Dennis:
>Has anyone (else) tried a high-quality nail clipper instead?


> Dietrich Hein:
>> one does need a constantly maintained surface of a dense endgrain on 
>> the voicing block and obviously a sharp knive with a not too flexy blade. 


Well, apart from that "voicing block" sometimes goes by the name of "fingernail," yes. Clippers (also the principally more accurate and sharper axle-cutters etc.) are either not precise enough, and if they are, they still tend to squeeze the material before actually clipping it. If we're at all into curved quill, we simply can't have that: it bends the curve straight and creates those lengthwise splits that were mentioned earlier.

A sharp and frequently-stropped woodcarving knife is really the best, in my world.

Now, regarding shaping versus "voicing." Making plectra is a quite simple process and there is no strict division between making a plectrum and voicing it. A good plectrum shape is largely defined by its function. Ideally, a good function overlaps to a very large part with a suitable sound (unless one stubbornly wants to extract something out of a harpsichord that isn't in it, and why would one...), it's really that simple. A not so well functioning plectrum will also sound poorly most of the time.
Interestingly my idea of getting rid of the front edge corners could possibly count as "voicing", that is, IF one does hear a difference (I mostly do, but as discussed before, your mileage may vary). However, even this idea was born out of functionality: the chance of a plectrum to hang on the string is a little less with the corners cut or filed off, especially (obviously) in (curved) quill.

Tilman

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Note:  opinions  expressed on HPSCHD-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity of Iowa.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  HELP .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::