Lately I have been wondering about the most important criteria for cane selection. It seems many people take great care in selecting the right source for the cane. But how do you select the right pieces from the cane you got?
Normally you take a piece which is as straight as possible, but what characteristics do you look for? Do you use cane which seems soft when flexing it, which looks good from the outside or do you determine its quality when working with it?
I am asking, because I have some tubes of cane, which share the following characteristics: the gouged slips are very easy to bend, (which I think is mostly a good thing) but seem to be very dry and brittle. I have taken a picture of a piece, gouged out of this cane, so you can see what I mean. Would you select the type of cane from the left side? For comparison I placed some, more normal, pieces on the right side.
I tried to make two reeds out of this type of cane but it did not work out, one split and the other one did not sound like a reed. But I have not been making reeds for too long, so it might be a beginner’s mistake. The good flexibility seems to make it interesting to try out again. Edited to make it more clear.
Yes, I have edited my post to (hopefully) make it more clear. I mean the gouged slips are pretty easy to bend (like Benedict Koehler does in the NPU reedmaking DVD). I have taken a picture of the gouged out pieces, because it is easier to see the consistency of the cane that way.
hi,use well seasoned cane.the tube will not bend.after you have split the slips out it still should not bend until you have got rid of the internal pith by either gouging,sanding,planing or a mixture of all three,there is no correct way to do it,if it works for you then it is right for you.what cane are you using?californian will be wider grained and sandier to work and will crack and split more easily during the reedmaking process but it speaks much sooner than spanish or french cane.you can make a heavier lipped reed from cal.cane which will be more stable in the long run but it is more fragile as i have said.span.and fre.cane is harder to work and there are many different degrees of hardness and softness in all types of cane.cane is an unpredictable medium to work in.you can make two reeds from the same tube in exactly the same fashion and they may be very different in tone,tuning,longevity etc.sometimes you will get a good batch of cane and you think your worries are over then you will get an indifferent lot and all hell breaks lose again.i have been using californian for a few years now and have found,if you are gentle with it,it is easier to get consistent results from it,other people may find the reverse,this reedmaking mularkey is a bag of feckin worms and is a very personal thing,down to each individuals method,there are no absolutes.the best of feckin luck to you mate,you will need it.allan moller.
afterthoughts_make sure the tubes are about 25mm.circ.split your slips out first and leave them for a while.get to know when to quit on a reed you are making.it is often quicker and less stressful to begin again.age your reed blanks.some cane looks beautiful but is crap.some of the californian stuff i have been using is all shook and shivered and black with mildew on the inside but after i have chosen the best bit it is fantastic.dont worry,it is the first 10,000 that are the worst.slan slan.
Thanks for your helpful answer. Would you say, that using very dry and brittle cane is generally not a disadvantage? I thought it might have a negative influence on the tone (if the cane does not split beforehand…).
hi again,good cane is an imperative,i cannot stress this enough.trying to make a good reed out of poor cane is like a chef trying to make a cement souffle rise.i have had a good response from our conversation on this post namely from ted anderson who has been supplying the likes of paddy keenan,geoff woofe et al. for years,the names alone speak volumes.i have been scratching around for years using medir etc and experiencing the usual shite that all reedmakers go through,ted is sending me a sample of his cane to try,i think it will be the business due to the pipers he has been supplying for many years who swear by his cane.i hope that at last i have found my holy grail,from teds reputation i probably have.slan slan.allan.
