Made in Australia by legendary whistle-maker Erle Bartlett. The Black Diamond is a very different animal - while equal to the SYN in pedigree, the Black Diamond delivers a somewhat more traditional sound with a lot less of the problems associated with cheap whistles. The Black Diamond is rapidly becoming a standard must-have for whistlers world-wide. And I have to add - This whistle is a VERY good choice for sessions. The sound sits nicely where a whistle should with good volume in the lower octave and nice balance in the upper octave. Breath requirement is low with a medium to high back pressure and nice fast articulation.