I agree with most everything posted so far, however, Spring steel, while definitely not as prone to bending as typical metals, can still gain new memory and be bent in a different shape. Not trying to knock anyones product, I am just giving my honest opinion. The steel reeds probably work great, they just scare me slightly, due the possibility of breakage, and the chance that they could bend slightly (it doesn't take much at all) and be rendered useless. Carbon reeds of course, will open up off the cages too, so if the price is comparable, then it is a mute point on replacement.