There are other platics than celluloid and nylon, some are opaque and exotic plastic.
There are a great many plastics, and a lot of them are fashioned into instrument’s picks (and instruments themselves). Some are little known or as yet not identified by anyone but the pick maker (as being used – thanks to marketing – and patents). Most are opaque Thermo-plastics or Thermosetting Polymers…
Thermo-Plastics (called that name because they are melted and shaped thermally) can be remelted and reformed. However, Thermosetting plastics cannot. As the name implies, Thermosetting plastics are set thermally and remain in their shape despite reheating. Here is a site that talks about their properties and types: Plastics.
It’s a tough task, covering all the types of picks. Opaque and Exotic Plastic Picks are a very wide range. There is so much to them that is hidden:
When I commenced writing this site, I found the thought of covering all the various materials used to make instrument picks, especially among them, Opaque and Exotic plastic picks, very daunting. And I still do, however:
As there are so many plastics that exist, for playing instruments, the differences are either minimal or nuanced, well, at least for the most part…
Some of the nuances are in durability, at the pinnacle of these plastics rise 2 and then 4 or 5 plastics.
There are exceptions and every plastic IS special, but some of the strongest, most durable plastics I will mention here…
One very special plastic is Vespel. A company called Blue Chip Picks owns the right and patent to market picks with the Dupont material. It is very special and some pros so swear by the material, it’s almost the only thing they will use.
But beware, you are only getting it by order, and…
An expensive Polyimide Resin, it is very very durable. Let us be clear, picks wear, but some wear very very little, and others wear so much they have to be cheap to be relevant. Vespel is the former, it’s an extremely durable material and it has a lubricated quality to it. Yes, I said lubricated, it has qualities that make it slide and that make it great for high precision/high-stress gears and bearings, and, as luck would have it, Guitar Picks.
At a score of 82.5 on the Shore D Durometer, one might mistake it for lesser products, but let’s dispel any illusions (dispel about Vespel, see what I did there?) sometimes called overpriced junk, is untrue, and it is a fabulous material.
You can only get it from one company but they make a large number of shapes and considering that many picks of much lesser material cost, even more, Vespel picks are great. More on them on their own page in reviews on a future date.
As opaque and exotic plastics go, they still do wear down as reported by heavy users, but they will last at least 6 months of professional playing in standard serious-grade use. In truth, they can last a lifetime.
Up at the peak of that mountain of plastics containing durability, comes the next of the Opaque and Exotic Platic Picks:
A plastic very high on the durability scale, almost at the same level as the former material, is Torlon. There are several makers who use this material, such as Wegen. They are a premium pick maker and don’t just make Torlon Picks. There are custom pick makers selling works of art picks from large sums of money
Another Torlon maker is Dragon’s Heart. This Polyamide-imide material is so durable and assertive that, like Vespel, you may never need to replace it. But you could lose it and finding it in stores might not be as easy.
Just slightly down that summit of durable opaque and exotic plastics comes our third brand:
Another material that is unique is the Thermosetting polymer used in Chicken Picks. The Thermosetting plastics “set” as they cool and are “frozen” hard permanently. No melting them to reform them, as their shape cannot be reversed with heat. This lends itself well to pick-making in durability and hardness.
With a Shore D Hardness of 90, it’s a really tough customer and the bevel is best done in the setting process. It will last and last and has a unique tone that is both warm yet bright and assertive.
It is a white material that, as I’ve said, will last you eons, being almost as durable as steel. The tone it produces, however, has little to none of the glassy-squeaky sounds of stone, metal, and even the clear plastic picks. -It’s brightish, but rich sounding, with an even but assertive attack and middle, ranged release tone.
Pennies (or rather, Picks) from Heaven?
For its durability and tone, it can be quite a Godsend; however, it doesn’t grip as well as some other materials. It is not slippery so much as it is just not a heat or moisture adhesive material. The heat essentially won’t affect it, not heat from your hands at least.
It is not super slippery, however, and will drag on your string much as wood does, and that lends itself to a tone special to just it. The branding is imprinted into the material. This gives it at least some gripping texture.
Thermosetting plastics? Thermo Plastics?
Set apart from others, thermosetting plastics are a group. Whatever one Chicken Picks is using is one of the toughest there is for a pick.
Yes, another opaque or exotic plastic pick?
A rare material, Tusq picks are like bone. It has a textured feel. They sound a bit warmish without a squeal and are assertive. It’s durable to a point, and it can be sanded. Tusq is intended primarily for instrument nuts and bridges. It is a replacement for bone. Some prefer it.
Embossing of Tusq works well and it is a very stiff material with a sharp tone. More on them in a review.
Way back down the Mountain:
There is also homemade resin picks, which are often very soft and will wear quickly, but lend a good soft tone almost like wood. Many craft makers and home chemists are making resin picks. Some are more durable than others. We’ll see some of them eventually in our reviews.
Most Opaque and Exotic Plastic Picks are fairly hard, but there are several that are not, so it’s better for us to review them individually.
