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Cork is known to have some anti-bacterial properties and is known to resist mold and mildew, and has some water and moisture resistance ( thus its used for kitchen flooring). I wonder if using hemp would have the same advantage, and potentially deteriorate and harbor micro organisms ( fungus, mold, bacteria)?

 

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Any such advantage either material might have will make absolutely no difference to the overall level of bugs in and on your horn - and if you're concerned about such matters you'd be better off, say, not shaking hands with your mates when you greet them on a gig.

I agree with you and Miandro completely. My post was not very clear. I'm really not concerned about potential health issues from micro organisms ( I've dealt with them throughout my medical career) but more so it's maintenance and hygiene. Like for example constant moisture on the absorbent thread causing it to fail too soon plus bacterial colonization resulting in bad odor.

I find this Idea of using thread instead of cork interesting enough to experiment and use it to replace the deteriorated neck cork of my least used Evette- Schaeffer tenor today.

(BTW loving your Sax Manual book Stephen- I send them as gifts too)

 

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In my case ( like many other people) If I feel that I have reached a point where I am never going to change my mouthpiece or main saxophones. This solution could be, I think, a nice alternative to cork.

Yes it's good to know about this alternative. I just need to find the right gauge of thread and maybe try coating it with beeswax. I'm fortunate enough to have a spare tenor to experiment on the neck, and if it doesn't work, I can use cork later.
Thanks Milandro for the thread! (pun intended).

 

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I would recommend a silk/bamboo mixture. It would just have to produce an exotic tone on a sax. And you could treat the thread with an exotic oil, like cinnamon, lemon grass, or thyme. Not only do these essential oils sound good, but they have antibacterial properties and even kill things like flu, pneumonia, and E.coli germs. Cork can't do that. I see a new FlemTone product. And my Martin needs new cork (or a FlemTone Exoticrook sealing system). Mark

Interesting info. You should market that! I should try that silk/bamboo yarn/ thread and I might even steal some of my wife's essential oil to coat it with.