Hi everyone,

I'm really keen to learn how to make my own oboe reeds, or at least how to adjust ready-made ones. However, I've just looked on the Howarth's website at the sort of things I'd need to buy and there's all sorts of bits and bobs there - I don't know where to start! I can't ask my teacher as she's very busy playing in concerts etc and I wouldn't want to bug her with questions - I won't be seeing her until September but I'd love to start messing with reeds asap!

I noticed that they make a Beginner's Reed-making Kit for about £57, but I was thinking that it might be a good idea to at least upgrade the knife if I got that.

If anyone can give me some advice I'd be so grateful! Thankyou!

T xxx

There have definitely been threads about making your own reeds, it'd be worth doing a search - I'll have a try too, trying to think what to use as the search things, but certainly it's been discussed and fairly recently...

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopic=4770&hl=reeds

check out this thread

That's great, thanks Sarah-flute! I'd also really like to know if it's really important to buy the very best knife I can afford, and if I need to get stones to keep it sharp. Basically, what bits of kit can I afford to save money on, and what things I should make sure are top quality.

You're welcome!

I can't help you with that, I'm afraid, but I'm sure some of our resident oboe-bods will help out when they see this thread!

ouch! Wish I could help but I've always been too busy to learn - my excuse and a little lame.

When I have time I may go along with pregouged cane and a "kit". Evelyn Rothwell's book is worth the reed...tut! I mean read so I'll call the library. If it looks ok I'll buy it, less than the price of some OTC reeds.

Hi Oboebunny

A good reed knife is essential, as is the stone to keep it sharp. Whilst you may not need the most lavish of knives, a good quality is essential if you are going to manage to work well with your cane and not wreck it as you go. Keeping it sharp is also an essential, so the stone is very important (and the oil to put on it).

After that you should have a mandrel (the bit that goes inside the staple to help you hold it and keep it in shape whilst you work) and a plaque to put between the blades of the reed. If you are tying your own reeds you'd benefit from having a cutting block (for preparing the tip) but it's not absolutely essential.

Strictly speaking, apart from thread to tie on with, nail-varnish to seal the binding, some wire and pliers if you like wired reeds and some "cling-film" (the cheaper option than goldbeaters' skin for sealing the reed) you don't have to own anything else, provided you plan to buy gouged and shaped cane (ie ready to tie on) or you propose to buy part-scraped reeds (quite a good way to start initially).

If you get the bug for doing this sort of thing, eventually a shaper and, maybe a gouging machine will be something you'll want but, in the early days, you don't need them.

One tip: keep any old reeds that no longer play to practise your scraping technique. You're unlikely to master the technique straight off and so working on essentially "dead" reeds is a great way to master use of the knife and getting the balance right in your knife hand.

Making your own reeds is certainly much cheaper but it's a frustrating art much of the time. Lots of effort and then in a micro-second the wretched thing breaks and you start all over again. Worth doing things in batches (ie tie on several at a time, part-scrape a group and so on) and allow plenty of time and soaking of cane for your efforts. The more you try to rush, the more likely a failure.

Best of luck!

Other people may disagree with me here, but I'd say if you've only just done your grade 2, you should wait a bit until you start mucking about with your reeds, let alone making your own. Your embouchure is still developing, and you don't necessarily know yet what you would need to do / what makes a good or bad reed for you. I'd say wait until you're about grade 6/7 level.

I can't be faffed to make my own reeds - too much work for something that sounds desparate. I just adjust the ones I buy; luckily I have found a fab reedmaker who's also quite cheap!!!

Can you share his name and details - or indeed hers!

No, it's a closely-guarded secret! I'll PM you.

There are two schools of thought on this. Overall, I tend to agree with Claire21. I get my pupils able to make small adjustments to their reeds (mostly using wet and dry paper) from day one but making the full reed usually waits until grade 6+. This is on two accounts. Firstly because, as Claire21 says, the embouchure in the early days is not yet properly formed and this can change quite a bit (but so can reeds to match) but, more usually, because I want my pupils to use their time to practise and play not make reeds.

Also, many of my pupils are quite young when they start and their parents don't want them flapping reed knives around either!

That said, Oboebunny, you are an adult - you know what time you've got and you know what you like reed-wise for now. Reed making takes time to master so you're possibly right to get on with it sooner rather than later BUT please make sure your teacher is happy you should do so and before you spend a lot of money and launch yourself at the task.

You would also probably benefit from being shown how to carry out each process rather than trying to experiment using a book.

Good luck whatever.

Hi everyone,

Thank you all so much for your advice. My teacher said she was hoping to give me a reedmaking class sometime this summer, so I know she's happy for me to start learning this, but she is busy travelling around the world performing so I don't think I'll be seeing her until September. I'm most keen to just learn how to scrape down ready-made reeds, rather than make them myself at this stage. Does this sound sensible? If so, should I just buy a knife rather than the whole reedmaking kit?

Thanks again!

T xxxx

That sounds fairly reasonable, but remember the second rule of reed scraping (after the first rule: sharp knife!) is: don't take off too much at once! I find that I can scrape a reed one day and get it how I want it, and the next day it will be completely different again. Only ever scrape a small amount per day, and then let it settle. It's easy to get overenthusiastic and scrape off too much, and then regret it - you can take off more but you can't put it back!

As well as a knife, you'll need a plaque - the little metal thing that goes in the middle, between the two reeds. And maybe a sharpening stone.