Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Pick Punch!

My brother showed me the Pick Punch a few months ago.  I finally got around to buying one. 

At 25$ for the punch which produces a standard shaped pick (they also make one that does jazz picks but that isn't for me), it is extremely reasonably priced.  It seems very well built although I had read reviews which state that the original version was a little less robust than the current incarnation.  However, I also read that the manufacturer stands behind their product. 

I know what you are thinking.  25$ can buy a lot of picks.  Why bother getting a punch and making my own?  Sure, 25$ can buy a lot of picks.  That is, if you aren't fussy about what your picks are made out of.  I am into thin (.50mm) Delrin picks.  They are not too common.  The Dunlop pink .46mm pick was my go to.  But only one store locally carries it. 

Delrin is not all that expensive, but yet, a pack of 72 picks costs something like 20$ on Amazon.  I bought the punch and enough material to make more than 120 picks for 40$ shipped.  I will never have to buy picks again!  Additionally, I could have probably saved further had I purchased the Delrin from another company like McMaster Carr (although, again, the prices of the raw materials are extremely fair at Pick Punch). 

One thing I would have liked to have seen was more thicknesses of the raw materials, but again, McMaster Carr has different materials and thicknesses. 

All I know is, never having to buy picks again is a great feeling!