Wow, very pleased with rytan.

[BrokenPath]

Rytan products are extremely expensive but WELL worth the money.

Have any of you ever tried a rytan punch? It doesn't even feel like you're cutting a key. Amazing stuff. I also have their plug spinner. All of their products are either billet or cnc machined. Other punches look cheap and forged.

I'm not a rytan representative, i'm just very happy with their products and how much they've helped me in the field.

[Eyes_Only]

I took a look at a few of the Rytan slimline picks at the SoCal locksmith convention they just had recently hosted by Clark and I immediately fell in love with them. They are literally the smallest profile picks I have ever seen. The quality looked really good too.

I was gonna buy them but I would have had to order it through my shop using their money and not my own so it wouldn not have felt like they were really MY tools and I hate that feeling so I'm just sticking to my SO slimlines for the meantime. Plus I'm a little short on cash cos I need to save up for other expenses and I already spent well over $2000 on tools and equippment so far in just my first two months I've been working at my shop..

But personally I didn't like their plug spinner. I like the Dino spinner I have much better mostly cos I can have more flexability in adjusting the spring tension but I think on most locks the Rytan would work ok.

[blake1803]

Rytan make my favorite hook picks, by a fairly wide margin. The shape is perfect straight from the factory, unlike virtually every other manufacturer's picks that require a bit of sanding.

Eyes_Only: are you talking about the mini blue picks, or do they have a new slimline pick set as well?

The mini picks are the same width as the standard picks; the size of the pick head itself is just smaller. I like the mini picks a lot for very restricted keyways. Unfortunately due to their size they are quite pliant and prone to bending. I wish they were made of stronger material.

[Eyes_Only]

I'm talking about the Mini Red picks.

[blake1803]

Ah, those are the same as mini blue but with a different handle.. I've never actually tried the "traditional" Rytan handles, just the plastic ones. I've wondered what the other style handle feels like.

[Eyes_Only]

I just like the mini reds handle cos its small enough to fit in my Peterson case. The others ones with the rectangular curve probably wouldn't fit in there without tearing up the case.

[zeke79]

I have heard both good and bad about the rytan punches. The main thing I hear bad is that they do not keep their spacing index adjusted well so you have to keep an eye on it while cutting keys.

I have heard good things about their duplicators though.

[lostlink]

I have been using the Rytan punch that is made for and sold by Best for almost 3 years. Working for an institution you can imagine how may keys I've made.

I have nothing but praise for it. I don't know how much it cost but I imagine they are quite expensive...

If anyone gets a chance to try one you'll see how easily they punch out a key....

[Eyes_Only]

I guess its safe to assume they punch better than the Pak-A-Punch by A-1. It'll work most of the time but man, the keys come out kind of ugly.