A modern whistle manufacturer

In the past few years ACME Whistles has celebrated reaching a milestone that any company in the UK would be proud of. With a pedigree spanning over 150 years, we have learned a thing or two along the way and are proud of our British manufacturing history. We firmly believe in the quality of British craftsmanship and demonstrate this with every whistle that leaves our factory floor.

It is said that the best ideas stand the test of time, and this is certainly true. Our oldest designs are some of our most popular and enduring, setting the benchmark for how a finely crafted whistle is supposed to look and feel. To this day we test every whistle by hand to ensure it meets our highest standards, before sending them off to be shipped around the world.

Creative beginnings

Joseph Hudson was an inventor. In 1870 his curious mind set him onto a path that would see his company become an integral part of British history. The story goes that, as he was busy in his workshop, his violin was dropped onto the floor. Taken aback by the discordant note it made, he was inspired to engineer a whistle based on the same acoustic principles.

It was Joseph Hudson’s invention, the Metropolitan Police Whistle, that transformed London policing in the late 19th Century, allowing officers to support each other and make the streets safer for everyone. To this day, officers will often carry an ACME whistle as part of their kit. Not only were our whistles used by constabularies, they were also a favourite with the military.

The ACME Thunderer is the original flight jacket whistle worn by American and British air force crews and many were beautifully engraved with the serviceman’s name and squadron. During WWII, we were sworn to secrecy and put to work creating the ACME Clicker as part of Operation Neptune and the D-Day Landings. The clickers were used to identify friendly forces as the paratroopers landed deep within enemy territory, and form part of our popular campaign to locate the lost clickers of D-Day.

ACME Whistles today

After more than 150 years of excellence, ACME Whistles has earned its reputation as a world leading manufacturer of whistles. Our products have made their way into markets all over the world, being especially popular among retailers in Europe and America. There is just something completely unique about an ACME whistle. Once you have one in your hand you can feel the precise craftsmanship and the care that has been taken to ensure every unit is perfect.

While progress and innovation are at the heart of everything we do, in many ways you can’t beat the old traditions. This is why our whistles are still made in our Birmingham based factory by skilled artisans, using much of the same techniques and machinery that we’ve always used. Over time we have discovered that this is the only way to ensure our reputation for quality and excellent craftsmanship can be protected and is key to our ongoing successes throughout the years.

If you believe that ACME Whistles is the right partner for you then we would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us by phone or email, or by using the form located on our ‘Contact us’ page. Our team is highly knowledgeable and will be able to offer you insights into which products tend to sell well and will help you to discover which of our products is right for your store. We can also work with you on bespoke projects such as promotional whistles with excellent lead times.