I`ve had a wood clarinet for just about two years now. Everyone talks about how you should oil it like once a month to prevent cracking, but since i bought it i have had absolutely no problems with cracking. I don`t even really use my dampit that much, even though i probably should in the winter...

So is there really any advantages to oiling your wood clarinet? For the record, i play on a Buffet R-13.

Hello? Anyone?

Yeah, there is an advantage to oiling your horn. But umm...I don`t see how you`d expect it to crack if it`s two years old. My clarinet is 55 years old (they sound better with age, much) and I oil it quite frequently to moisturize it. And just because you haven`t experienced any cracks doesn`t mean you should stop oiling it, either. Especially if you live somewhere in which it`s starting to get cold this time of year....which is the majority of the people that come to this forum, I suppose. The other day when I got home from school, I put my clarinet down on the sofa, and my mom moved it and set it down on the floor next to the front door, from which comes a horrible draft. I was so upset at her and worried about my clarinet that I played it for about an hour to warm it up and put a lot of oil on it so it wouldn`t crack or anything. It seems to be fine. So anyway...just remember...keep oiling it, you`re doing the right thing.

The wood ages more slowly and doesn`t effect the sound quality that much. I`ve had my clarinet oil by a repair man for over 10 years now and yes it prevents cracking in places WE CAN`T SEE! It also protects the wood from the weather better than a dampit does.