I've had my Village Smithy for a couple of weeks now in which that was basically the only whistle i played, so i think i can say some things about it now:
(1) Looks: What a beautiful whistle! I've been thinking a lot about how to describe it. The picture in the URL above doesn't really do it justice. Originally i thought "this is the whistle Robocop plays", but that's not really true. Thinking of the serpent engraving in the back, now i say that this is the whistle that the Yakuza's vat-cloned ninjas in cyberpunk novels play. The look is exactly halfway between the beautiful and the dangerous. This could be a whistle but could also equally well be a specialist weapon. Or something a kamikaze pilot might carry in the cockpit. Bill Whedon is an accomplished artist; this is a metal sculpture that happens to also make music.
(2) Durability/maintenance: Bill says he drives his pickup truck over these things regularly. I can confirm, this whistle will survive a collision with almost anything. And if you get it scratched, that will just add to the decor. I bought this mostly as a whistle i could throw in the bag and carry anywhere without worry, and that it is. I'm not sure about rust. I think i can see the beginnings of rust points inside mine, but this could be paranoia. Bill recommends using bore oil in the inside, except when he recommends not using it.
I never said it wasn't a zen whistle... Anyway, rust is a possibility. The whistle seems to embrace moisture; i have trouble getting all the water out of it, even using the pipe cleaner that came with it. I like rubbing extra-virgin olive oil on the outside of mine, but then again, i'm weird.(3) Sound: What about it? I sent a clip to Tony Higgins, and i'll let you know if/when he puts it up in clips&snips. I had to work hard for this whistle. For some reason, it refused to give me a consistent sound for many days, until it suddenly started happening. Bill thinks it has to do with the angle of blowing, and i think i agree with him. Maybe a combination of angle and air pressure. This whistle takes more pressure than a Water Weasel but the pressure also has to be more controlled. Play it right, and it has a robust sound (not as loud as the Weasel, but good enough for playing in a small group or alone). Play it wrong, and it's hiss land. No wonder it's called Serpent! Bill says it's actually a very easy whistle to play, so your mileage may vary. I'm glad i persevered with it, because i do like the sound. I'd say it's a sexy sound, which goes well with slower tunes or slip jigs. It's good for fast tunes too, of course, but the same way that the O'Brian Eb makes me want to play fast, this whistle makes me want to hold back and enjoy the tune.
(4) Tuning: Excellent. Every note spot on, including c (OXXOOO) and c# (all open).
(5) Ornamentation: Very responsive to taps, cuts, slides and finger vibrato.
(6) Clogging: See above about the whistle's affinity for water. Clogging was not a problem during normal use. You may have to blow the condensation off every half hour or so, nothing out of the ordinary.
(7) Service: Excellent. Bill Whedon is a great guy.
I can't help finishing with a quote from the Serpent Web site:
Impress your friends! Show 'em that you're a Real Whistler, who can make Real Music with a piece of motorcycle tubing!
