About Rigotti Cane
The Best Cane
Ets Rigotti owe part of their reputation to their materials: the canes. The canes of the Var, and those of Cogolin and among the best in the world. Grown alongside rivers and streams, the 'Rigotti Reeds', represent a large area that is maintained all year round. For that the cultures receive our greatest attention.
Cutting
They are cut during a winter afternoon over four months from December to March. When the cane has reached maturity (after two years when it measures seven to eight meters with a diameter of 26cm to 32cm), it is cut left in the open where it will be worked on. The work on the reeds is split into stages: we use a 'plumes' to dispose of all the excess and 'feathers', we only keep the 2 or 3 meters from the base (the rest is either burned or used as bamboo). We then cut (from the base to the top) the tubes and throw away the knots to obtain batons suited to music. This is where the true work starts, each tube is calibrated to a particular instrument. The double reeds are for the oboe and bassoon, which must be wet to be bent and attached.