What is a Landwell?
Landwell knives come in three metal hardnesses and set up for right or left handed reed makers. While the knives are double hollow ground, the edge is sharpened in a subtle bevel for right or left handedness.
What is a double hollow knife?
Double Hollow Ground Knives are most popular among oboe players because the blade edge is thin and it is easy to get a burr for doing the fine work needed on the tip of an oboe reed. There are numerous styles available and they are discussed in our knife blog (coming soon).
What is Reed knife?
Reed scraping knives are either beveled, wedge, double hollow ground, or razor style (a type of double hollow ground knife). Handedness. Beveled knives are handed; a left handed person can’t use a right hand beveled knife and vice versa.
Why do reeds need to be wet?
Quite simply, by moistening your saxophone reed, you are making it easier to play ! The moisture makes it softer. And therefore this makes it easier for you to start it vibrating with a combination of your breath and your embouchure (face/mouth muscles).
How do you break in a reed fast?
We suggest that you break the reeds in by first soaking them for about 2-4 minutes in lukewarm to warm water, and making sure that the whole vamp, and not just the tip alone, gets wet (a reed that is too dry or only wet at the very tip might tend to squeak).
What is a reed knife used for?
These knives are excellent for finishing the tip or making fine adjustments. The fine edge on this knife allows for “razor sharp” sharpening and precision scraping.
How do you adjust a clarinet reed?
The only time you should adjust the back of the reed is if a reed is just too hard to play on. Put a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface, and lightly swipe the reed across it, moving only from heel to tip (to avoid breaking the tip). Again, go slowly: swipe once, then try playing it.
How long should I soak a new reed?
You should soak your reeds for about one minute with saliva. This ensures that the reed is moist enough to play well without being so wet that it becomes waterlogged. If the reed is brand new, you may want to soak it more thoroughly with water for about twenty minutes before working with it.