The Newport Scrimshanders Craft Abalone Pick: It’s Independence Day season, and a massive number of people are headed to the shore, and in one place particularly, where my second cousin is near Newport Rhode Island.
It’s very beautiful out there, and that beauty can be seen in the Newport Scrimshanders craft abalone pick. It’s one of the most beautiful picks I’ve ever seen, and lucky me, it was sold to be in my modest collection. It serves to take the place of my longing to visit the beach (I haven’t been for over 10 years now). NewportScrimshanders craft Abalone Pick was made by hand by artisans local to me, with great love and care.
Now as a plectrum, it isn’t an orthodox choice, but stay with me here:
Yes, our raison d’etre is not for collector’s picks especially. We indeed are focused on fully functionally unique plectra that can actually be used. We don’t focus, at least not yet, on band or store-labeled picks with the exception of signature picks that a musician would actually use. The Newport Scrimshanders craft Abalone pick came from the same people that craft scrim craft items. Such things hail back to times long long ago when whalers traversed the seas from CT and RI and North. These sailors would handcraft by knife beautiful artifacts of their lives on the water. Usually, the theme was the things these seafarers did and saw. Sometimes very precious materials were used, some of which shouldn’t have been traded, such as Ivory.
Yes, it’s not an orthodox player’s pick, or, well, is that not the case, and that it actually is?
I got this pick through Etsy, here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NewportScrimshanders?ref=yr_purchases
I will say this right away: Yes, it IS a player’s pick. It slides off the strings just like stone or glass but without the squeal. I don’t know how that is, maybe it is an aspect of calcium carbonate that sea shells come from. The beautiful critters that make these shells are, in my opinion, priceless to their habitats and we Earthlings are lucky to share our space with them. The Newport Scrimshanders craft Abalone pick has the heft and feels close to a gemstone, albeit a little lighter, but handles better, sounds better, and feels superior also.
There is a natural curve and cupping to the pick that reminds me of this pick I reviewed a while back the D’Addario Casein Realeaux Chris Thile. <thile pick>.
The cupping is an artifact of the shell shape just as the casein pick, but for different natural reasons. The cupping is integral to the shape of the shell. If you’ve never seen an abalone shell, you are missing out, and refusing FOMO isn’t a reason to avoid seeing one.
What about the tone of this Abalone shell pick?
As I mentioned a moment ago, the pick does not squeal or cause clicks when striking your metal strings. It has a firm attack much like a coin pick, but is easier to handle.
It stays in the fingers fairly well just by the nature of the material. It’s also a good player, I wouldn’t say it would be a prime candidate for recordings or stage, particularly not for stage as you wouldn’t want it stolen. However, the Newport Scrimshanders craft abalone pick gives enhanced tones that one would seek out. I could see it working lovely with, say, a Rickenbacker 12-string doing arpeggios, or on a Nocaster playing solos.
I won’t damage this pick for testing purposes, so no hardness tests, it’s not necessary, it’s almost hard as stone anyway.
This reminds me of another 3 picks I reviewed by Beachside Picks (they now sell abalone picks also, look them up), but the curve of this pick lends to a more advantageous grip and one can really get used to it.
OK, so here is time for the specs and ratings:
| Material | Attack Tone | Decay Tone |
Natural Rhode Island Abalone | Assertive and Bright | Ringing |
| Durability/ Wear | Comments/ Dimensions | Shape |
Seems very Sturdy | almost as hard as rock but a little more brittle | essentially a 351 type |
| Grip and Feel | Flexibility | Likely Use |
Back side well textured for Index Finger | None | Hard rock loud folks Americana Blues |
| Thickness | Width and Height | Resonance |
exactly 1mm | 27.58×32.14mm | pocker chip but glassy |
| Tip Style | Bevel? | Approx. Cost |
| near V tip | Rounded | US $ 33.00 |
And now the ratings for the Newport Scrimshanders Craft Abalone Pick:
- Holds/Grips ***
- Plays (action) ****
- Sounds/Tones *****
- Looks/Appearance *****
- Collect ability *****
- Difficulty ***
- Durability ****
- Cost ***
- Availability *
- Likability *****
- Over-All Rating 76%
- Novices: Meh not advise
- Performers: Great Recommend
- Intermediates: Nice Suggest