I would go for at least 10 hooks, 5 ish half diamonds, and 5 or so rakes. Try to make some nice falle-stlye hooks too, they will give you reach and variety. I say only 5 rakes because they tend to be pretty hit-or miss. Actually, you could even make 15 hooks and 5 diamonds, and then just make some bogotas out of street sweeper
. The reason I'm saying to make hooks is because they allow you to manipulate different parts of the lock separately- and this gives you more control, and with some thought, a better chance of picking the lock.
I also advise that you make the hooks about 3 to 5 at a time. You should actually take the time to make, finish, and put handles on them BEFORE you make the rest, so you learn from your mistakes, and you learn how to make better shapes. Trust me, i made a lot of picks one day, and it turned out that about half were too thin, too short, too long, or that the temper or metal was destroyed. This will make your last few picks super-awesome, and customized to your style.
When you finish your picks i recommend that you sand them with sandpaper, from about 100 grit to 1500 grit (the grit gets finer as the number goes up). I also recommend you put some sort of handle on them. I used to pick without sanding or handles, then without sanding, and now i have both and its a lot more comfortable. Handles can be made of wood, plastic, heat shrink, and a ton of other stuff. look around lp101, be inspired.
--Cpp
