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Thread: What is this pick?

  1. #1
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default What is this pick?

    I found this pick in the Traveling Sampler #2, and have been playing with it alot and liking it. Anyone know what it is? It is about 1.3mm thick, slightly concave, and maybe looks like it was hand shaped. There's another similar one in there that's thicker, but I like the thinner one.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    If it's not a crazy expensive one, I might like to get one of my own
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  2. #2

    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Guessing from the look of it that it might be made from buffalo horn.
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  4. #3
    Registered User DougC's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Is it really stiff? Horn is much stiffer than plastic.
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  5. #4
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    It's really stiff, almost crisp, if that makes sense. It does look/seem more like a natural material to me.
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  6. #5
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    If the stripe were vertical, it would look like my Buffalo horn pick. Really stiff, with the little recess for my thumb.
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  7. #6
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    It has a curvature to it, and it looks like it was hollowed out a bit by scraping or similar, but it's not an actual formed round/oval recess for the thumb.
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  8. #7

    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Absent burning it and smelling burnt protein, horn is denser than some plastics and will sink in water, is more electrically conductive, so won’t static charge like plastics. However, so many materials are used in picks that some plastics may behave the same.

  9. #8

    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    I found this pick in the Traveling Sampler #2, and have been playing with it alot and liking it. Anyone know what it is? It is about 1.3mm thick, slightly concave, and maybe looks like it was hand shaped. There's another similar one in there that's thicker, but I like the thinner one.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	pick from sampler.jpg 
Views:	121 
Size:	123.0 KB 
ID:	207181

    If it's not a crazy expensive one, I might like to get one of my own
    I, too, liked that pick in Sampler #2. I suspect it might be buffalo horn. I tried one in that material years ago and liked it.

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  11. #9
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Yes, definitely some sort of horn. I bought three horn picks, at a show, some years ago. Very hard and thick. Never got on with them. Came in a nice container though!

  12. #10
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    I have found this craftsperson in France who makes picks from natural materials. Many from cow horn, but also other horn, bone, antlers, wood, etc. They come in different shapes and thicknesses starting at 1mm.



    My French is pretty rusty, but he sure sounds good.
    Last edited by Sue Rieter; Apr-24-2023 at 5:23pm.
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  13. #11
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Looks a lot like the the Golden Gate horn picks. I have not tried them, but there was a horn pick in #1 that got me thinking about it.
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  15. #12
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    It has a curvature to it, and it looks like it was hollowed out a bit by scraping or similar, but it's not an actual formed round/oval recess for the thumb.
    Years ago, when I experimented with horn ( bison or cow ) picks, I liked the tone but found that when they warmed up under my thumb and forefinger they would warp. Also after a time would become noisy due to wear.
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  16. #13
    Kelley Mandolins Skip Kelley's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Sue, here’s some horn picks on fleabay that look nice…
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/174353591615

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  18. #14
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    I have purchased horn picks from Dugain, also in France. https://www.dugainplectrums.com/

    He makes picks from wood, horn, bone, coconut shell, as well as acetate, delrin, and acrylic. He is known for the shape of his picks being very ergonomic. What I did not care for is that the ergonomic design limited how one can hold the pick, and if that hold isn't for you, you are stuck. Of course, if they work for you, they work for you.

    Picks are an adventure!
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  20. #15
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    ... Picks are an adventure!
    Sure enough. I am down a rabbit hole with these, and am only 1/3 of the way through the TPS#2 and only on one mandolin!

    I bought some of the ebay ones that Skip linked to above, and also a trio of golden gate ones (which seem to be unavailable in most locations - perhaps discontinued?)

    After I check these out, I might contact the folks in France. There's a couple coconut shell ones in the sampler as well, so I wonder if some of these are from the maker that Jeff mentioned above.

    Probably I'll put one of each in the TPS#2 if I get them in time.
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  21. #16
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Is there a list of what all the picks are? If not, wouldn’t that be helpful especially in this case where someone might want to buy one that they like? Or am I being unreasonable as usual?
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  22. #17
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Is there a list of what all the picks are? If not, wouldn’t that be helpful especially in this case where someone might want to buy one that they like? Or am I being unreasonable as usual?
    They're roughly grouped/sorted into several bags. Most are easy to identify as they say what they are on the pick; others (eg. the one being discussed here) are a little more obscure. I will probably do a little more sorting, and if I get my horn ones in time to add, will put them in a labelled bag. Continuous improvement
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  23. #18
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    duplicate post oops
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  24. #19
    Registered User Denis Kearns's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    If you sand or file the pick a tiny bit, I think you’ll be able to tell by the smell.

    I am still searching for the perfect pick. Even tried some loose scutes from a tortoise shell a friend gave me. They sounded pretty good, but my pieces were too small to be practical.

  25. #20
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    I got the Golden Gate (MP20) picks in today. They seem kind of cheesy to me, the edges aren't shaped at all, maybe like pick blanks. No bevel or taper at all. Maybe some people like to get them this way, so they can customize them perfectly. They are about the same size and thickness as the pick under discussion.

    As the song goes, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for..."
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  26. #21
    Registered User Bren's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    I have found this craftsperson in France who makes picks from natural materials. Many from cow horn, but also other horn, bone, antlers, wood, etc. They come in different shapes and thicknesses starting at 1mm.



    My French is pretty rusty, but he sure sounds good.
    Thanks Sue!

    I'm not looking for a new pick but I just went down a rabbit hole of watching Bernard and his musical partner Daniel in "Mandolin Duo".
    Wow.

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  28. #22
    Registered User Murphy Slaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    I think throwing a bunch of unmarked picks in a pick sampler is a brilliant practical joke!
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  30. #23
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    I have purchased horn picks from Dugain, also in France. https://www.dugainplectrums.com/

    He makes picks from wood, horn, bone, coconut shell, as well as acetate, delrin, and acrylic. He is known for the shape of his picks being very ergonomic. What I did not care for is that the ergonomic design limited how one can hold the pick, and if that hold isn't for you, you are stuck. Of course, if they work for you, they work for you.

    Picks are an adventure!
    I believe this pick from the Sampler could be one of these Dugain ones that you mentioned, Jeff.

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    I got the Rocky Mountain Slides buffalo horn picks in as well. They were nicer (and less expensive) than the GG, but thicker than the mystery pick. I sent along one of each of my acquisitions (labeled!) with the sampler. The quest continues.
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  31. #24
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    So, I've continued to look for horn picks like the one found in the Traveling Sampler (see OP), and I received these on Wednesday. They are very similar, and were pretty inexpensive.

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    I messaged the seller to find out if he makes these or has them regularly. It turns out (sadly) the answer is no. He is liquidating stock from a music store in California which, he says, featured "Orange Counties largest pick collection. [He] had thousand of picks new and vintage."

    Well, there's only a small handful of these horn ones left, but the guy is selling an impressive variety of other picks. NFI, but I'm posting a link to the pick page of his ebay store because there are so many older picks (the store closed in 2012), and PAS is a real thing . He says he's also a mandolin player, and will be posting even more mandolin picks ...
    Last edited by Sue Rieter; Oct-29-2023 at 1:35pm.
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  32. #25
    Registered User Denis Kearns's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is this pick?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Is there a list of what all the picks are? If not, wouldn’t that be helpful especially in this case where someone might want to buy one that they like? Or am I being unreasonable as usual?
    When I organized Sampler #1, I tried to add information to the list as to what the picks were made of, but was not always successful since a number of the new ones are proprietary mixtures. Mostly I got information off the internet, but there are some unmarked miscellaneous picks whose composition is anybody’s guess. I’ll be getting sampler #2 soon, so will do the same with them.

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