rubbing reed with spoon to break it in?

[Conn-artist]

A saxophone 'tips and tricks' booklet I own recommends rubbing the vamp with a spoon, towards the tip, with the aim to close the reed's pores, thus limiting the amount of moisture the reed can absorb, lengthening its life span.

It seems to work fine for me (but I have no scientific comparison material). I haven't read this tip elsewhere though, and wonder whether the treatment may affect the reed in a negative way.

Please discuss.

[Hurling Frootmig]

There's a host of ways to accomplish this. Personally, I use 400 grit sandpaper on the reed (avoiding the tip) as I finish reeds. It accomplishes the same thing.

[Dentarthurdent]

I've been doing the spoon thing for years - works for me. I believe that it crushes the ends of the tiny little tubes which make up the cane and stop them getting clagged up with saliva and gunge

[gary]

I've been doing the spoon thing for years - works for me. I believe that it crushes the ends of the tiny little tubes which make up the cane and stop them getting clagged up with saliva and gunge
Damn! I knew I was doing something wrong all these years. I read that recommendation too, but I guess I got some stuff mixed up. I've been starting at the tip end and rubbing towards the butt end...and with a fork! :yikes!:

[retread]

That's a good solution for a bad reed...fork it!

[Conn-artist]

That's a good solution for a bad reed...fork it!
Only works if it's an Open Source reed :p

[badfella518]

you can do it with your thumb too.
Any of you guys ever soak reeds in listerine or vodka?

[Razzy]

I like to rub my reed with jellyfish.

[Grumps]

I've been doing it with my thumb for years. Just press down a bit and rub towards the tip end. Especially handy when you have little time to warm up or break in a new reed.

[gary]

I like to rub my reed with jellyfish.But only if the jellyfish has been properly oiled with Martinis...shaken, not stirred, of course. :D

[JohnGalt]

I knew a guy that flicked cigarette ash on the reed and rubbed it in to clog up the pores. Kinda gross...

[Razzy]

But only if the jellyfish has been properly oiled with Martinis...shaken, not stirred, of course. :D

Precisely!! I've been telling all my colleagues for years, when they ask "wow how is it that you sound like the next John Coltrane??"...:twisted:

[Tokanite]

I don't know about spoons, forks, martinis, or jellyfish, but I've been using my thumb over the years and it tends to work. Hopefully your hands are CLEAN when you do this though, or else it ruins the purpose of rubbing it in the first place. Also, you can do the same to the bottom of the reed by repeatedly rubbing it on a smooth piece of paper. HOpe that helped! :D

[Tokanite]

*note* that my "years" are in the one figure range. *cough* 5 years *cough* but yeah. Even at my moderate level, I can feel a difference!

[Conn-artist]

I guess the bottomline is that it's common practise to close the pores on a reed, using utensils, animals or handjobs :D Thanks, all.


Note to self: buy vodka.