Updated post 4/22 : Still buying them and still coming in about 75% finished ( not playable ) out of the box however as mentioned below if you learn how to shape them and customize them to your player they work well and can be durable - the way we finish them they last 2 weeks or so with daily use.Key to making them last ... gently wrap the reed ( with about a 4 inch length of tape ) up to about half of the exposed cane at the top - use teflon tape (used for water lines ) or plumbers tape - its white thin and elastic and cheap ... 5$ for 4 rolls and will last for probably 200 or more reeds . This not only makes the reed tougher to bend or warp it also acts as a sealant so no leaks occur in the thread area or around where the reeds meet resulting in better overall sound. The minor tradeoff is some loss of dynamics at extreme ends of the scales but most students play in the low C to high C areas and these reeds will still do that even when wrapped with the teflon( google PTFE tape ) . . IF you progress to the point where vast range and dynamics are required then by all means learn make your own reeds from scratch or just pay 20$ and up for 'good' ones.Also - the corks will likely need to be sanded down carefully to fit the average Oboe . They are a bit wide but gently rotwating & sanding them on a sheet of 100 or 200 grit sandpaper laid down on a table and rotating as you move it GENTLY to remove some material.... remember to use cork grease on the result so it doesnt leak at junction when done.IF all of this sounds too much - please see the below post as well. These really arent ready to go out of the box at all. However with some practice and and learning you can make them work wonderfully.Original post : When they arrive they are about 75% finished . Could a pro Oboist play them fresh out of the container ? MAybe but Probably NOT . Most of us aren't that good anyway and most of us are buying these for aspiring children who want to play Oboe and not spend a small fortune annually on them .These are a bargain in that they are about 3/4 finished and all it takes is some understanding of how to shape Oboe reeds ( many articles on the web, many many videos on youtube on the topic and many places to buy the reed knife and other tools ) and you clean these up to your liking and they play reasonably well. Books can teach this as well as the vids on youtube .I use a very stiff somewhat thick blade exacto / builders knife and shave shape these reeds carefully by hand to make them flatter or sharper depending on the reed ( not all act the same not even in the same batch do they play the same when new) .The reality of it is - if you plan on being a good Oboe player or have one in your home you will need to have one of the following ... the money to have someone make you reeds at 20$ a pop and probably at least 1 a week or 2) Buy cheaper reeds like these and shape/shave them to your liking or 3) make and shape and build your own reeds entirely from scratch. While I will eventually make my own soon for now getting these at about 8$ each and shaving them for the last 25% in 5 min makes sense for now and the results are decent - getting the double crow C# sound is only a few minutes of effort on each one so in terms of my time ... these are really a bargain compared to making my own reeds from scratch which will be very time consuming ( prepping the cane ,folding ,wrapping with thread on a mandrel , testing, shaping, cutting, carving, shaping testing .... about 30 min a reed. ) then you have to wait.... then soak and wait ... and shape and soak. repeat. From start to finish building a set of reeds takes probably 10 hours but over a span of a week as they must be allowed to dry and season between shaping carving etc.... no thanks. .Sure, it would be a great world to buy Oboe reeds at 8$ and have them play out of the box but the reality of that is - it doesn't exist . These really need adjusted to make them sing , period.I cant help but wonder if these are intentionally not finished for the advanced player who likes to shape his her own reeds because no matter how hard I try out of the box I cant make them play as is - they just arent finished enough for that.There are reeds which are more refined on AMZN and other places but they are ^20$ each and up easily. So take your pick- either spend more money, or learn how to adjust them yourself and spend some time modifying something like these into working reeds.Note - these are fairly stout to begin with so there is plenty of decent cane to work with for those who like a stiff setup or a softer reed - the cane is there to work with.The corks are fine ( need to be sanded to fit sometimes , kinda thick ) - they seal reasonably well. The staple ( the fixed cork+brass tube barrel the cane is mounted to with the cork end ) can be squeezed to mod it flatten/ sharpen /silence the reed playing characteristics. The little wire at the base of the reed helps with on the fly manual squeezes with a pinch to flatten or sharpen while in concert or during band practice. Not perfect or permanent but its helpful at times.They wrap these reeds with clear wrap around the base towards the thread to help with sealing it - it can be annoying when it unravels a little. Wrap over it with dental floss green tape to lock it down or other wrap. See Teflon tape mentioned in update above. ^Each reed tube container is fantastic in itself - they do a great job protecting the reed and the rubber stopper has a holder for the reed which fits over the cork so it suspends the reeds inside the tube free from knocks. You could even put it your pocket and not worry about it. In a pinch the tube could be used to presoak the reed as well as it is essentially a small beaker without the annoying little hole where water would leak out otherwise. You just put a teaspoon of water in the clear part up to the thread invert the tube and let the reed soak in its container. Water CAN leak back thru the reed tip and out - maybe - but it can stand on the clear plastic side and work like a vessel for the important water pre soak prior to play.Value - yesReady to go out of the package - NOPE, absolutely not, unless your a miracle on Oboe and chops of steel.Worth the effort to carve yourself and all things considered ? - yes 100%Oh btw - no annoying chem or paint or material smells either , seems ok in that respect too.Update Dec 7 2021Of the 3 reeds that came in on this batch I had to cut them to to about 67 to 68mm to prevent flatness ( this was the players embouchure and we are at the 70mm level now :) however of the 3 reeds one of them is astounding my kids oboe sing like an angel and is 7th grader. the second reed is a good backup , not perfect and the 3rd needs more shaping shaving but would suffice in a pinch. So I got 3 good reeds to use for 8$ each + about 30 min of my time making them right.IF you want to learn about carving reeds or just more about oboes look up "something to crow about oboe "on youtube. Every video under there is a super set of no partisan vids on oboe playing , embouchure , dialing reeds in by shaving carving them , tone issues, playing , oboe issues, minor repairts, registration you name it. Its an endless supply of vids on the topic - probably all the things your local school band director should be teaching the kids but apparently just doesn't have the time to do ; ) .Oboes are a challenge and as a parent youll need to be involved with it to save money and help the student progress. Best recommendation - watch youtubes on embouchure and the channel 'something to crow abou' on youtube t to learn how to make reeds or shape and refine them . Also " Jones Double reed quick tips "channel if I havent mentioned them before.Also - saok the reed between shaving them for at least 30 seconds and dont play or handle a dry reed they are under stress and if they are dry they WILL split down the middle and nothing can fix that. Besides Oboe reeds are intended and designed to be played moist. Can you oversoak them YES so never more than 2 minutes in a soak or they can swell up and become ruined.Do they make synthetic reeds ? Yes - but they are horrible in pitch and tone and do NOT perform well and sound like a honking horn. I have tried several brands and have yet to find one remotely acceptable and the teachers in a band will reject them if they hear it . Sorry , but the Oboe is 100% dependant on a reed with certain characteristics found only in well shaped moist cane .

these reeds break after only one to two uses

Decided to buy these for my daughter and she was initially excited to try these. She tried them out and according to her they are straight up trash and these ppl are running a scam lol. So yea she was gonna use them for her oboe and we thought these were gonna be good due to reviews. I do not recommend.

Do not buy.All 3 reeds looked good, were shipped in secure packaging and weren't damaged. These reeds weren't even reeds they had no slit, they were basically just bamboo that looks like a reed, nonfunctioning. Stay away.

Everyone tried to play w/ theSe Reeds and Werent able.

The little peice of string used to hold the wood together always breaks off after the first 2 weeks. The Reed is good while it lasts that's why they sell in 3. But I'd recommend buying a better single Reed for the same price because it will last longer

When you get a good set they are worth it, but often you get only one or two reeds that are any good.

Save your money and buy elsewhere. There’s a metal wire around the top of the staple that’s sharp and haven’t been able to get a good sound (actually, ANY sound for that matter) out of them when they’re on my oboe. I was hoping this might save me some money but ended up being a flop

Hard to use