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Re: Shaper Tips

Author: cjwright
Date: 2010-06-18 19:52

The Nagamatsu shaper tip was designed by Nagamatsu when Associate Principal oboist of the Boston Symphony, Keisuke Wakao, took a Robinson Barr shaper tip to Japan and made some minor changes to it. When I was taking some lessons with Robinson back in the late 90s, he was using the Nagamatsu -1. Last I heard (2 or 3 years ago), he has since gone back to his Robinson Barr shaper tip.

I personally use the Weber 1-C shaper tip. I also own the 1-B, and they are somewhat close to Gilbert -1 and Gilbert -1N. The difference is the curve of course: The Weber has more of a gradual curve going all the way up while the Gilbert -1 and -1N curve out and then begin to go straight up, to which the sides become more parallel rather than a constant flare.

I also tie the Weber 1-C at around 75mm with a 47mm Stevens thinwall #2 staple. I measure everything with a digital micrometer, and more often than not the staples are slightly under (.1 mm) so I adjust accordingly. Tapering the ends of the piece of cane also helps to close the sides to this length. I find that 75mm is the absolute longest I can tie it at, and I have to get the overlap exactly perfect or else it will leak ever so slightly, so if I'm tying a bunch for mass production, I'll tie at 74.75, which I find the extra .15 of a mm doesn't really change much.

The length of the tie can also depend on the thickness of the sides. If the sides are thicker, they're less flexible and bendable, so that the piece of cane doesn't always want to seal, so you might have to tie longer. Conversely, if the sides are thinner you can usually tie a hair longer.

Cooper

Blog, An Oboe In Paradise
Solo Oboe, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra

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