HPC Picks

[Darek84CJ]

A weld beats a rivet any day.

[CitySpider]

I've got to disagree on the rytans. The material isn't even strong enough to aply pressure to the pins of certain locks without the picks bending. Take a look at the hook in this picture http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/picks/rytan.html the way that the pick is bent is they way that my rytans bend. The navigator picks are without doubt the best picks that I have used.

What locks are "certain" locks? I wouldn't _want_ to use a Rytan to open a rusty, gritty old master lock, but I have.

[cormu]

I am sure i read some where that southords ends are laser cut .... but i could be wrong .. .the hadels on the otherhand may be stamped .

[salzi684]

My rytans didn't like a Best SFIC but they found a common ground and have stoped arguing. My rytans hate abus discus locks and pretty much anything else that incoporates security pins. I use higher tension when picking security pins and the rytans tend to bend when I press on a false set security pin.

[Luke]

If i was gonna buy slim line picks and had the option of HPC 2000, Rytan mini blue or southord slim line i would take rytans anyday/

[CitySpider]

I use higher tension when picking security pins and the rytans tend to bend when I press on a false set security pin.

So don't false set the security pins. Problem isn't with the picks, it's with your technique. Why exactly are you using _more_ tension on a lock with security pins, anyway? That's very counterintuitive.

[salzi684]

Why exactly are you using _more_ tension on a lock with security pins, anyway? That's very counterintuitive.

No, for you that's very counterintuitive, for me this is the best method. I use higher tension when I know that I will be dealing with security pins because it gives me a better feel when I am trying to determine weather a pin is set or false set. Everyone picks locks different and uses different techniques, you like the non handled SO picks and I think they are worthless, but I don't insult you for it.

[Mad Mick]

Not wanting to rock the boat here, but I'm with 'Spider on this. The least tension required to pick a lock, the better. Tension is what picks the lock and is more important than pick selection IMHO, you can have an excellent feel for tension and be able to pick a lock with many different picks.

[Romstar]

Well, this is my take.

As far as I am concerned, HPC are about the best picks on the market. The handles are not too large, but supply the proper amount of grip, and feel when in use.

Further, many people seem to be confusing bendability with flexibility. The SouthOrds that I have used bend if pushed too hard. They tend to stay bent, and if they don't break right then, they will the next time they bend.

The HPC picks on the other hand flex with pressure. They only bend when you try to pick around corners, or pry on something. In addition, when I say flex, I don't mean like a wet spaghetti noodle. They are made from spring steel, and this allows them to handle much thiner profiles without the risk of deformation, or breaking. With very few exceptions, an HPC pick will return to it's original shape when you release the pressure. Yes, you can bend them out of shap, and break them, but nowhere near as easily as the SouthOrd picks. Also, I know that HPC use stainles in several of their picks, and it's some of the most flexible stainless I have ever seen.

The Rytans I have used bend, and stay bent until you bend them back. The handles on the Rytans and the Petersons seem very good, but I almost always tend to prefer the steel handles.

Oh, and for the guy who said a weld beats a rivet any day. That isn't always true. Stainless steel has a very high resistive factor when welding. Also, spot welding, (which is of course the technique used by SouthOrd), has less penetration than normal welding techniques. I have had SouthOrd picks that had the handles pop off. If you manage to break one of the rivets you must be doing some major prying or twisting with that pick.

In the end, much of it comes down to sheer personal preference, and picking style. For me, that style, and preference goes to HPC.

That's my 2 cents.
Romstar

[CitySpider]

Romstar,

Have you tried the Navigator pick set?

[Romstar]

I've only had the opportunity to try the Navigator set once. It seemed a good set, but I would have liked to have more time with it.

What do you think of the Navigator set?

Perhaps I can find someplace that carries them for a reasonable price. So far locally, I don't have a supplier that carries them.

Romstar

[CitySpider]

I think that, given your stated preferences, you'd like it very much.

[Romstar]

Can you point me to a supplier that carries them for a reasonable price?
I'm looking into them up here, but Canada just doesn't have as many suppliers.

Thanks,
Romstar

[Pheniox]

Can you point me to a supplier that carries them for a reasonable price?
I'm looking into them up here, but Canada just doesn't have as many suppliers.

Thanks,
Romstar

http://www.peterson-international.com

where i got my set at

[salzi684]

I think I already stated this but I will say it agian, the navigator picks are the best picks that I have used. There is a small hook in the navigator set, #8, which is the best pick that I own. It is very small and works well in thight keyways and I have abused it to the point where it should be broke 5 times over and yet it has never even bent on me.

Pheniox, I am not sure but I don't think peterson sells the navigator set. I got mine off of lockpicks.com. They put them on sale on ocasion and you can pick up the set for $40.

CitySpider, I didn't know that you had the navigators, do you like them better or worse than rytans?

Mad Mike, I agree that tension is far more important than pick selection but, if I can get better feel when using more tension than when I use less tension then wouldn't it be better to use more. I have an american padlock with serated top and bottom pins in 1,3,5 and serrated spool pins in 2 and 4 with serrated bottom pins. I can not tell the differance between a notch on a serrated pin and a set pin when I use light tension but, when I use medium tension it makes the lock fairly easy to pick (yes, I just said that an american padlock was fairly easy to pick). If you have an american padlock try using slightly heavier tension and with a little practice I bet you will find it is far easier to pick than before.