These are modeled after the well known Alaska Piks, but include some significant enhancements.

1) Perfect fit sizes – I’ve provided these in half-millimeter increments so you can print a set of all the sizes and find those that best fit your fingers. The Alaska Piks only come in a few sizes.

2) No trimming required – Alaska Piks are made with long tips, which requires you to trim them to fit your fingernails. I’ve made the tips of these considerably shorter so that you should need no trimming.

3) Less pick interference – If you look at the image I’ve included that compares the Alaska and Arctic picks, you’ll see that the design of the Alaska Pik puts the side edge closer to the tip of the finger. This means that when you’re trying to use them, you will get some interference from one finger to the next. This can cause you to need to work harder to ensure that the picks on two adjacent fingers do not run into each other. The Arctic picks push that side edge back, making it less likely that will happen.

4) More knuckle clearance – With the Alaska Piks, I found that to install the pick fully on my fingers, the rear top edge would hit my knuckle, which in turn would tend to push the pick back off the end of my finger when I was using it. I had to trim this rear edge to allow clearance so this wouldn’t happen. I’ve included a rounded recess on the top rear edge to allow clearance for your knuckle.

5) Customization of the sound – The Alaska Piks come in one kind of a somewhat soft plastic. Since you’re printing your own Arctic picks, you can choose the material, which affects the quality of the sound. It’s difficult to predict exactly which material will create the sound you like. But in general, more brittle materials, like PLA, will create a louder and brighter sound. Materials that are less stiff, like PETG, will create a softer, warmer sound. You can experiment with different materials to see what you like best.

6) Cost – While the Alaska Piks are not terribly expensive, they do cost more than most fingerpicks and you often have to order them online which adds shipping to the cost. These Arctic Fingerpicks will cost you pennies to print.

Printing information

Print plate – use a smooth surface plate. These are printed face down, and any texture on the leading edge will affect the sound, making it more “scratchy”.

Print order – when printing more than one on a plate, print by object rather than layer. Moving from one to another affect the print quality and it comes out much better when printed one at a time. This is why the various sizes are spread out in my files.

Print material – I printed two sets for my own use, one in PLA and one in PETG. The PLA gives a clean, bright sound which lets me stand out in the mix if I’m playing the lead part. PETG gives me a softer, warmer sound which blends better with the rest of my group. I use one set or the other depending on the song.

Support removal – Take your time and remove carefully so as not to break the fingerpicks. I start by removing the outer supports with needle nose pliers. Then I use small diagonal cutters to cut off any remaining support material that’s protruding through the pick’s slots. Then I grab the internal supports with needle nose pliers and work back and forth with a twisting motion to pull them out.

Post processing – These do require some filing and sanding for best results. I use a small, flat jeweler’s file to file the curves in the slots to remove the rough edges. This is mostly for esthetics, so you don’t need to get it perfect. I use a half-round jeweler’s file to smooth the interior where your finger goes. And I use some 320-grit sandpaper to smooth the leading edge of the pick, and put a bit of a curve on its profile. A sharp front edge produces more pick noise, so it’s good to have it slightly rounded.