A couple of thoughts ran into one long rant about tools

[le.nutzman]

Ok, so maybe this isn't so much a question about what tool to use as it is a question about between the Peterson Slender Gem and the Peterson Reach, if you have both, which one do you prefer and why?

In the year i've been over here, I've now had an opportunity to sample lockpick tools from SO, HPC and Peterson. Due to the size of each pick set that i've purchased, i've taken what i've liked from each set and combined it into one set.

My current set now includes several SO picks, most of the tension wrenches are from my HPC set except for my feather touch tension wrench and all my slim picks are Peterson. Then my fancy smancy Women's Large Bobby Pin Tension wrench that I used in the absence of normal wrenches for a days.

All in all, i'd easily venture to say that i've invested several hundred dollars in my lockpick tools, and i'll probably invest some more until i have what i think is a decent set by my own standards. I'm looking to add the Peterson Flat 5 Tension wrench set and another 2 DAMES tools. It won't be the Peterson G4 set, but it's more than functional in the right hands. Whether you do it for hobby or trade, it's going to be expensive if you want the best you can get.

[Eyes_Only]

Wish I had a camera to show you what I got but I don't. But anyways, I have both the slender gem and the slender reach. I use the slender reach for my SFIC locks and it really out performs my other picks as far as flexibility in tight keyways and is really handy to have.

The slender gem I don't really use that often. I only use my regular gem to aid in picking a couple mortise locks I have that I pinned out of MACS but thats about it.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who use the slender gem more frequently but I personally never really found any need for it yet.