Whats the most used tool in your kit.

[acl]

Yes Shaun the unicycle comes in handy in London,parking a bloody nightmare.
Good spot (bloody nitpicker!)

[Covlocks]

Where do you keep your key cutting equipment on your bike? Pretty basic locksmith requirement is that you can at least cut a cylinder key, I suppose you have a key board in one of your paniers and use a Clipper or file your keys to pattern?

As for carrying enough stock to change a lock - not knowing what it is before hand - are your paniers like a Tardis inside?

[skedone]

im not a pro lockie but i do a lot for friend and for hobies i would say my diamond and hook picks plus bigota pick (and my euro modded version and redesign by myself versions) these are all hand made all i have the full set that steve hampton recomends in his advanced lock picking manual following his diagrams ect all made from hacksaw blades and working very well

[Covlocks]

On relection I should not criticise - so I apologise if I have offended, If you can operate using home made tools that work - good on you - they obviously have limitations, we just use different types of tools.

Good luck with your hobby - the main difference is we do it to earn an income, but as a "lockie" compromising locks is only a "tiny" part of our job. If it were a case of just picking locks all day we would be perfect, but in reality, due to commercial pressures and the price of locks, I doubt if the modern day lockie "picks" more than once or twice a week.

Myself, I stick to cars nowadays - now there we have to "pick" - as a dead locked vehicle can only be opened via "key", "electrically" or brick.

Now that is fun ............. and a challenge!!!

[raimundo]

Well there you have it, favorite tool is the van or motor bike although motorbikes shouldnt have yello page access as locksmiths, and enough information about locksmithing in oxford and london to create a tv show. I think that would be a pretty good series, film some guy on a motor bike from a following camera car, he gets to some door the thieves have wrecked, the place is ransacked, he slaps on a new lock, and the customer stiffs him on the bill. what a great plot for a series. (just expanding the topik a bit)

[jeremy]

Well, I really don't have to decide on just one tool. Because the whole toolbox was stolen! I miss my cute little red toolbox.

Actually I'd be more upset about some of my books though, if they were stolen. My library of information is pretty valuable to me.