RESULTS POSTRight then! So this contest certainly has had an interesting (and perhaps cursed) run. I am truly sorry for any delays that I have caused, however I am now back from Europe, and have had enough of this being on my to-do list.
As has been posted in a teaser, here are some beautiful photos from Eric Schmiedl:
From left to right, the pickmakers are: toolymcgee, brianpojo, LockNewbie21, Legion303, ratyoke, cheesehead, and criminalhate. All of these guys had some interesting ideas and made some great picks. Not to mention the patience for waiting for these results for so long...
Toolymcgee's entry was a unique pick design that tried out his idea of a half-diamond tip curved downwards. We found that while it worked quite well for the first few pins, it did not do as well for setting rear pins without disturbing the others. The attention to detail and small design made it quite pleasing on the eyes though.
Brainpojo's entry's handle was actually formed from a
lot of silver solder. It was surprisingly smooth to the touch though and the weight gave it an interesting balance.
LockNewbie21's entry follows the precedent his picks have set with this community and really is a great piece of work to feel and work with.
Legion303's entry's handle is actually based of of Peterson's handle design, but has a different feel to it due to the material and shaping. We found that it transferred feedback exceptionally well and the handle feels great.
Ratyoke's entry really is a beautiful thing to behold. His picks continually astound me each time I look at them and are really amazing pieces of work. The ergonomics of the pick make it feel great too!
Cheesehead's entry was our thinnest, but being that it was just a piece of metal and a bit of heatshrink, the feedback provided was great.
Criminalhate's entry used an intersting technique for the handle: wrapped with wire and the oft-used heatshrink around both that and the pick core. It is surprisingly flexible and the longer tang provides more room for fingers to interface with.
The picks were judged with two main considerations in mind: how well they work, and how they look. The functionality was judged subjectively based on a combination of ease of use, maneuverability in keyways, amount and quality of feedback received, and comfort (and if users were able to actually pick a lock with them too!). Looks were judged on...well...look! Until someone comes up with some sort of objective measures and tests for picks, this will have to do.
I am sure that other pickmakers in this community can take a lot from all of the participants' entries, but a few were chosen who we felt separated themselves from the rest. Without further adieu...
For functionality:
#1 - Legion303
#2 - LockNewbie21
For looks:
#1 - ratyoke
#2 - toolymcgee
As was the original plan, these will be auctioned off as the "Pick Making Challenge Set" with all of the proceeds going to help Zeke out. For those new to this scene, Zeke has contributed a massive amount to this community and due to continuing medical issues, could use our help. It is the least we can do for one of our senior members when they are need. There are additional picks that will be included in this set as well, due to
someone sending more than one pick. This will be put up by this weekend, if not sooner (I promise!). I hope that this contest and concurrent auction have a galvanizing effect on not just the pick makers here, but also on everyone in the community. Also, I would like to apologize again for the delays associated with this challenge and I hope that no one was offended or any hope of another such event happening.
Thanks again to all who participated and to everyone else in the community as well!
