harmonica weighs in at 7.7 g / 0.27 ounces, half the LBW. But the "Greatest One Octave Diatonic Hits in C" album might not be a best-seller.

[MTGuru]

Added a few more up top: Freeman Mellow Dog, SZBE, Gary Somers, Impempe.

[Jerry Freeman]

I'm looking at this chart, trying to figure out how the Mellow Dog sizes up against the competition, and I can't think of any meaningful way to evaluate the data.

This reminds me of a story I read somewhere.

When pocket calculators were first introduced, the marketing director of one of the companies manufacturing them stood in a store and watched while customers made their selections.

He observed that some customers would pick up two calculators, one in each hand, to see which one felt heavier. After doing this, they would almost always buy the heavier one, assuming that meant it was made stronger or without short-cutting components.

The marketing director went back to the company and had them put weights inside the pocket calculators to make them heavier.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[MTGuru]

I'm looking at this chart, trying to figure out how the Mellow Dog sizes up against the competition, and I can't think of any meaningful way to evaluate the data.

I'm not sure there are profound insights to be had. In my collection, the manufactured whistles dominate the bottom half of the list, and the designer whistles the top half. If I put them all in a sack, they'll weigh 1.1094 kg or about 2 1/2 pounds.

I have no idea about wood whistles, since I don't own or play them. My rosewood Moeck Rottenburgh soprano recorder weighs 94.5 g, or 76.2 g without the foot joint. So I'd guess many wood D whistles would tend toward the heavier end.

If you take the Mellow Dog and squash it down into a cube, you'll have a cube of approximately 1.65 cm per side, or 0.65 inches. Figure out how to un-squash it, and you'll have a convertible Pocket Dog. Make it from plutonium (the Pluto Dog), and it will weigh about the same as the Copeland, with a scintillating sound. It will also be self-warming (the Hot Dog).

Make it from 24kt gold (The Golden Dog) instead of brass, and it will go for $4720.73 (+ $36.50) on today's spot market.

[cboody]

Someone has too much time on his hands....

[doublebucklemonk]

LBW - 0.53oz - $10 = $18.87/oz
Feadog - 1.16 - $8.60 = $7.41/oz
Mellow Dog - 1.36oz - $36.50 = $26.84/oz
Susato - 1.18oz - $42.90 = $36.36/oz
Burke - 1.56 - $220 = $141.03/oz

[MTGuru]

Someone has too much time on his hands....

It's not as bad as when I bought my caliper.

@doublebucklemonk: That's brilliant.