Making a Sycamore Whistle

I just found a good video with very clear instructions on how to make a sycamore whistle that I thought you'd enjoy. I have never used sycamore in making my own whistles but Nathan says that sycamore is a member of the maple family. I've always used maple or willow but now I'll have to see how sycamore works as it seemed to work well in the video.

I'd say that Nathan made his whistle 90% just like I've learned to make them but I picked up a couple of new hints to try. I really liked the way that he cut out what I call the "music chamber" just beyond the notch. I had always completely removed this wood but Nathan carefully carved it out leaving a connecting shaft which makes the complete whistle a much stronger unit.

If you've never made a slip bark whistle and would like to teach a child a fantastic lesson in wild crafting then I can't think of anything better than a slip bark whistle to capture their attention for a few minutes. My dad first taught me to make them more than forty-something years ago and I've never forgotten it.