How consistent is the cane supply?

[Richard Mao]

Hi Chris...

What are the acceptable ranges of variability of the cane going into the making of your reeds...

in terms of being cured, being hard or soft, species type, etc.

How easy/hard has it been to obtain cane that meets your standards... does it vary by time of year... supplier?

do you have several sources?

Thanks in advance

Go for it! We are always more afraid than we wish to be, but we can always be braver than we expect. … Robert Jordan

Richard Mao, The Peking Piper ( PekingPiper@mao.org )

[Chris Apps]

Hi Richard,

Cane does very quite a lot in density. The best cane is of a medium density. Too soft or too hard and the finished reed becomes unusable. Because our manufacturing techniques are so 'hands on' the sub-standard cane tends to get weeded out very quickly.
I buy about 50 kilos per year but don't notice seasonal variations.
I have been through several suppliers over the years but have settled on a supplier in France. The cane they supply is very popular with bassoon and oboe reed makers and suits my purposes very well.