US Blues Buffalo Horn Picks
Buffalo Horn is one of the best naturally-occurring materials for guitar picks. Its density and stiffness are very much like the well-known polymers such as delrin and ultem, and it has a very smooth attack.
The main downside of buffalo horn (other than not being as easy to work with and therefore not as cheap as plastic) is that it tends to be brittle and shred. After you use one for awhile, it will tend to have small hairs splinter off of it, and sometimes whole chunks of it will come loose.
Regardless, they make a very unique and surprisingly effective guitar pick.
The Buffalo Horn picks by US blues have a smoothed bevel to them that allows you to experience the joy of buffalo horn picks. A must for any pick collector.
- ✓Affordable natural material
- ✓Comfortable, smooth playing action
- ✓Fast, 'slippery' attack for quick picking
- ✓Environmentally-friendly alternative to banned tortoise
- ✓Natural material with unique character
- ✗Buffalo horn tends to shred and break over time
- ✗Less durable than plastic alternatives
- ✗Each pick varies slightly due to natural material
- ✗May need replacement more frequently
Material: Buffalo Horn (Natural)
Buffalo horn feels a lot like turtle shell, and might be the closest natural alternative. However, it is brittle and cannot be worked thin. After awhile, the picks do tend to shred. It's still worth trying, though.
📋 Disclosure
No commercial relationship; we bought and reviewed our own.
