fortyearspickn Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Interesting article. I'm sure I had dozens of these picks forty years ago. Could probably go to jail for rest of my life if I did something wrong with them. Did find one in my old (pre-ban/pre-marriage) guitar junk stored in a shoe box. Got curious because I saw a show on the Animal Planet over the weekend where 25 thousand female sea turtles in the South Pacific converge on one particular mini-island each year to lay eggs. Thousands die, either getting stuck in the sand or rocks and cooking in the sun, or getting eaten by thousands of sharks who come specifically for the event. I wonder if you catch a shark with sea turtle shell pieces in his belly - if the US Fish & WIldlife would just shoot you! http://pickcollecting.presspublisher.us/issue/summer-2012/article/tortoise-shell-guitar-picks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 The problem, as in all such matters, is how to differentiate between items made of legally-acquired material, versus those from black market or illegally-harvested material. Once the item is fabricated, the source of the raw material is impossible to determine. Same goes for ivory, etc. I don't want to re-start this contentious thread, and will just say that each of us has to decide for himself how to approach this. I'm perfectly happy with the synthetic tortoise picks I'm using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I'm perfectly happy with the synthetic tortoise picks I'm using. I'll give ye an Amen there, Nick.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Poor little buggers .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Poor little buggers .. you talking about the tortoises or nick and PM? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 you talking about the tortoises or nick and PM? :) I hate to think of all the synthetic tortoises who have given their all for my picks and pickguards........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 I'll give ye an Amen there, Nick.... Agree. I guess 100 years ago, folks realized as do we - that the pick can make a huge difference in the tone of the best of guitars. But, not yet having invented plastic and all substances related - they found turtle to be very good. Of course, back then there were a couple of billion fewer people in the world, so using turtle for hairbrushes, jewelry, hair thingys - wasn't too threatening to the turtles. But when the world's population exploded - it was obvious we could no longer use ivory or tortoise for most applications that everyone back then thought were ok. I wonder if each generation will see more and more things put on the 'endangered' list. Here in SA, a major hiway project was halted this week because they found a rare spider. So, the connection of two major hiways in the 7th largest US city is dead in the water. Of course, this begs the question - will the hardwoods currently allowed to be harvested for guitars be outlawed 100 years from now as the population continues to grow? WIll our great grandchildren think we were poor stewards of the earth's resources? Will they see pictures of us playing our Gibsons and Martins and think we were selfish not to be playing Rainsongs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Of course, this begs the question - will the hardwoods currently allowed to be harvested for guitars be outlawed 100 years from now as the population continues to grow? WIll our great grandchildren think we were poor stewards of the earth's resources? Will they see pictures of us playing our Gibsons and Martins and think we were selfish not to be playing Rainsongs? There is no free lunch, even with a composite guitar. Carbon fiber is manufactured by oxidising and carbonizing a fiber (usually a petroleum-derivitive fiber)in an inert gas such as argon. It's a fairly energy and resource-intensive process, all things considered. But I think you are right that the rarer tonewoods we use now may become unavailable, except in their plantation-grown state, within a very few years. And those plantation-grown woods are usuaully harvested before the tress become large enough to produce they type of lumber ideally suited to making guitars. Buy 'em and hold 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincentw Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I'll give ye an Amen there, Nick.... me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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