by sisk » 22 Jul 2016 10:49
Aside from standard pins there are spools, serrated pins, T pins, and serrated spools. Those are what you're most likely to run into. Then there's the really oddball stuff that you're not going to see until you get into the more difficult locks, like Christmas tree pins. And then there's the stuff in high security locks that I'm not going to talk about here because I don't want Squelchtone or one of the mods to censor my post.
And even more rare than that you get the truly sadistic stuff never found in production locks that locksport enthusiasts do to each other like magnetic pins and floating serrated pins.
As for how to pick them, that's much easier to show than tell so you should search YouTube. But I'll try anyway.
With spools step one is to set everything else so that you drop into a false set. The plug will turn slightly but the lock won't be open yet. At that point you can start gently pushing on the pins that aren't set yet till you find one that turns the plug back towards where you started when you push on it - that's counter rotation - and push on it till the pin sets. About half the time (in my experience, YMMV) you'll drop something you already had set when you set a spool. That's what they're designed to do, make you drop other pins.
T pin drivers will give you a false set just like spools, but without the counter rotation. The best bet for beating them is to learn to feel the difference between a bound pin and a set pin. That way you can just push on what's bound till it's set. T pin keypins are different. I've never come across one (and, as far as I know, they're only found in challenge locks) so I have no clue how to pick them.
Serrated pins are what give me the hardest time. If I know they're there - usually because I either know the lock or know that the model of lock I'm dealing with has them - I don't have too much trouble with them, but I've not found the trick of detecting them quickly if I don't already know they're there. Usually I figure out I've got serrated pins when everything feels like it's set but the lock's still not opening. At that point I go looking for serrated pins. As far as picking them, use light tension and just pick them like standard pins. And then do it again. And sometimes a third time. One click will be more distinct than the others. When you get that click, stop or you'll overset the pin. Oversetting is the biggest problem I have with serrated pins personally.
Serrated spools are exactly what they sound like: spools with serrations. You pick them first like they were normal spools then like they were serrated pins. I've only seen them in American Locks, but I'm sure other locks have them as well.
As for the more advanced stuff, the current hardest pin-tumbler locks I own are American 1100s. At some point I'll get some Rukos and Assas and learn how to tackle the more exotic stuff, but I haven't yet.
Tubular locks are restricted to advanced forums due to how many are used on vending machines. Appreciate your trying to help him with picking pin tumbler locks, though. 
