Buffalo Horn Picks
Motif
Buffalo horn is an intriguing natural material for producing picks. Picks made from this material will tend to have a “slippery” feel, helping them to glide smoothly off of the string.
- Affordable
- Comfortable playing action
- Fast, “slippery” smooth attack
Pros
- Buffalo horn tends to shred and break
Cons
Comparison to Tortoise
Buffalo Horn has been compared to the now-banned tortoise picks, which are made from the shell of an endangered sea animal. Tortoise picks have “legendary” (i.e., exaggerated) tone and playing action.
Shredding
Due to the nature of the material, buffalo horn picks tend to splinter or shred. Usually a small splinter can be peeled off and the pick remains usable, but occasionally the pick will splinter or shred so much that the pick must be discarded. Picks are dispoable items, c'est la vie.
How to Buy
For a standard “351”-style pick:
US Blues Buffalo Horn Picks (351)[?]Affiliate Link
For a smaller, “Jazz III”-style pick:
US Blues Buffalo Horn Picks (Jazz)[?]Affiliate Link
Disclosures
Hub Guitar receives a small commission for items purchased via affiliate links. We sometimes also receive discounts or free products for which we offer our honest review. Hub Guitar only features highly-recommended products that would earn four stars or above.
As the creator of Hub Guitar, Grey has compiled hundreds of guitar lessons, written several books, and filmed hundreds of video lessons. He teaches private lessons in his Boston studio, as well as via video chat through TakeLessons.