Aluminum Whistles

scheky · Post by **scheky** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:40 am

I must admit, every time I see a Chieftain, Overton or even Impepe I get the desire to own one. However, something concerns me...

There have been too many studies showing that Aluminum is bad for you. What's everybody's opinion (just looking for opinions) on aluminum whistles and why, considering its stigma do you all think the makers haven't switched to brass or another metal?

Just curious...

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:12 am

scheky wrote:I must admit, every time I see a Chieftain, Overton or even Impepe I get the desire to own one. However, something concerns me...

There have been too many studies showing that Aluminum is bad for you. What's everybody's opinion (just looking for opinions) on aluminum whistles and why, considering its stigma do you all think the makers haven't switched to brass or another metal?

Just curious...

It seems that this comes up about once a year.
The consensus usually boils down to: You're going to get far more aluminum from cookware and cans than you will from an aluminum whistle. Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. It's aluminum salts that all of the studies show are harmful, and you aren't likely to get much auminum at all past the hard oxidixed layer, much less any aluminum salts.

We should probably make a FAQ and put this in it...followed by the inevitable "are copper whistles harmful" question

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:23 am

My aluminum whistle has an anthrax coating, is that bad for me?

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:47 am

straycat82 wrote:My aluminum whistle has an anthrax coating, is that bad for me?

Don't bite it.

StewySmoot · Post by **StewySmoot** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:20 pm

I have played aluminum whistles for over 5 years and there is abso

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:14 pm

lutely nothing more that Stewy can tell us on that subject.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:46 pm

I figure we are all exposed to much worse things throughout the course of each day.

I have several aluminum (or aluminium, for my friends over the sea) whistles: Burke, Alba, Syn, and now Impempe.

They are all different and all fine.

If you have any aluminum whistles you are afraid to play, send them to me! Like they say 'round these parts, I ain't scairt!

--James

Tweeto · Post by **Tweeto** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:29 pm

Aluminum cookware is definitely a bad idea, because when you cook with it, there is a chance that the chemicals in it get broken down and released into your food.

I was afraid of buying an aluminum whistle, but I'm not anymore. Hopefully people are not playing them in ways that could cause them to swallow any aluminum. Not only for their health safety, but, it's mean to treat a poor whistle like that.

Coffee · Post by **Coffee** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:04 am

I'm looking for someone to make a cast iron whistle. One thing's for sure, that's the best frying pan I have.

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:20 pm

When I have received Overton from Colin Goldie at once started to play from it.
In two weeks at me the wart on an index finger has disappeared. It was with me many years and disturbed me a little

In what the reason - I do not know, probably, in aluminium?

A-Musing · Post by **A-Musing** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:47 pm

The only two effects I've noticed from much playing of two aluminum-dense Overtons...are...
1. A strange shrinkage of my world view... to like, "juvenile" proportions.
2. A creepy disire to frequently break into an emotionally powerful rendition of "When The Eagle Soars."
Other than that. Seems safe. HeeHeeHooHoo

canpiper · Post by **canpiper** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:12 am

It looks like the real problem is with soluable aluminium.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts22.html

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:57 pm

Slayer wrote:When I have received Overton from Colin Goldie at once started to play from it.
In two weeks at me the wart on an index finger has disappeared. It was with me many years and disturbed me a little
In what the reason - I do not know, probably, in aluminium?

Not to get medical (and therefore locked) here, but warts are very unusual things. They will often disappear for no apparent reason even after being there for many years. Most likely this is just a cooincidence (unless maybe the little wart viruses simply didn't like the way you play

)

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:21 pm

brewerpaul wrote:
Slayer wrote:When I have received Overton from Colin Goldie at once started to play from it.
In two weeks at me the wart on an index finger has disappeared. It was with me many years and disturbed me a little
In what the reason - I do not know, probably, in aluminium?
Not to get medical (and therefore locked) here, but warts are very unusual things. They will often disappear for no apparent reason even after being there for many years. Most likely this is just a cooincidence (unless maybe the little wart viruses simply didn't like the way you play )

My comanche great-grandad rubbed tobacco-spit on a wart on my brother's back and whipered something to it, and it went away in a couple of days.

When I got older, I lost the belief that his whispering had anything to do with it

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:28 pm

Aluminum is the least of your worries, you should be more concerned with some of the non-wood materials (and coatings) being used by some makers for blocks - materials that were never intended by the original manufacturers to be put into one's mouth, let alone for long periods of time, and potentialy chewed on a bit. A number of these materials, have not been tested (like aluminum has) for health safety under similar conditions.

Something to think about......

Loren

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