Most people buy one shofar in their life. Here is what actually matters, in the order it matters.
1. Can you blow it?
Start here, because it rules things out fastest. If you intend to sound the shofar, you need an uncoated horn with a bare mouthpiece. Silver plating, gold plating and paint all alter the sound and disqualify a horn for blowing. Carving and engraving do not — they cut into the horn instead of covering it — so an engraved shofar is the safe way to own a decorated one you can still use.
If the horn is for a mantel rather than a mouth, none of this applies and a plated shofar is a handsome object. Just know which one you are buying, which is why we put it in the title.
2. Ram or kudu?
Ram is the traditional and preferred horn. Its curve carries the memory of the Akedah, and its sound is tighter, brighter and more piercing. Most households want a ram.
Kudu — the long spiral, often called Yemenite — is permitted and widely used, particularly in Yemenite and Sephardi communities. It is chosen for length and for a deeper, more sonorous voice. It is also considerably more dramatic to look at and to hold.
Neither is a compromise. They are different instruments.
3. How long?
Longer horns produce a fuller, lower sound and need more air. Shorter horns speak more easily.
- 12–14 inches (ram) — the easiest first shofar. If nobody in the household has blown one before, buy this.
- 16–18 inches (ram) — a fuller, rounder blast. Comfortable once you have the embouchure.
- 30–40 inches (kudu) — congregational scale. Enormous sound, enormous presence, takes real breath.
4. Finish
Natural horn keeps its texture and colour variation. Half-polished is smoothed at the mouthpiece end and natural toward the bell. Fully polished is even and warm across its length. None of these affect kashrut — polishing removes material rather than adding a coating.
Cracks, holes and marks
Natural horn carries lines. A lengthwise crack running less than half the horn's length does not disqualify it, and small holes are acceptable where the sound is unchanged. A widthwise crack is a problem if it encircles most of the horn. We inspect before shipping and will not send a horn whose voice is compromised.
How to actually blow one
Buzz your lips as you would into a trumpet, pressed to one side of the mouthpiece rather than centred. Keep the corners of your mouth firm. Do not blow harder — blow tighter. Most people who cannot get a sound are using too much air and too little lip.
It will take an evening. It is worth the evening.
Care
A shofar is keratin, like a fingernail. Keep it dry, out of direct sun and away from heat. Let it drain mouthpiece-down after blowing, and store it in a cloth bag rather than sealed plastic, which traps moisture.