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Where would I be able to find a new, antique-style shofar with a soft mouthpiece?*

When I say antique-style, I mean something like the one below which belonged to my Litvisch great-grandfather.

Litvisch Sheifor

Or this one rescued from the Shoah:

Jekkisch Shaufor

Both of these shofrot have been reformed by heating the horns and slightly flattening them, then carvings executed at the end and sometimes throughout the length.

*the hardness of a mouthpiece refers to the amount of difficulty involved in blowing it, at least with woodwinds (shofrot have brass-type mouthpieces, but I'm using the language I'm familiar with).

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  • I'm afraid to say that you've used the word "embouchure" wrong. As one who plays the trombone, the embouchure refers to your lips (often called "chops" by brass players) and not the actual mouthpiece, which is simply called "the mouthpiece".
    – ezra
    Sep 24, 2017 at 6:09
  • @ezra, thanks for the catch. I play a bit of clarinet so I should've recalled that.
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Sep 24, 2017 at 15:11
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    What do you mean by 'soft mouthpiece' and how could anyone tell how soft it is by a picture? Do you mean the fancy way it's carved at the the large side?
    – user6591
    Sep 24, 2017 at 15:18
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    @NoachMiFrankfurt - I think "a soft mouthpiece" would be sufficient. Maybe telling someone that a softer mouthpiece provides less resistance when playing, allowing the sound to come out easier, smoother, and most times mellower.
    – ezra
    Sep 24, 2017 at 17:04
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    Regarding the soft mouthpiece: -There are experts in Eretz Yisroel who take existing Shofars and soften them. They usually advertise around Rosh Hashana (and then complain that they are inundated) so I cannot give you a contact right now.
    – Danny Schoemann
    Apr 24, 2018 at 10:55

2 Answers 2

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An excellent maker of shofarot in Israel is Barsheshet Ribak. They have a broad selection and if you have special requirements, they can customize. Just glancing at their ram horn shofarot, it looks like you are seeking something in the AAA category.

Here is a link to their web site.

http://www.shofarot-israel.com

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I'm unfamiliar with the "soft mouthpiece" term. But, I concentrated mainly on the picture and the description and it seems that this eBay page may have a few that will do it for you. There are a few antique shofarot listed. Offhand, I think this one may be closest to what you are seeking. It's a pricey item! Please verify that the price makes sense for what your getting.

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  • There's a reason I said antique-style, an actual antique is likely going to be much more expensive and much more difficult to blow (see my conversation with ezra on the OP for definition of the term)
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Sep 26, 2017 at 1:15
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    I'll re-read the definition. But, again, it may pay to contact the eBay seller. If the exact item isn't what your looking for, they may give you a referral. BTW, the oryx one near the bottom of the page is a beauty! It's not the preferred shape, but it is kosher and it has a beautiful tone. A former chazzan in my shul, had one of these.
    – DanF
    Sep 26, 2017 at 1:24

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