Reclaimed Tortoise shell for plectrums.

Boutiquepickperson

Hi everyone a friend of mine has got into the hobby of buying old antiques that have parts of them made out of tortoise shell, and fashioning very nice boutique picks out of them. I have long been into the Expensive picks such as red bear picks, blue chips picks and the slightly cheaper ones made by wegen, however I still find them tonely not up to scratch with a genuine turtle pick.
While expensive picks aren't everyones cup of tea once you try them most people do get hooked.

Love to hear peoples oppinion
No turtles were harmed in the process.

JerkMoans

Not sure about picks but if larger bits of the stuff are available I'd be v interested in whether they could be turned to scratchplates.

crunchman

If you want to do it yourself, I'd guess it's ok.  I'm pretty certain it's illegal to do it commercially and sell the picks though.

Over time, all the antique tortoise shell will get used up as well.  Best to just find the best modern pick you can - or play Knopfler style with your fingers.

SNAKEBITE

Still doesn't feel right.

I know it is already dead, but its like trading in old ivory or old furs.

Sorry, just my opinion.

stickyfiddle

Boutiquepickperson said:

No turtles were harmed in the process.

They might be lovely picks, but this clearly isn't true. It's just that the harm was a 100+ years ago. And presumably it was tortoises, not turtles :P 

JerkMoans

stickyfiddle said:

Boutiquepickperson said:

No turtles were harmed in the process.

They might be lovely picks, but this clearly isn't true. It's just that the harm was a 100+ years ago. And presumably it was tortoises, not turtles :P 

Actually, having re-read this, I'm out.  Had naively assumed it was some celluloid byproduct, like Spitfire pickguards.

crunchman

The problem here is that the turtle that "tortoise shell" comes from is on the CITES endangered list, and trade in it is banned - unless it is an antique that predates a certain date (1947?).  It's basically the same as ivory as far as I'm aware.  I'm pretty sure that it's also illegal to take pre-1947 material and make something new out of it and sell it on commercially.  If that was allowed, then there would be a risk of someone killing one now to make something from, but claiming it was recycled old material.

If you buy an antique then make picks from it for your own personal use, then my understanding is that that would be legal.  Where does it stand ethically?  You aren't likely to be making any difference to what happens to endangered turtles in the wild now, so I don't think it's a big issue.

If you eat meat, and/or wear leather shoes, or have a guitar with a bone nut, then it's hyprocritical to say that you can't use an animal product as a pick.  For the vegan types, who think it's ethically wrong to ever use/eat any animal part, it's different of course.

WezV

It’s just recycling.  Surely that’s a good thing?

but yes, it does increase demand which increases illegal trade

i have an old cigarette case with a shell layer inside... I will have to check the thickness.  I wouldn’t have too many qualms about reusing it for something else.

i like red bear plecs, but tend to use hoof most of time at the mo.

DaevidJ

crunchman said:

The problem here is that the turtle that "tortoise shell" comes from is on the CITES endangered list, and trade in it is banned - unless it is an antique that predates a certain date (1947?).  It's basically the same as ivory as far as I'm aware.  I'm pretty sure that it's also illegal to take pre-1947 material and make something new out of it and sell it on commercially.  If that was allowed, then there would be a risk of someone killing one now to make something from, but claiming it was recycled old material.

If you buy an antique then make picks from it for your own personal use, then my understanding is that that would be legal.  Where does it stand ethically?  You aren't likely to be making any difference to what happens to endangered turtles in the wild now, so I don't think it's a big issue.

If you eat meat, and/or wear leather shoes, or have a guitar with a bone nut, then it's hyprocritical to say that you can't use an animal product as a pick.  For the vegan types, who think it's ethically wrong to ever use/eat any animal part, it's different of course.

Hardly hypocritical if the item you are mentioning comes from flora/fauna that is ultimately unsustainable... Just a different angle. 

crunchman

DaevidJ said:

crunchman said:

The problem here is that the turtle that "tortoise shell" comes from is on the CITES endangered list, and trade in it is banned - unless it is an antique that predates a certain date (1947?).  It's basically the same as ivory as far as I'm aware.  I'm pretty sure that it's also illegal to take pre-1947 material and make something new out of it and sell it on commercially.  If that was allowed, then there would be a risk of someone killing one now to make something from, but claiming it was recycled old material.

If you buy an antique then make picks from it for your own personal use, then my understanding is that that would be legal.  Where does it stand ethically?  You aren't likely to be making any difference to what happens to endangered turtles in the wild now, so I don't think it's a big issue.

If you eat meat, and/or wear leather shoes, or have a guitar with a bone nut, then it's hyprocritical to say that you can't use an animal product as a pick.  For the vegan types, who think it's ethically wrong to ever use/eat any animal part, it's different of course.

Hardly hypocritical if the item you are mentioning comes from flora/fauna that is ultimately unsustainable... Just a different angle. 

If you are recycling old stuff though, you are having no effect on future sustainability - unless it increases demand for it to the point where people kill it illegally.  If you are just doing it for personal use then I can't see it having that effect.  Anything other than personal use is illegal anyway.