Beginners budget set in the UK

[Jetpac]

Hi folks i have been doing a bit of reading and looking for a decent starter set but i am on a budget at sets over here are a little more expensive.
I was looking at the sparrow kick start pick set, which i can get over here for £19 ($28) but then i had a look around and saw the suggestions of "build your own" on lockpickshop.com so had a look and i think it can be done cheaper with slimline tools (which im assuming would be better for me being in the uk?) which the sparrow kick start set doesen't utilise. and i am on a pretty massive budget.

I have seen the advice in a few threads for a starter set of:
Short hook
Diamond
Snake rake
Long rake
+ wrenches.

So i had a look on Lockpickshop.com and same up with this:

SLS-09 Slim Line Lock Pick 09
SLS-05 Slim Line Large Diamond Pick
SLS-12 Slim Line Lock Pick 12
SLS-13 Slim Line Lock Pick 13
TW-01 Tension Wrench - Standard
TW-02 Tension Wrench - Short Twist Flex

Now i have a few questions:

1) Does that look alright as a beginner set?
(Partly because i don't really know wich particilar type of tool from each of the 4 categories i listed to go for.. small diamond, large diamond... and a few of the rakes looked similar but different etc etc!)

2) Should i be looking to get the 'euro' tension tools? (i know i could build them cheaply using a guide.. but for my first set at $2 a pop i would rather just buy a couple!)

now all in the above should come to about $25 with shipping which would suit me fine.. but i would like to make sure i have a decent starter kit.. if i get more ino the hoppy then i would be more ready to lay down a bit of extra cash to bulk out the tools/premium tools etc!

Thanks for any help!

[MrAnybody]

Firstly, you'll get differing answers to your question as people put forward their own tastes, but hopefully you can come to a conclusion of your own through them. However, I think anyone replying here (including myself) would recommend that you get the slimline versions of the Southord picks you link to since you're a European user (like myself). I'm sure you understand why if you've looked through other threads here on the forum. They're also good quality for a beginner, and they will do you well.

Now my 2 cents:
1) I'd vote against the #12 and #13 you link to. These are rakes not picks. Rakes will not teach you an awful look about lock picking, but they are useful tools to have. If you're looking to buy a small number of tools on a limited budget, I'd say leave them to one side for now. The 2 rakes you suggest also perform the same function, and are just down to personal preference. They require technique of pulsing the tension to vary the amount of tension as you rake the tool out the lock. I'm sure you'll be buying rakes at some point (I have plenty .... most of which I don't use), but if you really want to understand what's going on in a lock, I'd say stick with hooks and diamonds.

I'd suggest choosing from:
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-08.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-04.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-06.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-07.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-09.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-10.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SLS-11.html

2) Tension tools are just as important (if not more so) than picks. It's up to you if you wanna buy or make them. I think you'll end up making plenty of tension tools if you really get in to the hobby. For the love of God, don't go for the 'feather touch' thing. It's crap. The Double Wishbone thing is also unnecessary,and takes up far too much room in the keyway. When I look at Lockpickshop's selection I'd say choose from:

http://www.lockpickshop.com/TW-01.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/TW-02.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/TW-11.html
http://www.lockpickshop.com/TW-22.html

You'll make plenty more as you go.

Also think about a case for your picks. You can make your own of course, but most people buy their first picks as a set. In that way, they get a case with them (as well as a rake or 2 )

One other recommendation, I covered the handles of my slimlines with a couple of layers of hockey tape and then heat-shrink tubing over the top. They are so much more comfortable, and look very tidy as a result, and I don't think I lose significant feedback.

Hope that helps.

[MrAnybody]

And don't forget to use our discount code for Lockpickshop. They're one of our sponsors.

You can find it in recent posts.

[Jetpac]

Ta very much! appreciate the time you took to write al of that!

I picked up the Standard twist flex, the slim and the euro wrenches
kept one rake to toy with and got another pick

$23 or so inc shipping to the UK for a 7 piece set, so pretty happy with that!

just need to track down a case now, but i can have a look and see what i can find when they get here. Hopefully something made out of cordura, i hate leather for cases!

[sir lot is here]

Personally i would of gone with the kick start set

[Jetpac]

Personally i would of gone with the kick start set

It was actually cheaper for me to buy the picks individually and ship tem from america than to get the kickstart set + shipping here in the uk!

[MrTornado]

With the metal handles you might want to think about getting some vinyl handles or something along those lines. I use SouthOrd picks which have metal handles and the way I hold my pick means that anything over an hour becomes very uncomfortable. You might hold your picks slightly differently so you may not feel that's necessary. I think the key thing is just making sure they're comfy enough that you want to practise!