James Dixon & Sons, Part I. b. Round Ivory Bone & Horn Whistles. A.Strauss

19th Century Ivory Bone & Horn Whistles by James Dixon & Sons , Part I. b.
See Part I and sub parts.

Dixon started turning Ivory & wood whistles while still named Dixon & Son In the early 1820s, and may be earlier, Horn whistles were probably made at the same period but Pressed horn whistles were made later, probably around the late 40s. Model # 15, made in Horn as well, Model #5 (1883 Catalogue).

Dixon Octagonal whistle made in Ivory & Horn with typical Dixon top (Although Linegar used a similar top design) Here you can see another round Bone whistle
with the same top.

Model #6 Stag Horn, Catalogue mentions #6C ‘Stag Horn 2nd Quality’
and #6CC ‘common quality’

Next is a larger horn very old dog call with nice patina.

A later stag horn Model #6 variatin.

Left to right: 33.5mm First Period, / 53.5mm of top quality / Bone; 66.6mm /Ivory; 72mm (Probably model #7L) one of their most expensive whistles at the time.

More Ivory whistles, Left;  44mm right; Oval shaped 46mm similar to Model number #47 in N.P Brass

Above; 40mm Flat rectangular shape

Miniature 32mm round pea whistle with classic Dixon top. 

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Horn & Stag Horn whistles 

Model # 1 ‘Stag Horn Tip’ made in Horn & Stag Horn , two qualities.
A Large whistle. Each whistle is a little different ,Length & color vary.
Length between 120mm to 135mm. This one 124mm.

An early classic dog call which was later made by many companies, Acme whistles still makes this type.

5 various horn made whistles by Dixon,
2nd and 3rd from left: Dixon Extra Large size with an easily identified shape Fipple & Mouthpiece Made in the 2nd period since 1940s as railway whistle, Mailman etc. It has the tip cut off for a brass bubble top with drilled hole and ring, I had seen many. All are special, hand made and never with same size or color.
Length; 90mm to 100mm. Earlier ones have no brass nails to strengthen the fipple. The PEAS were all different sizes as well , hand made to fit in before the fipple was placed.I  Identified this 2006 from the Dixon family collection of 41 whistles in the Sheffield City hall, see photo Part I.

The Blow hole is of distinctive round oval lips shape; 

Front characteristic view of this type

The horn made fipple (sometimes wood) was hand carved and smoothed to fit each whistle.
The same OVAL mouthpiece was used on smaller whistles that had a none metal top where the body and top were made of ONE PIECE,
See group of 5 whistles, 1rst  From Left  4 & 5
Left one is 78mm other smaller and other examples not in photo but smallest is 63mm
Here you can see anther feature by which Dixon’s Horn whistle can be identified, the top, kind of like an angled tear drop shape. The mouth piece mentioned looks like a open Fish-mouth to me.
L: 78mm

Next is of the highest quality ones with cocoa wood fipple.with mechanical pencil probably a game keeper or sports whistle,
And a Brass Thistle coat of arms emblem.
L: 73mm
Here is the back of the whistle above a highly polished wood fipple.

Speaking of Ivory & Horn and mentioning Hill Bros. using  Sheffield Mouthpiece,
I thought to bring this advertisement by Hill Bros. Established 1792 , and known
to whistle collectors for only one round whistle a ‘registered design 220935’, November 1893, with Metal Finger Ring, albeit they did made many, some were a combination of umbrella handle whistle or walking cane, see picture, but these are difficult to identify.
Theit registered design uses S.M. &F, Hudson made a similar one with a slightly circular mouthpiece and fipple. 

Railway whistle , Probably the most frequently met with Dixon Horn made whistle, This whistle MODEL #5S & 5R was made first in 2 sizes; 62mm, 85mm
and in the 1890s in few more. The common one is 62mm.
These were made in pressed horn, and are all accurate in size
Many of these were used by railway companies as guard whistles and were stamped with the abbreviation of the company ( G.W.R, N.S.R, Etc.. )
Since railwayana collectors really dig these stamp variations, many plain whistles were later stamped.
J.Hudson & Co. made the same model BUT Hudson’s fipple is straight- flush with the whistle’s window, while DIXON’s has a rounded – DOMED END FIPPLE, which was their way of holding the pea in, and keeping it from running out.

Horn made  Round pea whistle with screw top – body, bulbous body.

Length; 72.5mm

A beautifully carved master piece,  A dog call whistle, The Boar theme and the cocoa wood S.M&F made me think it is probably by Dixon.

Another masterpiece

Links to other Parts of this article :

James Dixon & Sons Whistles & History In the 19th Century. A. Strauss
The full article is in 9 sub-parts. 
Part I (6 chapters)
1) Brief History and data (19th Century)

2) Early Period Round Whistles and ‘The sheffield Mouthpiece & Fipple’ I. a.,
3) Round Ivory & Horn I.b.
4) Animal Head Whistles, I.c.
5) Round Brass & German Silver Whistles. Signal Whistles and ‘Pig nose’ Whistles
I.d.
6) Round Britannia Metal Whistles & Model #49. Part I.e.
Part 2,   More whistles by Dixon & Sons, including
7) Beauforts,
8) Extractors, combination whistles, Shooting Gudgets and other combination whistles. II. .b
9) James Dixon & Sons Other Rare Whistle Models & Designs. II.c. 

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