29 JANUARY
Well, the move from Luxembourg to Scotland is now almost complete. My computer is back up, the broadband is working and, perhaps most importantly, the Tortis picks are now out of the chaotic mess of boxes and can now be sent out to you, my eager customers! Once again, my humble apologies for the disruption.
Cams
Enquiries from retailers are welcome. Please email for pricelist. Minimum order applies.
Each pick is individually hand-made in Nevada, USA. There is no CNC process involved at all in the production of the picks; however, CNC was used to make some of the tools that are used to manufacture the picks. A variety of sanders, abrasive sticks (fingernail files) and buffers are used to produce the final product. In a good day, 30 picks are made from start to finish.
Some folks are "pickier" than others when it comes to the edges of their picks. These picks come with either a rounded edge or a sharply-beveled edge, depending on the style. If you prefer a rounded edge to a pick that we make with a sharp bevel, it is easy to modify. The picks sand easily so you can sand them to your own preferred shape or edge contour using 320 grit paper or emery board.
A thicker pick with a sharper bevel will result in a brighter tone and more pick control and will allow more speed than a thin pick.
If you need to restore the glossy finish to your New Tortis pick, use a buffer with brown tripoli compound. When the picks are made, after the tripoli, they are touched on a wheel with some super-fine yellow compound which is used mainly for plastics. This gives them a wet look. If you don't have access to a buffer, a jeweller can buff them for you. You can also use a fingernail buffing board such as are found in many retail outlets. Any tools that work for fingernails work on these picks.
While these picks do indeed sand easily, they exhibit virtually no wear at all - even after several months of daily use.