I've been hoping for years to find a fingerpick that is long enough to accomodate long joints in the fingers. Most of the commercial brands seem to be too short for me. Also, a decent banjo pick could be made that could be used for up-picking and frailing (clawhammer). The Alaska Pik doesn't quite work for me because it's again too short and falls off or catches in the strings when used both ways. I've experimented quite a bit with them. The problem with embalming your nails is that it can ruin them. Also, if you're playing with other instruments and want to be heard, I'm not sure that finger nails carry enough...at least not as much as metal fingerpicks. You're right, a new finger pick needs to be made.

Frank Hamilton