How much importance do you reedmakers place on the “height” of the staple’s eye, what function do you think it serves, etc. I sometimes have a terrible time with reeds that aren’t closed down enough, I’m wondering if I make the eye smaller will the reed close down more; or should I just use a bigger sanding cylinder, or tie the reed on harder? (I’m yanking like a son of a bitch as it is). I’m carving out the inside of the tails a great deal, too, without that I’d never get the reed tied up at all. The Spanish cane is just too hard to be tied on without some material removed, it seems.
Kevin, at the risk of sounding smug, why not try it to see what would work best for you? (No, I’m not trying to be smart.)
I was thinking of developing a second mandrel (sort of a rounded arrow shape) to put a flair on the eye. You can’t do this with the straight mandrel because, obviously, you wouldn’t be able to get it out of the staple. I had not considered that it would affect proper closure of the reed.
In Alan Moller’s video he talks about not only gouging the tails, but carving a bit of a sound chamber above where the staple lips would be. Have you ever tried anything like this? It may also help with your closure problem.
The only other way I can think of around the problem you describe is to make the reed a bit wider so that you have enough reed to wrap around the staple.
Never ends, does it? 
djm
Kevin
Without any measurements, how can we know? But I’d stay off enlarging your cylinder and gouging too much tail away. Do you have an email add.,?
Alan
A lot. It’s a very important factor in tuning the octaves far more so then diameter of the staple. Other functions; back D, A’ B’ ease of second octave.
I sometimes have a terrible time with reeds that aren’t closed down enough, I’m wondering if I make the eye smaller will the reed close down more;
No.
or should I just use a bigger sanding cylinder,
Yes. For concert pith try 80 mm.
or tie the reed on harder? (I’m yanking like a son of a bitch as it is).
No. This makes it worse, if you tie the blades really hard you will force them form around the staple and by doing so make the elevation even greater.
I’m carving out the inside of the tails a great deal, too,
Also wrong, if you elevation is too large carving the tails only makes it worse.
without that I’d never get the reed tied up at all. The Spanish cane is just too hard to be tied on without some material removed, it seems.
Maybe your slips are too thick, 1.5 mm for concert pitch
Thanks Evertjan 't Hart for that response. It’s good to have someone around who can steer us straight. I learned something from your post and that’s why I’m here. Stick around, your expert advice is valuable. I hope to read more of your comments.
On my reeds, if the eye is greater than 0.062", I lose my C natural. It plays C # when I finger C natural.
My biggest cylinder is 45mm. My cane is 20-22mm. Wrong! Mostly I’ve been making flat pipe reeds, 10mm wide heads and the like. But even with those, sometimes they’re hard to close the lips down. Lately I’ve been trying to make more reeds for the concert pitch stick. My staple eyes are about 3/32" OD, equals .09375 equals 2.4mm, max. At least the one I measured just now was, it looks typical. Don’t oboe reeds sometimes have huge cat’s eyes, too, almost a cylinder? And, any advice on making wider reeds with this lower diameter cane? I know I can make the slip wider and sand the edges down a bunch when I’m done. Any other tips/hints?
Would using a thinner gauge of metal work? Or keeping the opening the recommended size and shape on a normal staple, but sanding or filing down the metal beginning at the taper. It may weaken the staple though you really don’t need that much strength. Measure two pieces of the metal you’d use to make the staple and see if thinning them would give you the thickness you’re looking for.
Marc