Tin whistle
In recent years a number of instrument builders have started lines of "high-end," hand-made whistles, which can cost hundreds of dollars US each — expensive in comparison to cheap whistles, but nevertheless cheaper than most other instruments. These companies are typically either a single individual or a very small group of craftsmen who work closely together. The instruments are distinguished from the inexpensive whistles in that each whistle is individually manufactured and "voiced" by a skilled person rather than made in a factory.
Whistle (company)
The idea for Whistle grew out of current CEO Ben Jacobs' experiences on petcare accounts at Bain & Company, and was developed with COO Steve Eidelman while researching the petcare industry for venture capital firm DCM. They hired Kevin Lloyd as CTO and the three founded Whistle in 2012. The company started with 20 employees and raised $6 million in a venture funding round led by DCM. Other investors included the former CEO of Mars Petcare and the president of Humane Society Silicon Valley.