For those of you thinking about making your own picks out of polyimide plastic (say, Vespel or Meldin), these "space-age" materials can be purchased in small sheets from a number of suppliers, for example, here .
But please note that a (10" x 10") sheet of VESPEL SP-1, with a thickness of 0.062" (1.57 mm; perfect for making CT55's or suchlike) costs $1,100.00!! You could probably CNC machine about 100 picks from such a sheet, and that would bring your materials costs down to $11 per pick. Definitely not cheap! If we estimate the labor cost at around the same number, then its costs the maker at least $22 per pick out the door, before factoring in overhead, advertising, and all that. Small wonder, then, that a commercial pick made from polyimide goes for around $35. Maybe now we'll hear less whining about the price of a BlueChip? But probably not.
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