Regarding the "high pressure" requirement (13 Nov 08 - 05:56 PM): Saxophone and clarinet reeds come in "graded stiffnesses" numbered from 1 to 6 or 7. A #1-1/2, about the "softest" used much, is very flexible (and probably too limp for public use except in the beginners' band) while a #6 is about like trying to blow a bend in a 2x4. A little sandpaper or a sharp knife used as a scraper can get you an "easier blow." "Dressing" the reed is best done when it's dry, and of course it needs slobbering before you can play it to tell what you've accomplished, but it's a fairly simple thing - or you can just buy a softer reed.
Double reed players probably do more such adjustment than single reed users, since the range of stiffnesses "off the shelf" is adequate for most single reed needs.