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HAKAN REEDS
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A measured process beyond mass production

The reed's journey through the workshop

The workshop puts consistency before speed. Natural material is assessed by sight and touch, while final adjustments respond to the resistance and use described in the order note.

Craftsperson checking gouged oboe cane thickness with a brass gauge

The real workshop process

From tube cane to a finished oboe reed.

Every frame was recorded during real work in the HAKAN REEDS workshop. Fibre integrity, hardness and thickness are checked step by step, with gouger settings refined from the readings.

01 — 09

Scroll to explore the stages

  1. Maker splitting a tube of oboe cane with a cane splitter01

    Tube cane splitting

    Splitting the tube cane

    The tube is divided into workable slips while respecting the direction of the fibres.

  2. Maker cleaning the edges of split oboe cane with a blade02

    Split-cane preparation

    Preparing the split cane

    Coarse fibres and uneven edges left by splitting are carefully cleaned with a blade before measurement.

  3. Maker measuring an oboe cane slip with an analogue hardness tester03

    Hardness test

    Testing cane hardness

    Resistance is read at multiple points with a calibrated analogue hardness tester before the slip is processed further.

  4. Hands placing oboe cane into the bed of a brass gouging machine04

    Gouger setup

    Setting the gouger bed

    The cane is seated in the gouger with its inner surface correctly supported.

  5. Maker measuring the thickness of gouged oboe cane with a dial gauge05

    Thickness gauging

    Measuring thickness

    The remaining material is read across the centre and sides with a dial gauge.

  6. Hands centring and securing oboe cane in a gouger bed06

    Cane alignment

    Aligning and clamping

    The slip is centred and secured to produce a balanced, symmetrical gouged profile.

  7. Maker inspecting a gouged oboe cane profile beside the gouger07

    Profile inspection

    Inspecting the gouged profile

    Curve, surface integrity and remaining shavings are checked again after gouging.

  8. Oboe cane being secured with the end clamp of a brass gouger08

    Cane fixation

    Final positioning and fixation

    After measurement, both ends are secured again so the cane cannot shift during the final controlled pass.

  9. Three finished handmade oboe reeds tied with red thread09

    Finished oboe reed

    Finished oboe reed

    After shaping, folding, tying and scraping, every reed receives a final inspection.

01

Material selection and preparation

Cane is separated by diameter, fibre direction, surface integrity and suitability for working. Suitable pieces move forward; unsuitable pieces are set aside.

02

Profile, tying and scrape balance

A balanced profile is more than one thickness figure. Spine, heart, rails and tip are considered together, listening for how each small intervention changes the whole response.

  • Visual and tactile inspection
  • Gradual material removal
  • Balance across the profile
  • Final adjustment against the order note

03

Final checks and lead time

Requests are not treated as identical products pulled from a shelf. Estimated preparation is 2–3 weeks; current workload and delivery details are shared when the request is confirmed.