The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I came across these thorn needles and assume they are 'the raw material'.

Does any-one know which species of plant / tree they originate from ? Maybe a cactus ?

Thank you as always for any information you can give.

The BCN needles, that Andy supplies, are from the Opuntia Monocantha cactus (a type of prickly pear).
The thorns in your pictures look similar but could be from a different species of cactus.

Yes, yours look like they may be a different species. The photo below shows the Opuntia monacantha spines that BCNs have always been made from.

I believe Peter Grey thorn needles in the States (and/or a competitor's product which was the subject of a lawsuit) were made from spines of the Saguaro cactus, Carnegiea gigantea.

Fantastic !

Thank you very much indeed physicist and orchorsol.

Very interesting indeed !