What is more important to own, a bump-key or a jiggler set?

[MBI]

I am just starting out hobbying locksmithing. As a kid, I always liked taking things apart-locks included, and have become a sort of family champion for lockpicking. Looking online, I recognize that my skills are nowhere near even 'passable.' Anyway, I've bought a set of picks and a book on how to use them. The book covers an enormous range of information; two of which are bump-keys and jiggler-keys. My budget isn't limitless so what, in y'all's opinion, is the more important set to own? I would say my needs tend to padlocks and old safes. As opposed to cars, is what I mean. Any help? Thank you all very much!

Oh, a recommendation on where to buy a set would be appreciated. There are many, but I'd just as soon not get cheated.

~Jeremy

PostScript: Poll? Huh?

[raimundo]

neither, learn picking or go home.

[Panoply]

Hey Raymond, what'd I do to you? Are you one of those grown men still stuck on the playground? Any other advice is much appreciated! Just like to strut and talk trash, please go elsewhere. THANKS!

[MacGyver101]

My budget isn't limitless so what, in y'all's opinion, is the more important set to own?

I'd agree with raimundo; neither is going to be good in terms of furthering your interest in lockpicking.

"Jiggler" keys are normally only useful for automotive locks -- and they're increasing less useful as manufacturers adopt newer lock designs where the keys and wafers interact differently than in traditional wafer locks (e.g., jiggler keys won't be effective against newer laser-track locks). If you're not interested in automotive locks, then I'd definitely skip buying a set.

Many of us have played with bump keys at one point in time or another -- but they won't improve your picking skills. You note that you're mostly interested in picking "padlocks and old safes". Once your picking skills are reasonably well-developed, you'll quickly lose interest in bump keys for padlocks... and I'm not sure what you mean by "old safes", but I can't think of any old safes with a key lock that a bump-key would be effective on. ("Old" safes tended to mostly use lever locks -- which bump keys won't work on -- and most cheap consumer 'safes' that are sold now in the sub-$300 range use cheap tubular locks, for which there are better tools than bump keys.)

Unfortunately, discussion of safes and automotive locks are restricted to the Advanced forums, so that's about all I can say on those. The bottom line, though, is that I think that either would be a waste of money: if you have a limited budget, and you're interested in improving your picking, I'd either spend the extra cash on a better pick set, or more locks to practice on.

Just my $0.02.

[dls]

Once again neither

If a lock can be jiggled then you should be able to pick it with your eyes closed and one hand behind your back

As for bump keys ill leave that alone this time

[raimundo]

re panoply

go ahead and buy the most costly set of bump keys you can afford, they are specific to keyways but but don't require the skill you need to make an effective snapper that will open all those keyways that can be opened by bump keys

bumpin and snapping are both skills, but easy to learn,

its clear to me that you don't want to learn any difficult skill

[Squelchtone]

Play nice everyone...

Panoply: Our replies are not meant to be rude, but the questions you're asking have been asked over and over by people for the last 8 years here and we have canned responses for a lot of them, so don't take our answers personally, we give them to new users all the time.

Here's an analogy we can all understand: coming to a lockpicking site and asking how to pick locks and which jiggler set is best is like coming to a hacking site and saying that you want to learn how to be a hacker, and asking which automated denial of service script is best?

Jigglers and bump keys are toys, they're fads, and they're not real picking, so you won't get much respect from people if your way of picking involves jigglers or bump keys. It's good to know what they are and how they work, but I wouldn't be caught dead with either in my lock pick set.

stick around and learn about picking with lock picks, and we'll give you all the help you need, and you'll get to know us and we'll get to know you, and sometimes it's hard to "hear" someone's "voice" in a written internet reply, so it's easy to take things the wrong way. We've all been victims of this, but as long as we remember that maybe the person didnt mean to sound like a jerk, we'll all get along just fine.

peace out,
Squelchtone

[raimundo]

I got some really large I guess you'd call them jigglers, in a trade with some other stuff one time, I have never put these crude things into any lock, but I haven't thrown them out because they fit in the package with some other oriental picks that seem to big to even try to pick with, maybe some day I'll cut them down into something useful.

so I own some jigglers, and I will never use them, they are ridiculous,

bumpkeys work, but its a skill to do it well and no doubt some people depend on that skill, however if you own a bump key each of the 100 most common locks in your area, you are going to be carrying several pounds of them on a call out. A snapper will do the same action that a bump key will and fits more than the 100 most common keyways, it requires a small amount of learning to use, you have to angle the probe to take advantage of the angles of the keyway and don't over insert it, the strike force can be adjusted by how far you press it down, and the hardest strike is not necessarily the one that will succeed. The snapper is more versatile, you can make your own easily,and it will fit hundreds of keyways and only weighs a few grams.

[Panoply]

Wow. I've asked 3 questions, and y'alls replies are a gold mine of helpful information. I much appreciate it! Now if I could find a comprehensive dictionary of these terms.... I did find one, but do not think it exhaustive. Keep it up you all, I learn something with each of your posts!

Be Well.
~Jeremy

[gaming4life]

This forum really helped me out. I am getting a basic pick set. I was thinking of spending $90 on a bump key set, but now that i have read this forum i am not going to order for the following reasons..
1. Cumber sum amount of keys to have to carry around.
2. Can damage lock
3. Cost is higher than a basic pick set.
4. Not as fun to learn (IMO)
5. Force vs. Technique. and technique always is best.

[billdeserthills]

This forum really helped me out. I am getting a basic pick set. I was thinking of spending $90 on a bump key set, but now that i have read this forum i am not going to order for the following reasons..
1. Cumber sum amount of keys to have to carry around.
2. Can damage lock
3. Cost is higher than a basic pick set.
4. Not as fun to learn (IMO)
5. Force vs. Technique. and technique always is best.

OMG Dude!
Don't pay that kinda money for a bump-key set
They really aren't worth that kind of money--Even the pick set you need doesn't cost that much

[Squelchtone]

This forum really helped me out. I am getting a basic pick set. I was thinking of spending $90 on a bump key set, but now that i have read this forum i am not going to order for the following reasons..
1. Cumber sum amount of keys to have to carry around.
2. Can damage lock
3. Cost is higher than a basic pick set.
4. Not as fun to learn (IMO)
5. Force vs. Technique. and technique always is best.

just a heads up, you replied to a thread last replied to 5 years ago... if this post in particular helped, then that's ok, but many of the original players are not going to read or reply to your post.

glad you found the info you needed,
Squelchtone

[gaming4life]

I did not want to start a new post about this in an effort to keep the forum organized. I cant wait to get my lockpick set tomorrow. I always wanted one as a kid.

question for S and G. What are you thoughts on the future locks that dont use keys but cell phone and fingerprints.. will they replace all locks sooner then we expect.?

[kwoswalt99-]

question for S and G. What are you thoughts on the future locks that dont use keys but cell phone and fingerprints.. will they replace all locks sooner then we expect.?

Who is S & G? Anyway, here's a discussion on locks of the future, there's some talk on biometrics as well. http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=40737

[gaming4life]

Sh*** & Giggles