Company Reviews

[thetrh51]

I have obtained and used a large selection of
lockpicks ranging from nonamechinesebrand to
peterson govn't steel. These are my impression on
each.

Nonamechinesebrand: $Cheap$
These picks came in a large set with a large variety
of picks. The metal used is brittle and eventually all
of them broke. This was a 32 piece set and the only thing
I have left is the wafer tension tool. Not recomened
at all, ever.

Sothern Ordinance or SouthOrd: $$Moderate$$
These picks lasted me well. The picks are a little
thicker than I like but they LAST under heavy abuse.
This was my first set and I still have a couple of the
picks laying around. If you're going to get it, get the
ones with the rivetless metal handels. This improves
the balance and comfort along with reinforcing the pick
itself. Recomened for everyone

Sothern Specialties: $$Moderate$$
Good cheap picks. I really like the laminated ripple core
style handles. I bought 3 short hooks and one bended
in half almost immediatly. The other 2 have lasted well.
I think I just got a bad batch of steel. Other than that
they are cheap, well made, and seem to last so far.
Recomended for hobbists

Peterson Govn't Steel: $$$Expensive$$$
Expensive but absurdly strong. I havn't tried the regular
picks but so far my govn't steels have LASTED. In the
course of my work I put a ton of stress on my picks
and the petersons can truly keep up. Plastic handles
are the way to go. The pry bar lite set for top of the
keyway is unmatched in my opinion. You do get what you
pay for. Recomended for rakes or high stress aplications

HPC: ???(Does anyone know?)
HPC picks are strong and inflexible. They are made for
the stress of locksmithery and last. They are thicker
than I prefer but if all you work on are Kwicksets then
there is nothing better. I prefer the standard pick forms
of other companies. The hook end is too rounded for my
taste. I have no idea of the pricing because they were
bought for me. Not my favorite but maybe your new bae.

Sparrows: Coming soon

Reminder, these are just my opinions but I hope they help
people just starting out this excellent hobby.

[cledry]

Rytan also makes good picks. Most locksmiths use HPC or Rytan, but locksmiths are practical so buy what their distributor sell. Pro-Lok makes picks but I don't know anyone using them. A1 Security also makes picks.

[thetrh51]

I'm trying to steer clear of distributer stuff because the average person has a hard time getting them. I only included hpc because that's what's included in some toool sets.