Author: Critter
Date: 2004-09-03 06:38
A word about flat metal plaques:
According to one of the major oboe supply shops (I don't remember which one), they are "by far the most popular". This is probably due to the fact that with a flat plaque, you can tell more about the relative thickness of different parts of the tip. Basically, most reedmakers feel that having the reed tip pressed against a flat plaque makes it easier to produce the desired contour of the tip, which most American reed makers feel is a tip which is thicker in the back and middle, thinnning out more towards the tip, corners, and sides.
Conversely, with a contoured plaque, one must figure in the curvature of the plaque and "second guess" what the real thickness is of the different parts. Contoured plaques can be made of wood, though, and cause less wear to your knife blade.
Most people seem to feel that the benefits of the flat plaque outweight the drawback of knife wear. A thin plaque is usually preferred, also, so as to cause as little spreading of the reed blades as possible.
Incidentally, the problem of knife wear can be dramatically lessened if one constantly moves around on the blades edge, always finding "a sharp place", and not neglecting the part of the blade closest to the knife's handle. Many reedmakers only use their "favorite part" of the blade.
David Crispin
www.CrispinsCreations.com
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