real tortoiseshell guitar picks

kp8 · October 1st, 2007, 11:45 PM

I am just curious...

I have a dozen or so real tortoiseshell picks that were made from an old slab of tortoiseshell that i believe came from an antique jewelry box of some sort.

I know that making and selling new tortoiseshell picks is illegal since certain species are endangered. And i certainly would not advocate the harvesting of endangered species for guitar picks.

But i understand it is legal to recycle the material used on jewelry and old combs, etc. to make guitar picks.

So ... my question is, since i don't really need this many picks, and primarily play electric, and some acoustic flat pickers covet these, can i sell them, or would that be illegal? I could throw a few up on eBay and make a few bucks, but i don't want to do anything illegal or unethical. I only have a dozen of these, & they still need to be shaped and polished a little, but i was thinking to keep a few for my self and sell the rest. I just don't want to get in any trouble just to make a few bucks.

-kp8--

casterway · October 2nd, 2007, 12:07 AM

I don't know. I'd be real careful. I heard of one guy that was innocently collecting shed Elk antlers from the ground in a forest, and got them all confiscated, as well as his truck. Turns out they are part of the ecosystem. Check the laws carefully.

purpletele · October 2nd, 2007, 12:13 AM

From what I understand, it doesn't matter where it came from or how you got it, it's illegal. I could be wrong, there may be some sort of grandfathered law here, but how could you really telll what was old and what was new? I'd play this on the REAL safe side if I were you.

Stefan · October 2nd, 2007, 01:27 AM

It doesn´t matter if you killed the turtle or not, someone did, and it´s illegal to sell tortoiseshell in any form. Even if you had old tortoiseshell picks made back in the days it would be a crime to sell them.

cowboytwang · October 2nd, 2007, 03:16 AM

http://www.fws.gov/international/permits/antiques.html

You have to get certificate permits from the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service. You have to prove that it was made before 1973 and not a part of commercial use.
More than likely they will just confiscate it unless you can 100% prove where it came from.

I have a few picks and some ivory string nuts(with pre-ban certificates) myself, I would never think of selling them(mostly because I love the way they sound).

Clive Hugh · October 2nd, 2007, 05:58 AM

Don't sell them, anything that stops the trade in turtle shell is worth it. In Bali where it is legal to do so they just hack the shell off the live turtle, they dont even have the grace to kill it first, then they dump the still moving carcass on the floor where it eventually dies in agony.

October 1st, 2007, 11:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
kp8 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 2,745	real tortoiseshell guitar picks I am just curious... I have a dozen or so real tortoiseshell picks that were made from an old slab of tortoiseshell that i believe came from an antique jewelry box of some sort. I know that making and selling new tortoiseshell picks is illegal since certain species are endangered. And i certainly would not advocate the harvesting of endangered species for guitar picks. But i understand it is legal to recycle the material used on jewelry and old combs, etc. to make guitar picks. So ... my question is, since i don't really need this many picks, and primarily play electric, and some acoustic flat pickers covet these, can i sell them, or would that be illegal? I could throw a few up on eBay and make a few bucks, but i don't want to do anything illegal or unethical. I only have a dozen of these, & they still need to be shaped and polished a little, but i was thinking to keep a few for my self and sell the rest. I just don't want to get in any trouble just to make a few bucks. -kp8--

October 2nd, 2007, 12:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
casterway Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Aldergrove, British Columbia,Canada Age: 40 Posts: 2,681	I don't know. I'd be real careful. I heard of one guy that was innocently collecting shed Elk antlers from the ground in a forest, and got them all confiscated, as well as his truck. Turns out they are part of the ecosystem. Check the laws carefully. __________________ There's nothing wrong with a proper repair... "I don't scratch no guitars." John Lee Hooker, when asked to carve his signature into an old acoustic.

October 2nd, 2007, 12:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
purpletele Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Morgantown,WV Posts: 669 10 Photos	.. From what I understand, it doesn't matter where it came from or how you got it, it's illegal. I could be wrong, there may be some sort of grandfathered law here, but how could you really telll what was old and what was new? I'd play this on the REAL safe side if I were you.

October 2nd, 2007, 01:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
Stefan Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sweden Age: 29 Posts: 1,820 37 Photos	It doesn´t matter if you killed the turtle or not, someone did, and it´s illegal to sell tortoiseshell in any form. Even if you had old tortoiseshell picks made back in the days it would be a crime to sell them. __________________ 1981 Capri Orange Fender Telecaster 1976 Fender Stratocaster 2007 Martin Backpacker 2005 Martin HD-28

October 2nd, 2007, 03:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
cowboytwang Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: mojave desert Posts: 1,517 14 Photos	http://www.fws.gov/international/permits/antiques.html You have to get certificate permits from the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service. You have to prove that it was made before 1973 and not a part of commercial use. More than likely they will just confiscate it unless you can 100% prove where it came from. I have a few picks and some ivory string nuts(with pre-ban certificates) myself, I would never think of selling them(mostly because I love the way they sound). __________________ Alvin http://www.myspace.com/alvinblaine http://www.oldbluesound.com/about.htm _________________________ Originality is just undetected Plagiarism! Last edited by cowboytwang; October 2nd, 2007 at 03:50 AM.

October 2nd, 2007, 05:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
Clive Hugh Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Western Australia Age: 63 Posts: 534	Don't sell them, anything that stops the trade in turtle shell is worth it. In Bali where it is legal to do so they just hack the shell off the live turtle, they dont even have the grace to kill it first, then they dump the still moving carcass on the floor where it eventually dies in agony.