How to tension with a bogota tool?

[faelys]

Hello,

after reading so much praise about the "bogota" tool set, I bought a pair from SerePick (I understand they are machine-made and not as good as raimundo's hand made, but a pick I have is more useful than one I cannot have).

When I tried to practice with them, I encountered the problem described with photos in this thread. It's with another brand of padlock, but the same keyway shape, and I can't imagine how to properly apply tension with a bogota tool. Either the tool slips and falls off or gets in the way, or the deepest end pushes the pins.

I understand the recommendation in the linked thread to use a top-of-the-keyway tension wrench, but is there really no way of getting something done with only the bogota tool set?

I'm asking because I wanted to add the bogota tool set in my EDC, because of its small size and weight. I don't mind carrying more tools for locksport, but the need to pick something without advance notice is so rare that it does not justify much more than the bogotas in the wallet. Or maybe just throwing an extra pry bar with the bogotas?

I'm also asking because top-of-the-keyway tension wrenches seem much rarer that bottom-of-the-keyway wrenches, so I assume they are much less used, while that shape of keyway seem quite frequent, at least around me. Also I would be quite disappointed in the bogota tool set if it does not allow to do anything with such keyways, that doesn't match the amount of praise I encountered.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[GWiens2001]

Keep a set of Bogota picks and a pair of Peterson Pry Bars in my wallet because I prefer TOK tension. For BOK, the bogota picks work fine in many cases. It just takes a bit of practice.

Have considered squaring off the ends of my Bogotas since they are rounded, so they can be used more easily for TOK tensioning.

Gordon

[RumballSolutions]

Keep a set of Bogota picks and a pair of Peterson Pry Bars in my wallet because I prefer TOK tension. For BOK, the bogota picks work fine in many cases. It just takes a bit of practice.

Have considered squaring off the ends of my Bogotas since they are rounded, so they can be used more easily for TOK tensioning.

Gordon

Ha! Great minds must think alike I carry the same set up in my wallet for exactly the same reason. I'm on the hunt for a set of Ti pry bars to match my Ti bogota pair and Ti latch card.

[faelys]

Keep a set of Bogota picks and a pair of Peterson Pry Bars in my wallet because I prefer TOK tension. For BOK, the bogota picks work fine in many cases. It just takes a bit of practice.

I thought my preference of TOK tension was a result of my lack of skill and wanting to compensate it with more room in the keyway. As I said, the much larger offering of BOK tension tools has to mean something right?

Do you mean "a pair of Peterson Pry Bars" literally, as in two of them? I had a look at them, but I don't really see the need of more than one.

Also would anyone have any hint on how to get a Peterson Pry Bar or another decent smallish TOK tension tool in France? I got my Southord set from Amazon, and that was easy, but apart from online retailers I'm not sure I trust, I have trouble finding anything…

Have considered squaring off the ends of my Bogotas since they are rounded, so they can be used more easily for TOK tensioning.

My understand of the slipping problem (again, in the keyway shapes like the photos on the thread linked in the top post) is that it comes from the force being applied a long distance away from the keyhole surface. The bogota tool amplifies the problem by not having a right angle. So my guess is that squaring it flat won't help enough, unless you make it thinner too, like in the last photo of the linked thread (and then the thinner the better, as long as it stays thicker than the top of the keyway). But I'm not sure I'm comfortable trying to work titanium…

Thanks for your insights.

[GWiens2001]

The reason for two pry bars is that they come in two different thicknesses. .040" and .050". Good question.

Gordon