Extreme pick closeups

[pklima]

For no good reason, I laid a few picks on a scanner and scanned them at 1200 dpi. Thought I'd post some images of the tips. Here's a pre-war Gibson pick, probably hawksbill tortoise shell? The Gibson logo is faintly visible, but it's been reshaped so many times before I got it that only the "IBSON" part remains and the whole pick is smaller than a penny. Still sounds good, though.

[pklima]

Here's a mammoth ivory pick I got in a trade. The edges weren't shaped or polished very well and it was a big thick Dawg shape - the worst thing for getting a lot of sound out of my bowlback. Fortunately, the ivory proved very easy to work so I reshaped it into a thinner and pointier plectrum.

[pklima]

Deer antler. This is an early prototype made from a fairly porous piece about two inches away from the rosette. The porous part isn't very durable, and after snapping a few other porous antler picks I've decided to semi-retire this one. Nice bright sound with ridiculous clarity.

[pklima]

Here's a snapping turtle shell one. I got the shell thanks to a fellow Cafe member who mailed me two whole shells. Steaming the scales off and peeling them was quite possibly the smelliest thing I've ever done in my life. The material is pretty thin so I didn't sand it except from the edges. It's got all the pits and bits of algae. Didn't realize just how much algae till I did these scans... They add character and make it easier to hold, though.

[pklima]

Here's the other side of the same pick - back when it was on the turtle this was the bottom of the scale. No algae here. I might have been able to laminate these pieces into thicker picks if I hadn't scraped all the sticky proteins off the interior side of the scales with some overzealous cleaning. Oh well. I was still able to get a half-dozen picks of bowlback-friendly thickness.

[pklima]

Finally, here's a BIG clump of algae from another snapping turtle pick. This originally grew in Lake Erie, I think.

[Eugene]

Greetings, Peter. #You remain amongst the coolest. #Lake Erie indeed! I've passed my snapper plectra on to a friend who was looking for something better than factory-generated plastic with which she could attack her balalaika. I'm jonesin' for some a little thicker. Are you keen to go at it again next time I do some collecitng in the bush of northern Ohio?

[pklima]

This may well be the most pointless thread ever... but I'd love to see more if anyone else cares to contribute.

[pklima]

Sure, Eugene - if you happen across more shells, I'd like to try to get the laminating right. Peeling the scales is worth it just for the horrifed look on peoples' faces when I explain what I spent Saturday morning doing...

[John Flynn]

I tried a genuine tortise shell pick once. It was too big and heavy for my tastes. Also, the turtle bit me, so I let him go!

[Lee]

Hmm, you guys just gave me an idea. I've always wanted to cook up a batch of real snapper soup. The recipe calls for cooking the shell in there when the broth is being made. Therefore, good fish stores or restaurant supply stores sell snappers, cleaned, and the meat comes inside the shell.

[bratsche]

This may well be the most pointless thread ever...

Au contraire, I find it to be quite pointful so far!

And of course, I will include one of my own elephant ivory closeups...

[Eugene]

That grain is aesthetically yummy, Bratsche.

[mandopete]

Well, it's not a close up, but I thought maybe these pre-historic "river" picks might fit here. I'm told that Fred Monroe used to use 'em......

[76547]

I have three picks that were in my grandfather's Loar f5 case. They have been there since 1952. How can I tell what hey are made of

[Chris Baird]

Post a pic and we'll have a look.

[pklima]

Let me squash three replies into one post.

That is some nice-looking ivory. A great match for a flame-maple-backed mando.

I've heard of river stone picks but never seen one before... how functional are they?

And the surest way to tell whether something is tortoise shell or plastic is to burn a piece of it and sniff the fumes. With a little experience, you can even tell TS from cow horn (an early TS imitator, but one highly unlikely to be found in vintage picks). But if you're not one to set your grandfather's picks on fire, post a picture and we'll hazard a guess.

[Flowerpot]

Darn, my scanner only goes to 600 DPI... but here's one of my personal tortoise shell picks from my stash. Wish I could get more resolution.

[Michael Lewis]

One method that is not too destructive is to heat a pin or needle in a flame and immediately touch it to the item in question. If it smells like burning hair it is probably TS, if it smells like camphor it is celluloid. This method is commonly used in the antique trade.

[Bob DeVellis]

Here's tortoise on the left and tor-tis on the right. Although the texture looks similar when they're not magnified, the more progressive graduation from dark to light in the real shell is evident at magnification.

[Scotti Adams]

..heres my fav tortoise-shell pic

[Scotti Adams]

,,and another..this is my second fav..I came across this one at SPBGMA...its a little smaller than the other but I like it..

[bratsche]

A curious question I've never seen addressed: What's the minimum thickness a TS pick must be, in order to be completely inflexible?

bratsche

[Flowerpot]

Depends a little of the turtle, but basically 0.042" (1.05mm) has a tiny flex, and 0.048" (1.2mm) has none.

[taipan]

Out of curiosity, where do y'all pick up these picks? Only places I've ever been just had regular plastic etc. Not that I'm looking to start an argument here, but I thought CITES prevented the trade in that kind of thing? Suggesting all the examples must be pretty old.

Additionally (from MCSUK.ORG); "Hunted for the beautiful scales on their carapaces (misleadingly known as 'tortoiseshell') hawksbill turtles are critically endangered. The hawksbill turtle has a narrow head and a long, tapered beak shaped like a hawk's bill. International trade in 'tortoiseshell' is currently banned but some illegal trade continues to endanger the species. Please don't buy 'tortoiseshell' items at home or abroad."

So I'm confused about how one of you guys managed to get a hawksbill pick...trade shows presumably?