A complete list of everything you need to start adjusting and making your own oboe and bassoon reeds.

Essential Tool List:

• Knife
• Plaque
• Cutting Block
• Sharpening Stone
• Mandrel
• Razor Blades/Tip Cutter
• Rag or piece of old shirt (for scraping/stone)
• Tuner (for checking pitch)
• Reed Making Book (optional, but helpful!)

Knife

• Rigotti Reed Knife Beveled Edge (Rh or Lh) or Double Hollow Ground Knife

Plaque (consider buying a couple in case you lose one)

• Oboe: Flat Blue Steel Oboe Plaque (with rounded tips)
• Bassoon: Plastic or Wood Contoured Bassoon Plaque
  

Cutting Block

• Wood Reed Cutting Block 1 ¼” diameter

Sharpening Stone

• India Pocket Stone (for on-the-go use)
• Norton 1-by-2-by-8-Inch Fine/Coarse India Combination stone
• Honing Oil/Lighter Fluid (to clean the stone only)

Mandrel

• Oboe: Oboe Mandrel
• Bassoon: Rigotti Short Bassoon Mandrel or Fox Short Bassoon Mandrel

Razor Blades (oboe)/Tip Cutter (bassoon)*

• Razor Blades, 100 Pack
• Bassoonists often prefer a Tip Cutter

*you can use the end of your knife to cut the tip of a reed, however this will wear your knife out sooner, risk causing chips in your knife, and won’t result in the necessary precision

Sandpaper (bassoon only)

• 400-Grit Wet/Dry Sandpaper and 1500 Grit Wet/Dry Sandpaper

Needle Nose Pliers

• Long Nose Pliers with Wire Cutter

Other Reed Making Tools (necessary when you start tying your own reeds)

• Oboe: FF Nylon Thread, 47 mm Brass Staples, Gouged/Shaped/Folded Practice Cane, Beeswax, Ruler
• Bassoon: Forming Mandrel (long mandrel), Cotton Twine, FF Nylon Thread, Drying Rack, Exacto Knife, Easel, Gouged/Shaped/Profiled Practice Cane, Duco Cement, 22 Gauge Wire

Books

• Oboe: The Reed Maker’s Manual: Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Oboe and English Horn Reeds
• Bassoon: Bassoon Reed Making by Mark Popkin and Loren Glickman $25

Tool Kit Suggestions

• Rigotti Standard Tool Kit or Basic Tool Kit for Oboe or Bassoon *sharpening stone and honing oil not included and will need to be purchased separately (stone is $13-25 extra)

• Full Oboe Tool Kit: Includes all necessary tools for making your own reeds, in addition to doing adjustments $99 or $113- Forrests Oboe Reed Tool Kit