American Oboe Staples, Brass and Nickel-Silver, 46.5 - 47mm

Made in America! Manufactured the old-fashioned way with 75 years of experience by the same company who makes the Steven's staple, these staples continue the company's history and reputation for excellence. We are carrying four of the varieties they make which we have given the names of "Student", "Pro", "Stevens-style", and "Euro #2" which describe many of their characteristics. They come in either synthetic cork or natural cork. Synthetic cork has advantages of being less expensive, more durable, and doesn't need cork grease. Natural cork, the tried and true, traditional material used for over 100 years, tends to be a bit thicker than the synthetic version. For that reason, they work best in oboes with a large reed well and cork grease is sometimes needed when the reed well is smaller. All of these staples have relatively thick walls.

Country – made in America
Manufacturing Process – made using the old school method of hammer-forging with equipment that dates back to the turn of the 20th century.
Cork – synthetic and natural cork options
Wall Thickness – Thick walls that get thinner at the base (.30-34mm decreasing to .17-.23mm)
Metal Type – brass or nickel-silver
Metal Finish – various finishes and scoring provide grip for the cane
Tip Area – similar to Bonazza and Lorée
Base Area – slightly smaller than RC1 and Chiarugi 2
Tip Shape – on the flatter side
Mandrel – no mandrel (other brands recommended below)
4 Models

Student

The student staple cork is beveled at the end to make it easier to insert it into the reed well, a helpful feature for young fingers. It is also made with synthetic cork which tends to fit better into student oboe reed wells. Otherwise, it is finished well with a polished finish, spiraled for good cane and thread grip, and has a traditional taper similar to Lorée. A relatively thick wall gives the reed a little more resistance in the vibration and a darker, fuller tone than Lorée. These staples fit best on a Pisoni mandrel.

Cork – synthetic cork beveled at the end to make it easier to insert it into the reed well, 30-31mm long
Metal Finish – polished finish
Markings – spiraled down to the cork for good cane and thread grip
Tip Area – average, same as Chiarugi 2 and close to Pisoni Deluxe
Base Area – 17.8mm² (4.76mm diameter), average, close to Chiarugi 2 and Pisoni
Tip Shape – flatter, same as Bonazza Deluxe and close to Pisoni
Volume – small-average, similar to Lorée regular
Taper – similar to Lorée regular
Mandrel – fits best on a Pisoni mandrel

Pro

With its continuous spiral scoring on highly polished metal and beautifully finished tip, this staple is a finely finished version of the student staple. The tip is only a slight bit smaller due to slightly thicker walls and the cork is flat at the bottom. These fit best on a Pisoni mandrel.

Cork – synthetic cork with flat bottom, 30-31mm long
Metal Finish – beautifully polished metal and finished tip
Markings – spiraled down to the cork for good cane and thread grip
Tip Area – average, slightly bigger than student version, closer to Lorée regular
Base Area – 17.87mm² (4.77mm diameter), average, close to Chiarugi 2 and Pisoni
Tip Shape – flatter, same as Pisoni
Volume – large-average, same as Bonazza Deluxe
Taper – average, a little straighter than Lorée AK
Mandrel – fits best on a Pisoni mandrel

Stevens-style

These staples are the closest to the popular Stevens #2 staples in taper and shape of the tip but the Stevens' tip size and base are a little larger and include an inside bevel on the tip. The Stevens-style staples have a sanded shine with double hand-scored diagonal lines and natural cork. They have the thinnest walls of the American staples. They are available in both 47mm and 46.5mm. These fit best on the Pisoni mandrel.

Cork – natural cork, 30-31mm long
Metal Finish – sanded finish
Markings – double hand-scored diagonal lines
Tip Area – average, close to Lorée regular, less than Stevens #2 staple
Base Area – 17.95mm² (4.78mm diameter), average, close to Chiarugi 2 and Pisoni, less than Stevens #2 staple
Tip Shape – flatter-average, same as Pisoni Deluxe and Stevens #2 staple
Volume – average, similar to a Chiarugi 2+ and Lorée AK
Taper – average, close to Lorée AK and close to the Stevens #2 but a little smaller and without the inside bevel on the tip
Mandrel – fits best on a Pisoni mandrel

Euro #2

As it's name implies, these staples are very similar to the traditional Chiarugi #2/Lorée/Rigotti staples. They fit on the Chiarugi #2 mandrel as well as the other listed brand mandrels. Euro #2's are finished with a polished finish and a beveled and polished tip. They have thinner walls than the student and pro American staples and are made with natural cork. They are available in both 47mm and 46.5mm.