This is my first post, so hajimemashita, everybody.
I play Sanxian and just made a bachi from a water buffalo horn.
You can see three views of it here:
Ja mata,
Tomo Saburo
Nice. I wonder what it would be like using those on Shamisen. It seems that it would be best for Nagauta Style (Where you’re plucking the strings instead of striking) and looks comfortable to hold. I usually prefer Kouta Style where you’re using fingers or Guitar pick or even a Sanshin Bachi, but I wouldn’t mind using that plectrum on a Shamisen. 
Ouch ouch ouch my ears! Happy birthday to you, too.
The bachi works surprisingly well - it is stiff, and I like flexi, but it is also light and responsive in the hand. Next I will thin a sheet of horn and make a more traditional shape.
Oh my gosh, I realised I replied to the wrong post. I’m sorry about that. It was early in the morning and I was tired, Forgive me. My mind was on the post for Kevin Kmetz’s birthday…
Hey, I’m all for random. No worries. Sorry you took it down - that was fairly weird, even for a birthday song sung by an anime chick who apparently farts hearts.
Yeah I actually meant to send that to the “Kevin Kmetz’s birthday” post, but I had multiple tabs open, I hadn’t had my coffee, and was in a rush. Also, I know this is a little off topic, but “Anime Chick” is kind of an understatement for Hatsune Miku, or any vocaloid for that matter. They really don’t belong to any anime and the anime art style has existed for years and also Vocaloid and Anime are two different mini-sects of the Otaku sect of Nerds and Geeks. You should get into vocaloid because it’s just cool, and also if you have the Vocaloid Program (Which is expensive, btw), you will always have someone to sing in your Shamisen (or in this case, Sanxian) songs. Not all vocaloids are high pitched. In fact, there are many tenor and bass ones.
Now back to the discussion of the bachi: Do you know where I can get Bachi like that? I think it might be better than normal Shamisen bachi, because the way it is shaped would be great for plucking, which is done with the Nagauta Style (The style Shamisen I’m getting) but with Nagauta Bachi, you are pointing towards the dou and you risk poking the skin. With that Sanxian bachi, it doesn’t look as sharp so you don’t risk poking the skin as much.
I made the bachi. I have more horn material (the rest of the horn) and was planning to make some more bachi with horn blade and bone handle, though this particular one is unique as it is the tip of the horn. I’ll post when I get some more made.
This horn bachi was a dream image I held onto upon waking - went out to the shop and it was real by the end of the day.
If you are interested, I can make another - horns cost about $20 and my labor would make it about $75 plus shipping.
Thanks for all the education on Vocaloids. Someday I hope to visit Vocalia and meet them.
Have you thought about playing sanxian with a bachi? I am wondering what it would sound like.
It sounds fine - I mostly use a bachi to play my sanxian. It sounds like a big shamisen. I have the traditional tortoise shell finger picks but I find them very difficult to use, both attaching them to my fingers and then having any dexterity at all with them in place. If I want to do more traditional sanxian picking I just use my fingernails. I am no slave to tradition - if there is a technique that gets you where you want to be sonically, then go for it. It’s not like all of these instruments have not evolved over time. Music is the sum of experience and technique made manifest.