thin the tip

thin the tip This page is devoted to the reed making adventures of oboist Lindabeth Binkley. She shares her dail

Official SMF reed count as of today: 30.Reeds I have actually enjoyed playing on: 4. 🫩Sigh. It’s all about the cane. It ...
08/16/2026

Official SMF reed count as of today: 30.

Reeds I have actually enjoyed playing on: 4. 🫩

Sigh.

It’s all about the cane. It just hasn’t been what I would have liked this summer, but I am making it work. I’ve got four days left to make the magic happen before Classic 4 and the festival ends. 🤞

REED UPDATE: Concert 1 is done, and a surprise entry showed up to save the day. Reed du jour was a winner.🥇So far only ...
08/12/2026

REED UPDATE: Concert 1 is done, and a surprise entry showed up to save the day. Reed du jour was a winner.🥇

So far only 2 absolute duds, so remaining cautiously optimistic for the tough program combo of Mendelssohn 3 and Barber’s Violin Concerto for concert 2 tomorrow night. 🫪

I am a reed making machine!💪

08/07/2026

Unfiltered learning of new things. 🫪

And the very thing I have studiously avoided for my entire oboe life!

This is gonna be a character building experience.🤭

Thank goodness the concert is not until October.🤣

08/05/2026

SMF Reed #1 is done! But do I trust it? 🤔 Or is it beginner’s luck?


Sunriver Music Festival

…..and of course I bring along the “Hall of Fame” reeds from previous seasons just in case. I think it may be how I war...
08/03/2026

…..and of course I bring along the “Hall of Fame” reeds from previous seasons just in case. I think it may be how I ward off bad reed making juju. I do this every year and have never needed them, but I sure feel better having them along!

(2025 was a great reed making season. 2023? Not so much. 😂)


🤔So….do we think this is enough cane to get me through the Sunriver Music Festival? 🏜️🏔️☀️🏞️🎶
08/03/2026

🤔So….do we think this is enough cane to get me through the Sunriver Music Festival?

🏜️🏔️☀️🏞️🎶

07/28/2026

A little “crow talk” this morning as I work on finishing a reed. True disclosure: there were two additional videos of me playing this reed during the process that, for some reason, had no sound, so those are not included here. It makes the complete series a bit disjunct, but there’s lots of good stuff in these clips for those that are curious!

06/27/2026

A little tip crow exploration this morning. 👀👂💨

06/03/2026

Thoughts about working the sides of the tip, which is often the most challenging part of finishing a reed. 👀

Maintain or support the curve of the tip against the plaque while scraping there- it takes a very sharp knife and a light touch- but doing so does fantastic things for the reed!

Hope what I am saying in this reel makes sense. I’ve seen to many reed makers focus on the sides of the tip in earnest, but use too much pressure and a dull knife, which leads to ripping off sides or taking too much off the entire tip. It’s a difficult skill to master, but transformative when you do! 🙂

🎉….and I’m back! Just created a set of videos about what I listen for in the crow when going from the rough scrape to a ...
05/07/2026

🎉….and I’m back! Just created a set of videos about what I listen for in the crow when going from the rough scrape to a balanced crow.

First up: the tip crow🐦‍⬛

I’ll add a new one each day (but a complete video will go up on the YouTube channel with all videos and reed pics combined soon for those who can’t take the suspense.😂)

Post any comments or questions as we go - let’s talk reeds! 🙂

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700 N Indian Creek Dr
Clarkston, MI
48346

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