Scoring is the process of cutting a number of parallel vertical lines in the bark a piece of gouged, shaped, and profiled cane. These cuts make it easier to form the cane into a cylindrical tube and help prevent cracking during the forming process. Different reed makers have various theories of scoring, involving different numbers, spacing, length, and depth of score marks. There is also quite a variety of tools one can choose from to actually perform the scoring, ranging from a simple utility knife to Rieger’s quite expensive scoring machine. The tool I have used for years is close […]
Note: This post is from 2012, and I’ve changed quite a few things in my tool kit since then. Some of the specific tools I show here seem to no longer be available, so I’ve removed the links. If there’s something in particular that you’d like to find, drop me a line. I have a ton of tools and supplies for making reeds, but I don’t need all of them every day. I keep a streamlined set of tools in my bassoon case for the daily business of finishing and adjusting reeds. I’ve spent a good deal of time figuring […]