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* [http://www.v-picks.com/ V-Picks]
* [http://www.redbeartrading.com/ Red Bear Trading]
== Aesthetics ==
My advice is to try to ignore pick aesthetics entirely. You want the sound of yourself playing guitar to be beautiful, which means using a pick with excellent comfort and control. The look of a small piece of plastic that spends 99% of its time covered by your thumb/fingers is relatively insignificant.
== Shape ==
=== Tortoise Shell ===
Tortoise Shell was a popular material for picks several decades ago, but harvesting and trading tortoise shell is now illegal due to wildlife preservation concners (similar to ivory in elephants and rhinos). [http://www.redbeartrading.com/ Red Bear] actually produces picks that they claim is the same material as tortoise shell, but without harming any animals in the process (actual tortoise shell harvesting is illegal). I haven't tried one of these - they are a bit price prohibitive, being around $30 per pick. Many players swear by them. I can only assume they are similar to the gemstone option below - fairly indestructable and very smooth. The big risk here is that you're spending so much money on something so small and easily lost. You can always keep some cheap picks on hand as a backup, but because they're going to feel different, it might not be a truly comparable backup (although this is usually the case for backups).
=== Gemstone ===
I have an original Star Pick, which is made of some rare-Earth gemstone. It is ultra smooth and durable. The problem is that I only have one and am not sure if it could ever be replaced. If you are able to find one of these, I definitely recommend them. Just be sure to check reviews and make sure you are getting something actually made of real gemstone and that the durability and smoothness is up to snuff. They will not be cheap.
Again, like above, the main fear is keeping track of something small and expensive, as well as finding suitable backups.
== Grip ==
== Special Picks ==