If you aren’t planning to learn reedmaking now or anytime in the near future, the best thing you can do is learn how to scrape the reeds that you do buy.
To do that, you’ve got to know the parts of a reed.
Here’s a very simple diagram that will make it clear if you are just starting out.
Feel free to pass it on to anyone that can use it 
For the advanced players, just having a simple chart like this where you can put a big red X over the areas you need to keep your knife away from can be a good reminder.
I’ve solved many a reed problem by just remembering the basics.
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How do you know if you'll like an oboe reed before you play it? You can't. When the rubber finally hits the road, it hardly matters if the reed is a great one, perfectly customized to your every desire, if it just plain doesn't work well for you. 
My name is Maryn Leister. I am a graduate of the Juilliard Pre-College Division and the Eastman School of Music, where I was a student of Richard Killmer. After graduating from college, I lived in Nashville, TN, then headed to Knoxville, TN, New York City, and finally Chicago...
