Forestone Hinoki Reed

The Hinoki is a different animal from the Bamboo W Blast. Where the W Blast is French filed and leans dark and focused, the Hinoki uses an American unfiled cut — a thicker, less tapered tip that produces a broader, more open tone with a slightly different feel under the thumb. The 52% bamboo core is mixed with Hinoki wood, a Japanese cypress known for its acoustic properties, and the result is a synthetic reed that sits in its own tonal space.

In feel and character it lands somewhere between a D'Addario Venn and a BSS Silver Label — more flexible and open than the Venn, brighter and livelier than the Silver. The tongue contact is soft rather than hard and plastic, and there's none of the slippery feel that puts players off other synthetics. It doesn't dull the sound the way many synthetic options do. It's mouthpiece friendly across a wide range of setups.

The MH strength plays like a broken-in 3 out of the box — or a strong 2.5, depending on your frame of reference. Either way, it's ready to go immediately with no soaking or warm-up period.

Like all Forestone reeds, consistency is the defining practical advantage. Buy a new one and expect it to play like the last one. Wash with soap and water, rotate between two, and it will outlast many boxes of cane.

Available for alto and tenor saxophone.