Can you use old reeds instead of Key Leaves saxophone care products?

Some folks recommend taking old saxophone reeds and placing them under the pad to open it to air dry clean. While we understand this may initially or temporarily seem like a logical solution, there are a few different ways that this can cause damage your saxophone. Here's a detailed explanation of why it's best to avoid placing anything against the key pads, including an old reed.

Saxophone pads are made of felt and soft leather with a circular "seat" that forms the closure seal on the metal tone hole. You never want to damage a saxophone pad seat. If you do, it will leak and not play the correct note, if it still plays at all. Plus replacing saxophone pads is time consuming and costly.

Here is a photo of an alto saxophone Eb pad seat and pad rot growing on the inside of the pad seat leather where the closed pad traps moisture after playing. This is very common problem for for the closed keys of the saxophone. So leaving those pads open to dry is a very natural and healthy way to prevent pad rot and sticky keys.

Saxophone Pad Leather Deformation
When you place a reed between the pad and tone hole of your saxophone, the reed can slip during transit or storage, causing the hard reed cane to press up against the soft and delicate pad leather. That causes deformation, and deformed pads leak and often need costly repair.

Key Leaves saxophone key props never touch pad leather, and are placed between the metal key arms of the instrument so your delicate leather sax pads stay safe and and open to air dry without risk of deforming.

Tone Hole Damage
If you were to use and old saxophone reed to prop open your Low C# pad, and that Low C# key cup get's bumped or pressed hard, there is no cushion or give in the reed to absorb the impact force. All the force is pressed hard into the reed and then onto the tone hole the reed is resting on. That can bend tone holes. Such bumps and bends may seem rare, but if you ask a repair tech, these kinds of accidents can happen when placing the instrument in/out of the case, or if your case get's dropped or bumped hard during travel. 

Key Leaves saxophone key props don't touch the tone holes or pad leather, plus the props are made of specially formulated silicone rubber so they are soft and flexible under pressure.  That means even if your sax get's bumped hard, the soft Key Leaves props flex and absorb the impact - not transfer the impact force down into your thin metal tone holes.

The old saying, "you get what you pay" for really applies here. Sure you can wedge a reed under your pads and open them to dry. But you risk damage to your pad seal, bent tone holes, and your saxophone not playing correctly. 

The Best Alternative to Key Leaves sax key props is proper cleaning of your saxophone after each time you play. This includes use of a saxophone cleaning swab and pad dryer for the pads and tone holes. You can learn more here about how to clean your saxophone. Or, if your G# key specifically is sticking (very common), here's a detailed article with tips to Fix Sticky G# Sax Keys For Good.