Southord Hi-yield and HPC Computer picks

[wa1ker00]

I know a lot of this forum is about DIY picks, but due to my current workload I don't have time to make my own. I was wondering if anybody has used these picks and what your thoughts are about them.

Southord.com
Hpcworld.com

[raimundo]

No advice here about the commercial picks,

but you did say that a lot of the forum is about DIY picks,

there is a minority on the site who post about DIY projects, and this group has grown a bit,

but there was never a section for homemade picks, the concept was foreign to the founders of the site most of whom
thought that picks are something that is supplied by the punchpress industry. Now they say that the information on that subject is so scattered about the site that it cannot be put in one section.

For years here, the big dogs told me that not enough people were interested in DIY projects to consider it as a topic. DIY is a hardy weed though so there will always be some people interested, and if someone knows a site that has DIY respected as a topic, let me know, I will go there, as thats where the more creative people will be.

[r0005]

Out of the two I prefer HPC but that is just my personal preference.

[wa1ker00]

From the few people I've talked to who have tried them they have some complaints about the HPC picks being extremely prone to breakage. Any body have experience with that or is my information simply from individuals who beat the crap out of their picks?

[r0005]

All picks can break and if you do this long enough you will break one. You can spend way more on something like Peterson's Gov't Steel picks or replace less expensive picks more often.

[wa1ker00]

Update: With Southord's end of the year sale, I bought one of the Hi-Yield picks (just a rake) along with my other standard purchases. They showed up yesterday and I have mixed feelings so far. The plastic handle on it is great and comfortable. It gives the pick a different feeling compared to a standard metal handle that Southord usually uses. My minor disappointment is with how thick this pick is. It is HUUUUGE and will barely fit into some keyways, even having trouble getting around the bend in a regular Schlage C keyway. I'm not sure how much use I'll honestly get out of this pick. I had been contemplating getting a set of these but I think I'm better off saving my money and sticking with their slim line picks. Honestly, I'm surprised they don't make a Hi-Yield line for their 'Euro' thin picks as they are far more versatile all around.

[Abbe]

+1

I have a few of the High Yield picks (#5-#8) and I agree they are too thick. Comfortable handle but very clumsy due to the thickness of the pick

[wa1ker00]

Haven't had a single instance where I've had a lock that the HPC Hi-Yield has been able to pick something 'easier/faster' than my standard slimline Southord rake. Disappointing.

[raimundo]

Thick, huh, has anyone tried to sand the shafts and picktips til they get rounded off, you can also thin the shafts a bit this way, its possible that you could make a reasonable pick out of one of those,

Every commercial pick needs some work before its more than just a pick blank, the width of the pickshafts needs narrowing to make them agile in keyways. They build them for heavy handed newbies who will have swaybacked hook shafts from pushing against immovable parts

[wa1ker00]

What type sandpaper would you recommend for a project like that?

[raimundo]

Ive been using some 3M corp tri-m-ite black carborundum sandpaper, and if I could find the place to buy that canadian made black sandpaper with the slightly pink grey paper, that stuff is really good at sanding metal,

but the carborundum paper will work fine, Use 320 400 and 600 grits

[spooky]

I think HPC makes better picks but I don't like their computer picks. Designed as profile picks, used by jiggling instead of picking, they're supposed to be shaped like enough keys that by jiggling them, they'll kind of fit the lock.