Thank you very much for viewing. I am a gagaku (Japanese court music) hichiriki player with 50 years of experience, and I craft over a thousand high-quality reeds annually. These reeds are made from high-quality reeds harvested from Udo, dried in the shade for about a year and a half, and then smoked over a sunken hearth (irori) for over 10 years. These are top-of-the-line reeds that boast both durability and excellent sound quality. I believe you can understand the quality of my reeds by looking at past reviews. They are finished with care, allowing for comfortable playing. While the thickness is based on the hichiriki I personally use, it generally fits any hichiriki, including those with plastic tubes. They are finished so that even beginners and women can play them easily, but please be aware that they will not sound with a light breath. To produce a good sound, you must put effort into blowing with a strong breath. The price of one reed is a bit high, but if you are not satisfied, I will handle returns and exchanges in any way necessary. I am confident that you will be satisfied with these reeds, so please try them. As a supplement, no matter how wonderful the instrument or materials you have, you cannot create a reed that is better than your own playing skill and technique! Even if the reed itself is somewhat shaped, the tips and tricks to make it sound can be lacking, and the seams may be loose or tight, which can be a cause of the reed not sounding well. Also, while people say to nurture a new reed to make it sound, in my experience, reeds made from poor quality reeds or reeds that are only dried in the shade do not last long. If you have any problems or concerns with gagaku or hichiriki, I may be able to help. Thank you for reading this long message. I hope you will consider these reeds.