First Pick A Success?

[hurley_000]

I was about 5 minutes to get my first lock open. It was a cheap Chinese 4 pin padlock.
Spent most of that time trying to get the tension right, I was using way to much I couldn't even lift the pins.
After I had opened it a few times I checked the bitting on the key and it was cut 5,4,3,2. Once I understood how to read and apply the bitting from the key I laughed as I could open this lock with anything that I jammed in the keyway on a slight angle.

I spend more time bypassing this lock now than I do picking it, its actually more of a challenge to hook into the lever to open the shackle then it is to pick this things now!

[exiluxis]

My first padlock took about 5 min to open but after opening it 50 times im getting pritty fast at it. So my next lock i wohnted to try some thing else so i bought a disc padlock and the only thing i have lerned is that im doing something rong couse i got 20 h at it and it is still locked but soner or later it will. :) Ex

[atticRR]

it took me under three minutes using a modified fondue fork and a bent file. Six pin chalet lock. After that i opened it multiple times, then i couldnt get it open again for quite a while. At first i was just flailing around. Now that i have purchased/made picks i know whats happening in the lock and can open it at will in less than a minute. Love it!

[jamesdehunter]

Hiya, complete newbie here (both to the forum and lockpicking), got my set in the post today and decided i would start with an old mucky shed padlock.

Tension tool in........check

Apply tension........check

Rake once......felt a slight movement and heard a click

Pull out, rake again.......it opens......should've seen my face

5 seconds for a first attempt, i was overjoyed.

Second attempt was about 5 min however, but i think that was from over enthusiastic pressure on the tension tool.

Cant wait for my practice lock so i can see whats going on inside.

[catsoup]

[quote="jamesdehunter"]
Tension tool in........check

Apply tension........check

Rake once......felt a slight movement and heard a click

Pull out, rake again.......it opens......should've seen my face

5 seconds for a first attempt, i was overjoyed.

Second attempt was about 5 min however, but i think that was from over enthusiastic pressure on the tension tool.
[/quote]

This seems to be how it goes when I show people the basics to try it themselves. I hand them the lock, explain the mechanism, hand them the tools, and five seconds later, the lock is open. they look at me as if to say 'you spend how much time practicing this?' and then on the second attempt it hits them that locks actually are somewhat secure...

this is not how my first attempt went. it was more like an hour of fiddling, I should have done my research first.

[Josh66]

My first one was a No. 1 Master, I think.

I knew basically how locks and picking them worked, and I knew what the tools were supposed to look like - but I had never actually done it before.

A buddy at work bet me that I couldn't open this lock we found, so I went and made a (crude) pick and tension wrench. I had it open pretty quick... I opened it a few more times, and then nothing I tried worked anymore. (I was probably using too much tension - plus the pick kinda sucked.)

Then I decided to make some "real" picks and really learn this stuff.

[RedEarth]

I'm new at this, and My first pick was the cable lock on my Springfield XD about twenty minutes ago. Less than 5 seconds, repeatable. With paperclips.
But it's only a three pin lock, and apparently super cheap.

The Master Lock #142DCM has eluded me so far... but again I don't have proper picks yet.

[Sparta]

Hi, This Is Sparta … lol J/K anyway name is Paul I am very new to this. Since I was little I saw movies like James Bond and others … always was intrigued when Bond or who ever… Pick a Lock or hot wired a car … just love it. will I just started about an hour ago and pick two door locks, three different pad locks all success all under minute but one pad lock its say 60 MM on bottom I think OC … not sure that one took awhile … I love it and Im hook..
Sparta

[mant01]

My first padlock took a couple minutes and now I can do it in a couple of seconds. It is a 4 pin that looks basically the same as the cheap American masters lock. My second padlock is a Green Jem Security 63mm and after many hours still cant open it.

[RubberBanned]

I just pulled off my first successful pick! Took about 15 minutes of work. Kwikset deadbolt. Was really exhilarating, just got the 5 piece titanium set in the mail. I think I was being really heavy handed, but once I lightened up I got much better feedback. Really excited to try different locks now.

[vbnmzzz]

Well I read this forum and decided to get a set of picks from Peterson Locksmith tools. (Bought the 5 piece 2 tension wrenches and 3 picks) I immediately went to walmart and bought 2 locks. First lock took me about 5 mins. The second took me probably 10. Then I went on to a Kwikset deadbolt about 3 mins and the one on the handle took me another 5 or so. I enjoy it immensely. I think I'm hooked =)

[DexterMoser]

Started on a filing cabinet lock (2 pins) with two paper clips. I'd say it took 5-10 minutes to figure out what I was actually doing/attempting to not bend the paper clips. Second lock was a 4 pin gun lock, which I got within a few minutes. The main lock I want to pick is a 6 pin commercial lock, and after almost an hour of futile tries, I gave up on the paper clips, they simply were not strong enough...or I just can't figure it out with the paper clips. Real tools should be on the way soon!

[Hachronn]

My first lock opened disturbingly fast. The disturbing part was that it was a lock that I actually had in use. I Raked it open within 30 seconds of taking my picks out of the UPS package.

[Lucid Faia]

I suppose I'm in the one-day crowd. I was having trouble with a practice lock I had ordered. I couldn't pick it with 6 pins inside, and I was having consistency problems with even 3 pins. I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong. Eventually I realized that I was applying too much torque; I eased up on the tension and was stunned by what a difference it made. Having a much, much easier time with lockpicking now.