Raking or single pin?

[kodierer]

I have said it once, and I'll say it again. Single pin picking is more satisfying, and what beginners should use. Its also more likley to pick many locks over raking. However raking is a valuable skill, and you can use it to compromise some locks very quickly, but your likley hood of picking higher security locks with raking is slim to none.

[iworathong]

Mainly if your tryin to open a lock then you rake. Its fast and efficent. If its a hard lock then single may be faster because once you get good at it it is almost 100% effective on (excluding high security locks like medeco). Some say that the art of picking is in single pin but if your tryin to get the job done then raking is your best bet.

[vector40]

You can flip the snake over and use the tip as a lifter.

[digital_blue]

You can flip the snake over and use the tip as a lifter.

I find this particularily successful on padlocks with smaller pins and keyways.

db

[noctorum]

I actually have used my snake rake enough that I can lift individual pins accurately with it, so I just rake and then search for any pins which need to be set and get them from there.

++

I always rake the lock until most are set, and then either tilt the the tip of the snake into each pin, or get my half round pick and do the same.