While there are many different preferences for how to scrape an oboe reed, this is an explanation of how I like my American long-scrape reeds. The measurements given for each portion of the reed are measured from the bottom of the staple, and are approximate because the structure of an oboe reed is not an exact science, and if a reed works wonderfully but does not have my ideal proportions, I am not going to worry about it!
If you are new to reedmaking or are trying to experiment with new methods, maybe this basic explanation of each section I put into my reeds will help.
The reed pictured above is my own work held up to a light. I hope you can tell that I don’t often define each section of the reed as obviously as some reedmakers such as in this picture from Edmund Nielson Woodwinds on the right.
I just prefer my reeds to be smoother overall with more gradual transitions between the elements of the reed, which is another reason why the exact placement of each part is approximate.
Starting with the tip of the reed, I make the very outer corners the thinnest and attempt to leave the center of even the very tip slightly thicker than the corners. This same shape starts in the transition from the heart. I prefer more of an upside-down U shape instead of the upside-down V. I also leave some thickness on the reed just above the heart so that the transition is a little less abrupt, like there is some steam rising from the top of the heart!
I tend to leave the heart pretty dark, but what you can’t see in the first picture is that there was some light scraping on each side of the heart leaving the middle the thickest.
While the windows are the deepest just below the heart, I also don’t prefer my reeds to have an abrupt line between the windows and the heart. The windows slope up quickly but smoothly into the heart and sort of dissipate in the scraping of the heart just described the paragraph above.
I leave the spine as untouched as I can for most of the reedmaking process and only lightly work on it when a reed is far too stiff. The rails I touch even less. These two elements are usually the most prominent on my reeds.
Do you make your reeds different from mine? What are some of your preferences?
You can read more about reedmaking or you can buy my handmade oboe reeds here!
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