cheapest deal?

[madtallica]

ok im sure we've all seen the easy pickings book with the 5 picks set all over, im wondering though if that is actually the best thing to start out with or would i need something bigger? im not gonna go overkill with it and go out and buy the 62 set thing....yet. ha yeah so should i start out with the EZ or is there something out there thats better for beginners?

thanks!

[elewton]

That was my first pick set. It's OK, and stood the test of time. It only comes with one tension wrench, which might be a problem.

So, in conclusion, if you are getting it cheap, go ahead. Otherwise, you might want to shop around for things like handles. The book is worth precisely nothing if you have internet access (the MIT guide is better.)

[master in training]

as elewton said, the book is a waste of paper, theres a thread in the FAQ section about what to buy as a new pickset etc, its probably best to get something like an 11 piece set or whatever you can afford, its best to get a few tension wrenches as well as picks. keep in mind where you like as well, if you're in the UK, its often better to get slim line picks, if you're in the US or most other places, normal tools are fine.

hope this helps! good luck!

~ MiT ~

[Mad Mick]

Some of the kits make up the numbers with a few tension wrenches. As long as you have the generally recognised shapes in the kit, i.e. half-diamond & hook for the pin tumblers, full/half ball or snowman for the wafers, then a rake or two, the tension wrenches can be easily made yourself...get some wiper blade strips or sweeper bristles. Raking can also be done with a half-diamond, hook, or one of the ball type picks.

Don't go overboard with buying the larger sets...this will probably lead you to being overwhelmed with pick choice in the beginning. A small choice set will allow you to use the tools that 85% of pickers frequently use to regularly pick the most common locks. If you find that this hobby is not for you, then you haven't lost too much in the process.

The pamphlets that come with some of the pick sets are ok for someone who has never seen a pick or lock before, but since you are already looking at this site, regard these pamphlets as nothing more than emergency rations, should you run out of Charmin.

[macK3r]

Where's the best place to get a starter kit (no, not the book, as others have mentioned, the MIT guide is t3h best) if I live in Europe? Want some good thin ones and some wrenches. We have mostly ASSA security-locks or pin-tumbler locks over here in the Nordic. I heard about lockpicks.nl, but they seem to be no more...

What could I expect for a price?

[Mad Mick]

macK3r: If you're looking for slim picks, have a look at http://www.devonlocks.com/ and check out the slimline set.

You could also have a look at the Toool site:
http://www.toool.nl/
I can't understand a word of it (except for the heading), but you might.

HTH.

[master in training]

mick, top right, theres a thing saying "see this page in english" and a massive UK flag!

[Mad Mick]

A joke gets lost when someone states the obvious...

J/K mit... (I did have a look in English, but it was a long time ago)

[master in training]

lol!

i just took a quick glance between killing the pc with too much stuff running

[cracksman]

Just to clarify:

Where's the best place to get a starter kit (no, not the book, as others have mentioned, the MIT guide is t3h best) if I live in Europe? Want some good thin ones and some wrenches. We have mostly ASSA security-locks or pin-tumbler locks over here in the Nordic. I heard about lockpicks.nl, but they seem to be no more...

Whe you say thin picks, do you mean a european slim line set (they are just as thick gauge steel just a lower profile) or do you mean a thin pick like a Peterson slim gem? I didn't realize the difference till I bought both sets

[macK3r]

I can't understand a word of it (except for the heading), but you might.

Heh, I don't understand a word of Dutch, sorry