Endpin and bridge pin supply

[peter.coombe]

Hands up those who use endpins and/or bridge pins with a pearl or abalone dot. I would humbly suggest that if you do, get some now. Stew Mac have just stopped exporting anything containing shell, so Stew Mac is out, LMI are still exporting endpins and bridge pins with a shell dot. However, I expect that it is only a matter of time before LMI discover that what they are doing is illegal and that source disappears as well. ALS still sell bridge pins with a dot, but they only have screw in endpins which are useless to me. If ALS get their bridge pins from the USA then that that source is likely to dry up as well.

The problem is the new USA rules for import and export of shell material does not take into account the minute quantities of shell involved. The same rules apply irregardless to the quantity or worth. So, to export an endpin with dot from the USA the exporter needs to
(a) get an export permit - cost $100
(b) fill out the appropriate form
(c) pay the inspection fee ($80) and arrange for inspection
All this for something worth less than $4 and with probably around 0.1gm of shell. Ridiculous, yes, but that is the law. The new law is supposed to stop import and export of illegal shell (and wood), but it is effectively stopping all exports of shell and parts containing shell material from the USA. As far as I know there was no illegal shell material in the Lutherie business going in or out of the USA before these rules were implemented. My (now former) suppliers tell me they get their shell from Abalone and Pearl farms. Ain't buraucracy wonderful.

Peter

[Puff]

The System
“I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me,
and yet I assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him
and wish to ease his lot by all possible means, except getting
off his back.”
-Лев Николаевич Толстой (Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy)

[Nick]

I wonder if they're getting this finickety, how soon it will be before inlay blanks are on the 'endangered species' list for those of us on the underside? I have a reasonable supply of different M.O.P but someday I'll need to get some . Abalone, there's a plentyful supply of in NZ, if I had to but it's not my favourite material for inlay. Surely if there's proof of supply from a sustainable source such as farms then surely an exemption permit could be issued! ! Bureaucracy gone mad.....they're trying to save shell e.t.c but you have to cut down a whole O2 producing forest of trees to support the paperwork! Thanks for the heads up Peter.
Puff I like the quote, very apt.

[Puff]

Nick - the U S of A's major fiscal factor is war - spin word for same is "defence". For obvious reasons they are not into fair or reciprocal trade. Joe Kennedy is alive and well in corporate USA where probably half the population haven't even heard of Australia and less than a quarter of those will have heard of New Zealand.
This crap has nothing to do with sustaining resources or protecting any species other than - put your hand on your heart here folks - what some arrogant anal products merchandise as "America".
When the real powers that be knock the US dollar off it's money printing podium their economy will shrivel like a grape in the sun ie. a dog turd on July hot Alabammy blacktop.

[Puff]

Peter - back on subject why not make your own? With locally available paua laminate a pencil sharpener type device will work for small diameter stuff (bridge pin, fretboard side dots) and a jewelers drill for the larger.
Accepted the same problem arises in trying to send to the other side as part of a guitar but you could post them "post facto" as "replacement parts" or just get the client to purchase their own from an other side supplier.
Realistically the only issue here is being up-front and complying with this crap. If it's crap it's crap - compliance not required.

[Nick]

Just went onto the Stewmac site & LMI, yes all Pearl & Abalone inlay supplies "Cannot be shipped outside of the USA" Bloody anally retentive Fish & Wildlife. If you'd got shell materials out of the US originally, built an instrument that ended up back in the US, would they still require Paperwork (and serious $) to exchange hands? Grrrrrr.
And I wonder what will happen with the likes of De Paule (http://www.luthiersupply.com/) who's registered office is in the US but source all their shell & work from Vietnam it would seem.

[John Maddison]

... why not make your own? ...

There's an excellent range of shell dots at Australian Mother of Pearl's new Online Store. Very good service I might add.

[Puff]

Good call - great link - cheers. Can't help but feel sucking on Yankee teets rather than supporting local initiatives has been detrimental to downunder lutherie.
Love this:- !!! US customers please note that we do not export this product to the US !!!

[Nick]

Thanks for the link John, well priced too!

[Puff]

Never used MOP for nuts or bridges -any calls?

[Allen]

I've use MOP for bridge and saddles on a few guitars. Nice to work and sure does look spiffy.

[Puff]

Sounds?
That looks a bit rude alone so: Please

[Kim]

... why not make your own? ...

There's an excellent range of shell dots at Australian Mother of Pearl's new Online Store. Very good service I might add.

I placed a custom order with Australian Mother of Pearl a few weeks before Xmas, it should be ready soon but the Xmas break does hold thing up a bit. Just wanted to say so far so good, Martin seems a really good bloke to work with and the pricing is very competitive. It would be hard to see the need to go off shore when we have such a good local vendor who is most probably supplying the yanks anyhow....USPS must love it.

Cheers

Kim

[Allen]

Sounds?
That looks a bit rude alone so: Please

I couldn't tell the difference to using bone in the way of sound. Just looks flash.

[Puff]

Thanks Allen.

[Bob Connor]

Martin is just up the road from me in Werribee and I've visited him a few times to get MOP and Abalone supplies in the past. Great bloke with better pricing than most other suppliers and the same quality.

I'm surprised that more of you didn't know about him. I offered him preferred status on the forum when I first started it but he never got back to me.

Regards.

[Allen]

He's our best kept secret Bob. And the best part is his pricing is in US $ so we are doing even better of late.

[Dominic]

Allen, you sure they are priced in US dollars? I just looked and it seems to be AUS to me. I coulnd find anywhere that said otherwise. Which would be better for him as he would be making decent money from the seppos now.
Dom

[John Maddison]

... Great bloke with better pricing than most other suppliers and the same quality. I'm surprised that more of you didn't know about him.

... He's our best kept secret Bob.

And great service to match.

Bob - is it worth another approach re Preferred Vendor? Am sure a number of members would push their professional businesses Martin's way.

[Allen]

Allen, you sure they are priced in US dollars? I just looked and it seems to be AUS to me. I coulnd find anywhere that said otherwise. Which would be better for him as he would be making decent money from the seppos now.
Dom

Positive it's USA $ Dom. I've dealt with Martin for 4 years now. Great service and I can't fault any product that I've received from him.

Here's a link to the pricing page. You'll note near the top of the page next to "Terms"

[jeffhigh]

Looks like the new online shop has currency options.

[Allen]

So it does. He's gone a little high tech now.

Gotta place and order. See ya.

[ozwood]

Hi All,

I have Also used Australian Mother of Pearl Supplies and can Confidently recommend Martin as a great and reliable supplier of quality MOP . He's the Tim Spittle of MOP suppliers

Paul

[peter.coombe]

If you'd got shell materials out of the US originally, built an instrument that ended up back in the US, would they still require Paperwork (and serious $) to exchange hands?

Yes they do still require the paperwork. Unfortunately I think we have been caught up in the bigger picture. The same rules apply to all animal products, and some animal products are notorious for the illegal trade, and that does need to be stopped. Ditto for wood, although the situation for wood is not so bad, just tedious paperwork if the product is worth more than $2500. I just wish the rule was if the value of the wood in the product was worth more than $2500 rather than the value of whole product which in our case is made up of mostly labour. That would make a lot more sense and be far more effective, but then that is logical and politics has nothing to do with logic. I would not be surprised if they start applying these rules to bone eventually, even though we eat the animals that the bone comes from, and cows are not endangered and I don't think there are illegal cows! It is a poor implementation of a bad law, from what my US contacts have told me. Theoretically the law applies for interstate transport within the US, but I don't think they are policing interstate transport the same as the international trade. This is a pity because if they did, then it would effect lots of people in the US and there would be political pressure to fix it.

There really is no reason to buy shell from the USA any more when we have Martin providing a great service, and he is probably very busy supplying ex USA now. The problem is parts that contain shell material, and these are subject to the same rules, even if it is a minute quantity, and even if the Paua is going back to NZ! There is no point in making an endpin when you can buy one for less than $4. I can make them myself, I have a small wood lathe, but I would be using more than $4 worth of Ebony, and then there is the time involved. My wood turning skills are not up to making bridge pins. These parts are probably made by the thousands on a CNC lathe, but where they are made I don't know. Making them myself is a last resort, but it may come to that. I have just ordered a batch from LMI (and hopefully it won't be confiscated), which should be enough for at least 2 years and hopefully this rubbish might be sorted out by then, but then again it could get far worse if an Ebony species gets CITES listed.

Peter

[Bob Connor]

Have a look at these blokes

http://www.gurianinstruments.com/homepage/

They supply Stewmac and LMI.

Half a gross of abalone/ebony bridge pins is around $50USD. Half the price of the other suppliers.
If you really want a supply of abalone bridge and end pins I'd be putting in a bulk order now and see if they'll ship it.

They will also custom make with any wood that you want (that isn't listed in CITES )

I got them to make me a couple of gross of Cocobolo bridge and end pins a couple of years ago. Good product, price and service.