Hook Comparisons

[Dogrocket]

I recently added a couple of Peterson lockpicks to my collection. I wanted to do a quick comparison between the new Peterson Pick and my motley collection of commercial pick from a beginners perspective. Given my limited available pool of test picks I figured comparing basic hook picks would give the best idea of the difference between the brands.

From my collection, a Southford hook and a HPC hook pick (both survivors from a grab bag commercial kit), a new Peterson Carbon Steel (Rubber Handle) and a "Wiper Blade" special as a baseline.



Weight
Southford - 8gm
HPC - 13gm
Peterson - 6gm
Wiper - 4gm

Thickness
Southford - .44mm
HPC - .65mm
Peterson - .58mm
Wiper .67mm

Height (At throat of hook)
Southford - 1.71mm
HPC - 1.52mm
Peterson - 1.15mm
Wiper - 1.54mm

Not surprisingly the Southford had a lot more flexibility due to the thin pick blade. I was really surprised that the wiper blade picks I've made had the same approximate dimensions as the HPC pick (Although lighter due to the more basic handle). The Peterson picks are super thin in comparison, and really easy to navigate in a Schlage keyway but seemed just as flexible/stiff as the HPC picks.

So far I've successfully used all four picks to open up a Schlage 5 pin practice cylinder in approximately similar times (I'd chart them, but I'm inconsistent enough that that wouldn't be super helpful). I definitely prefer the handle comfort on the Peterson picks (although I prefer the longer handle on the custom pick not surprisingly), but the feedback seems better on the metal bodied Southford and HPC picks. I'll add additional notes as I try all four picks on additional locks.

[Luissen]

This is only loosely related, but I personally found my first Southord short hook to be annoying until I filed down a portion slightly before the part where the hook's curve becomes pronounced, effectively making a thinner portion that added to the curve.

Also off-topic, how do you feel concerning the 'flat' portion at the end of the hook that contacts the pins, does a wider or narrower tip help or hinder picking?

[l0ckcr4ck3r]

Also off-topic, how do you feel concerning the 'flat' portion at the end of the hook that contacts the pins, does a wider or narrower tip help or hinder picking?

It all depends on what you're picking and your skill level. If you're working on a lock with some spools or very bound up pins, you find that a lot of force is needed to raise the pins. with a narrow tip and low skills, its easy to keep slipping off the tip of the key pin, especially if its a real pointed one. So a larger flat area is better or better still a small v cut on the tip of the pick. Look up a petterson "lifter" pick if you've not seen one.
However, if you are using a Hook to "Zip" a lock, picking for speed and you dont want any hangups or maybe even rotate pins in medico, then ive found a rounded off tip works best. Others will probably have different views on this and im interested to hear their opinions too.

[Dogrocket]

Hi Luissen,

I was pretty surprised at how substantial the Southford hook profile is when compared to the other picks. My guess would be the larger neck is needed to allow for a thinner pick. That said - they're super flexible and pretty hard to bend (The HPC in the picture has a bit of a kink due to my clumsier efforts) so the added flexibility is nice for a beginner. Now I'm a little better at managing tension I definitely prefer a thinner profile (hence the new Peterson picks).

I'll defer to l0ckcr4ck3r on the difference in "hook" shapes. Generally I prefer the rounded tip so you can rake the pins more easily, but I'm new enough that I really can't feel much difference between the generally similar hook profiles.

Dogrocket