You mean the reed breaks off right where the stitching ends, so you can't get a grip on it with your fingertips? I wiggled it back out far enough that needle-nose pliers could grab it. I think one time I stabbed the reed through the fabric with a heavy corsage pin, and worked it back down that way. But rarely did mine break all the way off. I was expert at bending it, though. :p

I'm not following the issue with eyelets. Mangling the fabric is necessary when doing this many layers, but I don't see how it affects the boning material.