Best Hook?

[Lesh18]

I have been considering buying a single hook for SPP, and my options are:

1) Southord Slim Line: Short hook pick
2) Southord Slim Line: Long hook pick
3) Southord Slim Line: Slight hook pick

Which one would be the best for single pins picking? What does the "Slim line" edition mean? The metal is thinner or narrower or both?

Won't Long hook pick be too big for regular locks? What are the pros and cons of a long and short hook?
Thanks

[Solomon]

Which one would be the best for single pins picking? What does the "Slim line" edition mean? The metal is thinner or narrower or both?

Both. It gives you more room in the lock and they get around nasty warding easier, but you need to be more careful with them as they'll bend easier under stress.

Won't Long hook pick be too big for regular locks? What are the pros and cons of a long and short hook?

The long hook is pretty ridiculous, although I filed mine down to the length I wanted and it's a great pick now. Maybe they designed it that way on purpose cos there's no way you could use it they way it's supplied. Even with TOK tension it's horrible to use, it's just too big to get around the warding in most locks.

The slimline short hook is very short; it's tiny overall so it can struggle with high-low bittings. Personally if I was to choose only one I'd go with the slight hook as it's a nice middle ground, although you could do what I did and buy the long hook then file it to the exact size you want. The DeForest (a.k.a. offset diamond) is a fantastic pick for SPP, there isn't much you can't pick with that thing although structurally it's the weakest of the lot so you need to go very gentle on it.

[raimundo]

the slimline short hook will probably open the most locks.

Medium and large hooks both have problems in that they can lift a pin all the way up, but lockpicking happens when lowering the pins when they come to rest on the shear line.

A well sanded slimline short hook will be your most successful pick.

put it in to the back of the lock and gently lift the last pin with light tension then come forward and give each pin as you work your way to the front of the lock a little tap,

for small keyways like master or american lock a really slight hook is actually very successful. well sanded of course.

[Darkness1569]

I love my slim line short hook, it is really good at getting into tight keyways. The only problem I have found is when you're picking locks that are really old or dirty and all the pins are extremely hard to move, this pick doesn't have the strength to move them without bending. which is only a problem with padlocks that don’t have removable cores. (when someone gives you free locks, you don’t complain when they are old and dirty LOL).

The long hook is pretty ridiculous, although I filed mine down to the length I wanted and it's a great pick now

I too have not found a lock that this pick works with, at least not passed pin 2, but filing it down is a brilliant idea. Now maybe I can finally use it after I file it down.

[raimundo]

long hooks work well on lever tumbler locks. sometimes.