I had heard for years from various sources (on the internets) that reed is an acceptable substitute for real whalebone, and last year I decided to put it to the test.
I ran through whatever “scientific” comparisons I could think of, and below are my results. I used whalebone boning carefully extracted from one of my least-favorite antique bodices, and the reed I used to bone my Effigy corset.
| Property | Whalebone | Split Cane | |
| Substance |
(Left: whalebone; Right: cane) | Animal – Baleen Whale protein keratin | Plant – Arundo Donax (Giant Cane) cellulose |
| Color |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Dark brown/black | Tan/brown |
| Width |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Can be cut/split to any width. Maximum width ?? (Purchased as 7 mm) | Can be cut/split to any width. Maximum width 7-9cm (Purchased as 8 mm) |
| Length |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Can be cut to any size. Maximum length 3.5 m | Can be cut to any size. Maximum length 6-10 m |
| Thickness |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Can be split to any size. Maximum thickness varies – baleen is thicker at the base. (Purchased as 1.5 mm) | Can be split to any size. Maximum thickness varies – reed is thicker at the root. (Purchased as 2 mm) |
| Weight |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | 7 mm length = 0.1 oz | 7 mm length = 0.1 oz |
| Flexibility |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Bent until ends are ¾ of straight length/ends touching. The baleen did not experience any cracking or breakage. | Bent until ends are ¾ of straight length/ends touching. The reed did not experience any cracking or breakage. |
| Resilience |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | After the flexibility experiment, the baleen returned to its original, straight shape. I noticed some keratinous fibers slightly separating from the surface after multiple bends. | After the flexibility experiment, the reed returned to its original, straight shape. |
| Density |
(Left: whalebone; Right: cane) | Solid | Porous |
| Texture |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Long keratinous fibers parallel to length | Long cellulose fibers parallel to length |
| Splitting |
(Left: whalebone; Right: cane) | The baleen splits along the fibers quite easily. I was able to split the baleen with my fingernails. | The reed splits along the fibers quite easily. I was able to split the reed with my fingernails. |
| Cutting |
(Top: Scissors; Middle: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | The baleen can be cut using regular craft scissors, although it is tougher to cut than the reed. | The reed can be easily cut using regular craft scissors. |
| Shaping |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Shaping can be achieved by soaking the baleen in warm water and allowing to dry in the desired shape. (Note – the curved shape relaxed over time, but did not return to the completely straight line it had before. I would expect it to eventually straighten if not repeatedly shaped) | Shaping can be achieved by soaking the reed in warm water and allowing to dry in the desired shape. (Note – the curve did relax somewhat over time, though not to the extent that the whalebone did. My stays boned with reed retain the curvature of my body though I only wear them a few times a year.) |
| Filing |
(Top: whalebone; Bottom: cane) | Sharp corners and edges can be rounded using a file. | Sharp corners and edges can be rounded using a file. |
