Lorée Oboe Staples

• Country – made in Italy by Chiarugi
• Manufacturing Process – CNC Lathe
• Cork – natural cork, 30.5 – 31mm long
• Wall Thickness – medium walls with similar base wall thickness
• Metal Type – available in brass or nickel-silver
• Tip Area – varies by model
• Base Area – varies by model
• Tip Shape – average oval
• Mandrel – mandrels available for all models
• 3 Models

Lorée staples, made by Chiarugi, are designed by Lorée to match the different bore models of their instruments. However, they work great in many different instruments and with many different reed styles.

Lorée Regular

• Tip Area – large-average, more than Chiarugi 2
• Base Area – 18.34mm² (4.83mm diameter), large average, more than Chiarugi 2
• Tip Shape – rounder-average, more round than Chiarugi 2
• Volume – average, same as Chiarugi 2
• Taper – average, slightly more straight than Chiarugi 2

These staples have become the gold standard among American oboists. Although not precisely average, they are what most American oboists consider to be the standard staple design. Made for the regular Lorée oboe bore, they are very similar to the Chiarugi 2, with a slightly larger base diameter and a rounder larger tip area, which creates slightly less back pressure.

Lorée AK

• Tip Area – large, almost the same as Chiarugi 2+
• Base Area – 18.52mm² (4.86mm diameter), large, almost the same as Chiarugi 2+
• Tip Shape –average, the same as Chiarugi 2+
• Volume – average, same as Chiarugi 2+
• Taper – average, almost the same as Chiarugi 2+

The ‘AK’ staples were designed to match the ‘AK’ bore instrument models that began to be produced in the late 1980s, copying the bore of the late 1930’s AK series produced just before WWII. These have a larger tip area but with almost the same base diameter as the regular Lorée staple. This would be a good change to make if you are using the regular size and struggling with your A₅-C₆ being flat. The Chiarugi 2+ is essentially the same as the Lorée AK, but less expensive.

Lorée DM

• Tip Area – small, almost the same as Chiarugi 1
• Base Area – 16.54mm² (4.59mm diameter), small, similar to the Chiarugi 1
• Tip Shape – average, similar to the Chiarugi 1
• Volume – small, almost the same as Chiarugi 1
• Taper – straight side of average, straighter than the Chiarugi 1

The 'DM' oboe is often referred to as having a German-style bore with a darker sound but that is debatable by some. Produced in the 1980s for about ten years, the ‘DM’ oboe benefited from a thicker-walled smaller-bore staple which is still sold today and used for various reed styles. The Chiarugi 1 staple is very similar to the Lorée DM but is less expensive.

The overall pitch of the 'DM' is lower than larger staples, and it has a very round, dark, centered, stable sound. It tends to open any reed in comparison with a Chiarugi 2, and can correct some challenges to intonation around Upper-A₅. This pairs well with a bright instrument or one that tends to be sharp.

For extensive information on choosing oboe staples, read our Oboe Staples Guide, How to Select Your Oboe Staple