Peterson’s Government Steel Picks?

[MarkC]

I have the Government G-4 set. It's really nice but I couldn't recommend it to anyone because the price is so darn high. My old (cheap) Majestic pick set works just as well and I've had it for years (no broken picks yet). I don't mean to put down the Peterson set. It's very high quality and the case is fantastic also. If you have money to burn then by all means get it. But it won't open locks any faster.

There's still times I pull out my old Majestic picks because they are what I learned on, and I get a better "feel" with them. To each his own!

Mark

[bluefish6900]

Would i like to have these Picks? Simply Yes. Do i need these Picks? No Not at this point. Maybe if/when i start competing aganist others.
There are times when you want/need the little extra quality, I use Snap-On or other quality tools on a daily basis simple because other brands simply can't function in the same way. Just as an example the box end of the Snap-On wrench is smaller then other brands and you can torque on them all day in the hot sun and they love it, where as other wrenchs can handle the same torque but have larger diameter box end. In some of the Rat holes i got to get to do my job you want every advantage you can. If it's that small wrench head that lets you turn a nut an extra 5 degrees while you are upside down and backward at arms length and can't see what your turning, that 5 degrees makes a differance. I use these tools at work. At home i got the cheap stuff. It's a cost/function thing.
But as a hobby i'm not to that point yet, some of you maybe are at the point where you maybe able to get the most out of these tools.
I would rather like to find out the base material that they use and make my our Goverment Steel Picks. Anybody have a broken one that i can get tested?

Bluefish

[w00tb0t]

I own a few of the "government steel" picks, and I can say that they are beautiful picks, but I can see almost no difference between them and my "the city" kit that has their regular picks. Besides overall pick strength, which does play a small bit on feel, but as stated above, its the picker, not the picks. Everyone has that "one" pick that they love to death and has bonded with. Its that pick that gives you the most feedback.

I really like Peterson picks, the large handles on my the city kit are really nice, and I like the they are the perfect size for most of the locks that I deal with, providing a compromise between Southords minuscule slimline picks and there gargantuan "American" picks.

I am a "light" picker and rarely worry about the strength of my picks, but I like that I can do a fair bit of raking (see above "prying") with my Petersons.

Besides that they are well built picks. I would recommend a "The City" set to anyone wanting to play with Peterson picks. Its an affordable, and very durable set. I usually carry the Peterson diamond and snake with me in my away kit, not to fond of the Peterson gem, but that's just me.

[LocksmithArmy]

peterson makes some strong picks but if that was all they made they would go out of buisness cause of the prics

buy peterson for the bypass tools. theyr unique aproaches to many locks and they do work with practice...

but as for picks id go home brew cause the craftsmanship is superb

of make em urself for that "i did somthing cool" feeling

[hagentj]

I have the same wondering.

I am questioning what is Government Steel made of..?

people can say tuff as nails but that doesn't explain it.

I had a metallurgy course in college and I still have no idea how to compare Government Steel to other metals based on composition.

is Government Steel a slogan like "Best Buy" is for computers?

can someone point me in the direction of a defining answer?

just asking ..

[bembel]

I don't think there's such a thing like "government steel". If you do a google search you'll only find Peterson picks... and this thread on LP101.
I don't doubt they're using some good steel but the name seems to be made-up, for whatever reason. Maybe it sells better.

[GWiens2001]

Peterson is very close-mouthed about the metallurgy of their 'government steel' picks.

Gordon

[YouLuckyFox]

But as a hint, the metal is stainless and also magnetic, which helps to narrow things down. If it is also considered a spring steel, that would narrow it down even further.