Shapers

In the Oboe tip comparison chart following, the wrap point (5.1mm) is assigned a value of zero. The throat is measured 5mm above that, the belly at 12mm, and the tip at 23mm. 5.1mm is a "typical" wrap point. These measurements have come from Westwind Double Reeds who took measurements for all our tips so we could present accurate comparisons among all the different brands of tips.

The following is taken from Adam Shaper Tips' website:

The actual cane dimensions from any shaper tip can be affected by:

1. Type of tool used to shape the cane (reed knife, industrial single edge razor blade, single edge shaving blade, exacto blade, etc.)
2. Whether or not you use an easel before folding cane
3. How tightly cane fits between ears of the shapes
4. Whether or not you angle over the sides of the tip while shaping
5. Type of shaper handle
6. Radius of cane
7. How long the cane has been soaked
8. Type of gouge
9. Whether you shape with one ear resting on a table, or hold the ear with your thumb and index finger

It follows from the above that the tip dimensions given are mainly  useful as a relative guide to actual cane dimensions, not an absolute one (e.g. taking all the variables into account, shaped cane from a Joshua +4 tip will be wider at the top than shaped cane from a Sara tip.)

Wide or Narrow?

A wider tip will give you a fatter sound in the bottom of the range while a narrower tip will give you more control in the upper octaves, but there's a world of subtle differences in the  middle...and much depends upon your unique requirements. (Taken from Westwind's website.)