This blog is dedicated to the sublime instruments called nose flutes and which produce the most divine sound ever. We have chosen to discard all the native models from S. Pacific and Asia, for they need fingering to be played. We'll concentrate on "buccal cavity driven" nose flutes : the well patented and trademarked metal or plastic ones, plus, by a condemnable indulgence, some wooden craft or home-made productions.

Jul 15, 2012

A nose whistle as shepherd's tool

Published in Essex Newsman, Chelmsford edition of the Saturday, October 9, 1937, this classified ad shows that nose whistles were used by shepherds to call and lead their dogs.



In this recent article about shepherd's whistles, Kathleen Ward wrote : « There are an amazing array of whistles. Made of various metals such as Stainless Steel, Aluminium, Sheet aluminium, Tin, Sterling Silver or Titanium. (...) There are references where a tobacco tin has been cut open to make a whistle. There was also a nose whistle. This obviously did not become popular. »

4 comments:

  1. Ik zou graag het model van de fluit zien?

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    1. Hallo Piet,
      Ik ook! Ik heb geen eigen een en ik heb geen beelden van het ...

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  2. Great to find out that the nose whistle was actually also used in this way, in fact even by leading trial competitors of the day, in the very heart of the English sheep and Border Collie territory! Is it clear at all what type of nose flute this could have been? Is it one of the European copies of the tin American Humanatone?

    I am ever so surprised to hear that, at this time already, whistles from titanium had been made! They would make really nice collectors! Personally, I really would like to see a titanium nose flute made, see what that produces.

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    1. ohohoh!!!! Don't mix the classified ad (which date of 1937) and the article excerpt which is another very recent source !!!

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