Klarinet Archive - Posting 000577.txt from 1999/04

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] re: Reed Knife vs. rush
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 22:02:23 -0400

<< George Kidder <gkidder@-----.edu>
Subject: Re: [kl] Sharpening Reed Knife
Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19990406200423.006b7f2c@-----.edu>
I ask this in all naivety, and not wanting to start a war:
As one who has never used a reed knife but routinely adjusts reeds with
rush, can someone tell me the advantages of the reed knife over
rush/sandpaper in the adjustment of commercial reeds. >>

I made my own clarinet reeds for over ten years. The knife was used for the
general shaping cuts, and was actually used to cut though the wood, not
scrape it. Then a series of files was used to smooth the cut and shape the
"curve" of the vamp.

Sandpaper was used for all fine work. The reed was supported on a thick,
narrow glass palette. I was never able to do fine work on a clarinet reed
with a reed knife with the same level of accuracy as I was with sandpaper.
Interestingly, I was able to make some fine oboe reeds using the traditional
scraping technique. It always seemed that when I scraped a clarinet reed it
always "dug a hole" in the fibers of the reed.

Even though I no longer make my own reeds. I still use the techniques I
learned, and they serve me quite well.

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