Double Reed

[Anne Megan]

I’m just starting out with this system- it’s not so easy! I’m ready to share with anyone who’s interested.

[Gary Crumb]

Double reed…??? I played trombone and a tiny little bit on the guitar…not sure I’m familiar with double reeds.

[Tom Whittington]

Not much of an oboe guy, xume720? 😆

Okay back on topic… I’m not familiar either, anyone want to give a primer for the rest of us? 🙂

[Daniel Nash]

Not sure what you guys are asking about. I believe this section is for those who use reed knives to make their own double reeds for their instruments – oboes, bassoons, etc. A double reed is a reed having two blades to it, unlike reeds for say a clarinet or saxophone where the reed is a single blade.

EDIT: If what I said above is the case, it might make sense to rename this forum to “Reed Knives” or “Reed Knives – Double Reed Makers” or the like.

~Dan

[Leo James Mitchell]

Just to go a bit further,reeds are made from high quality, straight grained cane. Double reeds are as the name indicates, two reeds shaped to fit symmetrically face to face and the ends fastened tightly so the two become one reed so to speak.
Professional and enthusiasts like to make their own reeds from blanks they can buy and shape them to their own specs. Double reed players are very fussy about their reeds because small difference in construction can have a great effect on the sound and on the way the musician plays. The reeds can be adjusted by cutting and thinning so as to customize them for the individual player. The process requires a very sharp tool and a great deal of skill and patience, so the WEPS will have an important role to play in the customizing of these reeds…not just double but also single reeds…although clarinet and sax reeds are cheap and readily available, still many players shave and clip their reeds to better suit them. I play the clarinet but not well enough to fuss over my reeds! LOL!
So the double reeds include the oboes, the bassoons, English horns and let us not forget the bagpipes.
Just for clarification, my two cents worth.

Cheers
Leo

[Leo James Mitchell]

Not sure what you guys are asking about. I believe this section is for those who use reed knives to make their own double reeds for their instruments – oboes, bassoons, etc. A double reed is a reed having two blades to it, unlike reeds for say a clarinet or saxophone where the reed is a single blade.

EDIT: If what I said above is the case, it might make sense to rename this forum to “Reed Knives” or “Reed Knives – Double Reed Makers” or the like.

~Dan

I agree with Dan’s suggestion regarding renaming this section of the Forum. Good point Dan!
Leo

[Leo James Mitchell]

Whoops! Hmmm! Sorry Clay, I tried starting a new title,”DOuble Reeds and the WEPS’ but I am not sure how to get the posts that are already up over to it. It eludes me. Can you help? Or Curtis? Or Mark? My old brain doesn’t see how to do it! Drat!:blink:

Leo

[Tom Whittington]

Leo, good point about single reeds being inexpensive and readily available. I spent quite a few years in the musical arts (sax player here!) but never really fussed over reeds beyond picking a particular brand and breaking them in. I hadn’t heard of folks making their own until just now, but that’s definitely cool!

[Geocyclist]

Both single reed and double reed players use them. Whether single or double reed, the reed must be symmetrical. The knife is used to shave very small amounts of the reed to even it up side to side as well as to reduce thickness of the reed as needed. The amount of material removed could be done with 100 grit sandpaper in a few seconds. The knife if is more precise and leaves a smoother finish. It is like whittling dust.

I played clarinet and every reed required very minor adjustments.

The reed knife I had was a very thick (1/4 “) single bevel. About 3” long or so. I had also seen less expensive thin, concave, razor like knives.

[cbwx34]

Not sure what you guys are asking about. I believe this section is for those who use reed knives to make their own double reeds for their instruments – oboes, bassoons, etc. A double reed is a reed having two blades to it, unlike reeds for say a clarinet or saxophone where the reed is a single blade.

EDIT: If what I said above is the case, it might make sense to rename this forum to “Reed Knives” or “Reed Knives – Double Reed Makers” or the like.

~Dan

Good catch… I sent the request to Clay to make this section “Reed Knives”. At least now we know what a double reed is! 🙂

[Robert Huffman]

Hello Anne,

Welcome to the Wicked Edge Double Reed Forum. Why don’t you introduce yourself and talk about your experiences using Wicked Edge with reed knives? The knife enthusiasts find us an interesting lot. We certainly bring a different perspective to this art.

There is a lot of valuable information in this forum – some specifically for oboists / reed players and some about knife sharpening in general.

Happy reed making!

Robert

[Robert Huffman]

Hello all,

Thought maybe you would like to learn a little more about what we are doing when we make oboe reeds.

There are two files attached. One shows the raw material – reed cane in tube form. Through a variety of processes we split, cut, plane a piece of cane to three inches long and then gouge (hollow) it to .45-.6 mm thick. The cane is then folded and trimmed to a precise shape. Next the shaped cane is tied to a staple (metal tube covered in cork). Now the fun begins – using a knife you scrape the reed with a reed knife. The tip is is scraped around to .03mm – about the thickness of a piece of paper. The rest of the reed is scraped to between .40 mm and .50 mm.

It is an involved process that takes years to master and at which the oboist spends hours a week working on. Bassoonists also make their own reeds. Clarinetists and saxophonists use reed knives to touch up reeds but rarely make their own. Because of the construction of these reeds – they are easier to use manufacture by machine.

There is a direct correlation between the sharpness of the knife and quality of the reed. Wicked Edge has made a huge difference in my own reed making as many oboists around the country can now also attest.

Hope this helps,
Robert Huffman

Attachments:

• reed.JPG
• Cane.jpg

[mvh]

I don’t know much about reed knives, but I’ve seen a few of them and were sharpened by Tom Blodgett from jende Industries (who also make reed knives). I don’t see a reason why a reed knife couldn’t be sharpened on the WEPS. Tom’s knives are done freehand and a bit convex because of it, so the edge may be more durable when scraping. He also finishes his reed knives on 15k Shapton stones.

That’s all I know. hope Tom pops in to solve the mystery.

[Jende Industries]

Did someone mention a reed knife??? :woohoo:

Thanks for the heads up, Michiel!

Anne, Between Robert and myself, you are in very good hands in all things reed knife. No one put up a picture of a reed knife, so I will gratuitously post one of mine. :whistle:

[Leo James Mitchell]

Ah! There you are mate! You have been missed Tom. Good to have you back from your world travels and other travails!! With you and Robert we have the double reed world in good hands!:)

Very best regards
Leo

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