Hermit Hill Folk Instruments

August 6, 2020

Alex has photos and sound clips on his site. Still, there is some uncertainty in buying an instrument unseen or heard. But when my whistle arrived I was wowed. The whistle is aesthetically and aurally very pleasing. I purchased a tunable Delrin C. The brass tuning ferrules, head and end ring are nicely off set by the black Delrin. I had the tuning ferrules etched with Celtic knots. a very nice aesthetic touch. The large bore was at first a concern but surprisingly, and happily, it is not overly loud and has a full, balanced tone. There is a weightiness to the whistle which I quite like.

I was not asked for payment, or even a deposit, until the whistle was finished and ready to ship. The overall order to arrival time I'd guess a month, entirely acceptable for a well made, handcrafted whistle. I may well add another Hermit Hill whistle to my WAS collection.

Michael

March 3, 2020

I have recently bought a high C and a high D whistle from Alex DeWilde and I am thrilled with them. I went for the Delrin with the lovely Celtic knot engraving and they look beautiful. I am not a very advanced player but even I can get a lovely sound out of them. They are an absolute delight.

Mick

February 6, 2020

I own a brass session whistle with two bodies, a high E and D. The plug was made out of brass by my request. I honestly love these whistles! They respond so good and have the perfect back pressure. I wanted whistles that where made completely out of metal and Alex made them for me. Also the Celtic etching is also an added bonus to the beauty of the whistle. The whistle never clogs and it had such a sweet tone. Truly a beautiful instrument that is built to last and be treasured.

Shortly after my beautiful brass session, I contacted Alex to make me a non tunable fixed high F whistle out of stainless steel. He designed me a such a beautiful whistle made totally out of stainless steel!! Its sounds great!! Balanced tone and volume across all the notes and octaves. Non shrill. Very playable with the right amount of back pressure that makes it easy to play without running out of breath and to jump from octaves. I was really knocked out by the outstanding craftsmanship! I’m very happy to have found such a great person to make me these metal whistles. Alex takes the time to communicate very thoroughly throughout the whole process, and you can tell he loves making whistles. His prices are very reasonable, and you get a lot of whistle for the price you pay. I would recommend his whistles to anyone that is looking for top quality whistles.

Andre’ Nizzari

May 8, 2018

Alex is a true craftsman. He made us amazing whistles that sound awesome. He sent updates and pictures at every phase so we could see the progress and then a sound byte so we could hear the whistle before it shipped. We are very happy with our whistles and highly recommend Alex and Hermit Hill Folk Instruments.

The Bostwick Family

January 18, 2018

A few months ago for my first Low D whistle I purchased a PVC polymer from HHFI and was not disappointed . It has that warm wonderful Low D tone I was hoping for and its easy to play. I love that its tunable, makes it easier to play with others. I recently ordered a tunable High D made of Delrin polymer from Alex, again great quality and finish. Plays great and I love its bright sound. I would recommend these to anyone as a first whistle and for a seasoned player as well. Thanks Alex.

Chuck

January 15, 2018 - Brass Session Whistle

Alex made a beautiful whistle I ordered as a Christmas gift. This was in early December, so I was sure it wouldn’t be enough time, but he went right to work. I especially appreciated the pictures of the production process and the sound clip Alex sent before we paid for the whistle. It was really amazing how a small stick turned into a work if art in such a short time! Thank you!

Julie

January 8, 2018 - Brass Session Whistle

This is a wonderful whistle! It’s my new favorite. It’s smooth and responsive through both octaves. Perfect for learning more elaborate ornamentation.

Thanks for a great buy.

David