After years searching to find a material to make the best picks I could, I believe I’ve finally found it. In fact, I believe in it so much that it’s the only material I use. I’ve tested heaps but this kept coming out on top, hands down. Currently no other maker is using this. It has several properties that I think put it above the rest:

• Exceptional tone- This material sounds rich and weighted, with deep bass and sweet treble. I would call it “full” sounding, and doing a drop test on a table reveals a warmer tone than most plastics

• Polite- This material is very quiet. The dreaded pick noise, click, clack, whatever you’re vernacular for it is. It’s the bane of some otherwise awesome sounding materials, but it’s very controlled on this material and the tone is always at the forefront

• In it for the long haul- This material wears very well and I have yet to see a pick become unusable. How long it will ultimately last, however, I cannot say. This material does wear, but tends to smoothen out instead of getting gritty. Thinner picks will also wear faster than thicker ones on any material.  Mileage will vary 

• The perfect color- I get this material in light gray, an easily identifiable color. No more cursing when you drop your pick on the ground outside. Keep your picks longer by losing them less

• Dessert- This material has been approved by the FDA for food contact safety. It’s considered to be a safe plastic for you and your family to be around. So go ahead, give in to the urge and stick it in your mouth like a cowboy with wheat. The government says it’s fine

• Adamant- This material is really stiff and stays decently rigid even in thinner gauges. It gets completely stiff somewhere around 1.2 mm, but this changes with pick size. Generally, the stiffer a pick is, the less effort you put into playing and the purer tone you get

• Au naturel- This material doesn’t act like any plastic you’re used to. It’s hard to describe but it just sounds…natural. No plastic-y sounding clicks or frequencies coming from this stuff. You know what I mean

• Super slippery- This material has a very low coefficient of friction, lower than any other pick material I’ve seen being used. In regular people speech, that means it’s smooth and slippery on strings. That means faster playing with less effort

• Sticky?- It might sound weird after what you’ve just read, but this material grips fingers really well. The matte finish is smooth and silky but I’ve found it doesn’t slip for most people. It has a satisfying amount of tackiness. This can be a problem with highly polished picks, especially when sweat gets involved

• The “feel”- Most importantly to me, this material feels nice in the fingers and is pleasing to hold. It imparts an air of quality. My personal opinion, but I suppose I’m biased

“This stuff sounds perfect! There have to be downsides, right?” I’m so glad you asked!

• The patience game- This material is exceptionally hard to work with because it likes to chip when it’s being machined, cut, or sanded. I have to be very patient and it can be time consuming but once it’s finished, it’s rock solid. Definitely worth it

• “Particular”- This material is naturally very dull sounding, so a bevel being even a little off makes a lackluster pick. I call it “particular”. You really need to have a compulsive desire for perfection when working with this stuff unlike PEEK, Torlon, Ultem, or Vespel that sound good fairly easily. I test drive every pick because of this to make sure it meets my standards. If not, back to the workbench with a magnifying glass

• A good workout-This material takes a long time to shape because of how wear resistant it is. I start the process on a very low grit and work my way up slowly to a high polish on the bevel. It’s also a pain to create the matte surface finish. This causes long fabricating times and some sore arms

• Hide and seek- Unfortunately, it’s not always available

• Character training- This material grabs onto dirt and grime and looks well loved after a while. This is a result of the matte finish and light color. After you spend time with it it gets character just like your instrument does. Is this a downside? Depends who you ask

• The silent killer- Your friends will probably steal your picks. At least that’s what happens to me. Sorry

So yes, there are some downsides but they’re mostly my issues. I’ve worked out the flaws to make the best pick I could for you.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations, you’re a nerd for pick materials.

Welcome to the club.