Just a hello. With a few questions.

[lt1_kid]

Hello fellas. Long and short of it is ....I got into lock sport through work. I am the fuzz (yes...i know... hate away). I began this journey cause I wanted to help people get into houses when locked out or when they left their little kids inside by accident (happens more than you think). I also try to assist search warrant teams, EMS/FD (medical runs), and frankly it IS fun. I started with a PXS-14 and youtube vids (bosnianbill is my fav). I then began picking with some success... getting old door locks from our local locksmith. I then went to a non destructive entry class (that gave me better tools and taught me GASP..lock bumping) to learn more (I can't believe my bosses approved it). Now it has brought me here to you guys. As a wise man once said "Have fun and stay legal"

My questions would be. What youtube channels should I subscribe to (asides from bosnianbill)?
What are the must have pick / bump tools?
Lastly, How did you get into this skill?

[GWiens2001]

No hate for you here. Glad you are able to enjoy the hobby legally, and help others out at the same time.

Welcome!

Gordon

[zeke79]

The fuzz you say?? You and MBI will get along for sure!

Welcome aboard!

[LocksportSouth]

Or: Stay safe, and stay legal

Welcome to the community! Hope you have fun here . In terms of your questions:

In terms of YouTube Channels, you could try:
Wizwazzle
KokomoLock

I'm sure others have more suggestions but that should get you started .

Must have pick/bump tools:

Well, in terms of raw MUST-HAVES, all you really need is a medium hook and a tension wrench. However personally I prefer to have more tools at my disposal "just in case". There are several routes you can go down, and it all depends on your budget.

If you have a small budget, and you want the most bang for your buck, you could get the GOSO 24pc picking kit. It has everything you need (and some stuff you don't), and is cheap as chips. You could also get some SouthOrd stuff such as one of these standard pick sets or These slimline pick sets depending on if you're in the US or Europe (or whether you deal with more US or EU lock).

If you have a small budget and want few, high quality picks, consider something from Peterson. You can buy picks individually for around $8 to $15 each, and you can buy tension wrenches as well.

If you have a larger budget and want a good selection of high quality picks, Peterson do pick sets of various sizes, too.

Some popular names in pick tools include:

Goso: Cheap 'n' Cheerful
Klom: Also Cheap 'n' Cheerful
SouthOrd: Good beginner's sets for price/quality
Peterson: Very high quality but expensive
HPC: Another highly recommended brand


How did I get into this skill?
I've been interested in locks since I was a kid. Where other kids would play with toys, I'd mess around with padlocks, trying to figure out how they work. I have particularly strong memories for two specific padlocks that I used to see in my hometown as I walked into town with my mum as a little kid - a CISA Shutter lock and a Ruko shutter lock - I'd stand and fiddle with them for ages every day... Skip forward a few years and I had to leave my childish dreams behind and get a real job, and move on with life... Until I discovered the locksport community a few months back. Now I'm trying to make up for lost time collecting interesting locks and learning to pick as well - purely for fun and as a hobby. I'm personally about the collecting as much as, if not more than the picking although that takes a heavy toll on the wallet, haha!

Again - welcome to the forum

[LocksportSouth]

I just wanted to update to mention Sparrows, who are a great company and I highly recommend their picks. I've done a review of them on this forum also.
If you're in the UK, you can get Sparrows from UKLockPickers

Please note that I'm also a total newbie to this forum and to lockpicking, so please take my recommendations with a grain of salt - I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination!

I should also point out that GOSO and KLOM sets, whilst usable, are not really that great (for example, they are often missing useful picks and have a poor finish - the plastic handles on my GOSOs, for instance, are very scratchy and uncomfortable to use). You're better off with Sparrows or Peterson if you can afford the extra cash .

[Jeb37]

I actually got started by finding (and binge watching) bosnianbill videos on YouTube. Cochise1872 is somewhat similar to bosnianbill. Omega Red has some good videos of cutaway locks that can really help you understand security pins and such.

If you have the tools, I would recommend making some of your own picks. It's how I got my first set of tools. Bosnianbill has a good series of videos where he shows his pick-making process.

[Squelchtone]

Or: Stay safe, and stay legal

Welcome to the community! Hope you have fun here . In terms of your questions:

In terms of YouTube Channels, you could try:
Wizwazzle
KokomoLock

I'm sure others have more suggestions but that should get you started .

The only issue with a lot of all of these guys videos is they already know how to pick, most lock picking videos on youtube are just people showing off their skills. If you are a beginner and don't have any skills yet, I would recommend watching Schuyler Towne's 24 video set that covers all the basics for someone who has never picked before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVSL0liiWoc&list=PLF2F1FC3FBFDA27DE

If you have a small budget, and you want the most bang for your buck, you could get the GOSO 24pc picking kit. It has everything you need (and some stuff you don't), and is cheap as chips. You could also get some SouthOrd stuff such as one of these standard pick sets or These slimline pick sets depending on if you're in the US or Europe (or whether you deal with more US or EU lock).

If you have a small budget and want few, high quality picks, consider something from Peterson. You can buy picks individually for around $8 to $15 each, and you can buy tension wrenches as well.

If you have a larger budget and want a good selection of high quality picks, Peterson do pick sets of various sizes, too.

Some popular names in pick tools include:

Goso: Cheap 'n' Cheerful
Klom: Also Cheap 'n' Cheerful
SouthOrd: Good beginner's sets for price/quality
Peterson: Very high quality but expensive
HPC: Another highly recommended brand

LocksportSouth and I exchanged some PMs this morning about this, and in my personal opinion and years of experience in this hobby, I just don't agree that certain GOSO or Klom sets should be recommended to beginners.. Those companies pick sets have an odd ball assortment of hooks and car specific car door lock opening rakes, which would not be the standard pick shapes most beginners learn with, and these sets lack the pick shapes that are often discussed in new and older forum threads.

In contrast to the automotive heavy GOSO set linked above, I believe this would be a better fit for beginners if you were specifically in the market for a set made by GOSO: http://www.amazon.co.uk/piece-slimline- ... B00765DU0O

just my 2 cents, otherwise the other recommendations LocksportSouth made are very good.
Squelchtone

[LocksportSouth]

This is absolutely a fair comment by Squelchtone - of the 24pc included in the GOSO set that I have, I use the following:

medium hook
Deeper hook (for getting to deep set pins behind shallow set pins)
Shallow hook
The rounded tension tool (I actually prefer this to any of the other tensioners as it's much softer).

So while it looks cool to have a huge set, it's not insanely practical.
Also, the finish of the plastic handles isn't great and I've spent a lot of time trying to sand or pick off these moulding marks.

The standard hooks in the Sparrows set have now replaced my Gosos, it must be said. When I photographed my challenge coin earlier, I grabbed my closest pick, the only one that wasn't packed away, and a tension wrench for the quick photo - and it's a Sparrows one. Much nicer.

Oh! I totally forgot the Schuyler Towne 24 part series, I just watched that the other day. Yes, agreed - that's definitely a good starting point .

[lt1_kid]

The fuzz you say?? You and MBI will get along for sure!

Welcome aboard!

Who or what is this MBI you speak of?

[kwoswalt99-]

Here you go http://www.lockpicking101.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=49674

[zeke79]

Oh boy lol!!!!!!


MBI isn't really the fuzz. He is:

Figurative
Brave
Ingenious

[cledry]

I am a locksmith and my boss actually hired one of those guys who posts videos on YouTube of himself picking locks. Won't do that again. The skills on YouTube didn't translate to the real world in the field, not even close. On YouTube he was picking all manner of high security locks, in actuality he was lucky to pick a Defiant, Brinks, or Kwikset, most of these he couldn't pick. As for Schlage or any commercial lock just forget it. Granted as a locksmith time is important, we can't afford the luxury of spending an hour to pick a lock. Possibly if given more time he might of managed to pick a few more locks.

I looked at some of his videos and determined that he would buy a lock with a key, then make a pick that closely resembled the profile of the key. He would then use this to pick the lock. Sadly this guy actually designs lock picks for Southord. Not that any locksmiths really seem to use Southord picks, but I would be leery of some of their designs.

[MrTomorrow]

Welcome to town. I wanted to pick locks since I read about it in the Doc Savage pulps. With the net I was able to get some nice tools and start to play. Yesterday a neighbour knocked on my door at 7:30 in the morning to say he'd locked his car and house keys in the apt and was about to be late for work. I pulled out my southern specialty folding pocket pick, 30 secs, kid you not. He owes me a six pack. Great way to start the day. I felt worthwhile You want decent tools for decent prices and shipping costs that aren't made up out of the blue? http://www.sparrowslockpicks.com Located in Toronto. There stuff is wonderful, check out some of their vids. Got the Monstrum just a few months ago, wonderful.