The Saxophone

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• Balancing reeds with a Glass Eraser

  Perhaps you have read Larry Teal's great book The Art of Saxophone Playing, and how you can balance a reed that blows hard or whistles by taking off slight amounts of material from the sides and tip with the help of Dutch Rush (sometimes also called Reed Rush).
  

  I have found a very convenient substitute for Dutch Rush:
  it's a device called the Glass Eraser, which you will find in many stationery supply shops.

  
  image © Hansa-Technik / Styro
  
  originally designed to...

  correct water colour, ink and pencil drawings and removes rust and oxidised deposits. Also suitable to serve as a correction pen for printing plates.

  ...it is handled like a pencil and gives you very delicate control over how much you wear away from the reed.
  Definitely worth a try!