Legion303 wrote:AKA "pick of doom." The L rake is somewhat unique in that you can jiggle it like a bogota or scrub it like an S rake. Like all rakes it depends more on randomness than precision.
-steve
I like the L rake, and I think I can lend some information as to why the picks have such goofy names.
Take a look at Lockpickshop's page for all of them http://www.lockpickshop.com/BTKSP.html
From what I heard, back in the day a locksmith would look at a page in a catalog and the picks in no particular order would be listed from A - Z and the letter assigned to each one didn't really have anything to do with it's shape. So when you see an S rake and it's that W looking thing nobody likes because it always breaks off, you'll know why. Also, most hobbyists call the C rake the "s or snake" rake because it actually looks like an S and not a C. Confused yet? yeah, me too. Don't forget the terrible looking W rake, which is like what you and I would call the L rake but even stranger in design.
The L rake or riffle rake or ripple rake (depending on who you talk to) is actually pretty useful, but I know some purists like to just pick with a short hook and nothing else. I have an L rake in my Peterson set, and it comes in handy all the time. I use it in either a back and fourth scrubbing motion, or I rock it like a see saw as I go in and out of the lock.
I also believe that Buggs didn't know about the L rake because Southord doesn't market to professional locksmiths, as HPC has that market cornered and I don't believe HPC makes a pick that is shaped like that.
Happy picking,
Squelchtone
