first picks

by **rogue101** » 18 Oct 2006 0:05

hello, im a newcomer to this site and fairly new to the trade of lockpicking as well. rather than go through the hassel of online shopping (some bad experiences lately) i decided it would be easier and more fun to make some picks from home. i recently changed my wiper blades and have two 19 and 1/8" long inserts to choose from. i was wondering what a basic pick neccessity would be or what the most common pick used is.

do you guys have any suggestion to what i should try to make first? i have a limited supply so i want to choose wisely.

by **SFGOON** » 18 Oct 2006 0:13

It's all about the hooks. Honestly, you'll need little else.

by **Romstar** » 18 Oct 2006 0:26

Goon's a hook fan, but I have long subcribed to the diamond camp.

My honest philosophy though is that you should have several of each, with a smattering of rakes in there as well.

Ball picks are useful for wafer locks, and not much more.

So, in my opinion, start with a medium hook, and medium diamond. Then make the small versions, and then a rake. Then the large hook and diamond.

Do not forget the tension tools, as they are the most commonly overlooked tools in your kit.

Romstar

by **Shrub** » 18 Oct 2006 7:00

Romstar wrote:Goon's a hook fan, but I have long subcribed to the diamond camp.

I thought i was on my own on that one

by **5thcorps** » 18 Oct 2006 7:56

The above comments are right on. I love BOTH the hook and the half diamond. With me the diamond seems to work much better on lower security locks. But on higher security locks the hooks are KING. I also find the hooks good on smaller stuff like filing cabinet locks and desk locks. So these 2 would be the very least you would want to start out with. Don't buy a set with 2 or 3 dozen picks in it because at this stage in your picking you'll have no use for them, and probably wouldn't know how to use them anyway.
If you get stuck using one or the other try switching them. Many times just changing from hook to diamond or the other way around has been the ticket to success for me.
All my best

by **Romstar** » 18 Oct 2006 10:40

Shrub wrote:
Romstar wrote:Goon's a hook fan, but I have long subcribed to the diamond camp.

I thought i was on my own on that one

Nope, you aren't alone there. I think its part of the reason why I never really liked the Falle set. Too much emphasis on just hooks.

Diamonds take a bit more finess, but in the long run they seem to actually work better. Of course, if you are the true fence sitter type, the DeForest picks are the best compromise of all. Hooks with diamonds on the end. :wink:

My biggest complaint with hooks is the way they enter the lock, and that was John's issue as well. You can see his solution in the deep curve picks he created.

Oh well, I have to see how long it takes to destroy this new set of double long picks I've made. Barry comes up with a double long euro cylinder, and I just can't find one being in Canada. Although, I have made a set of extra long picks for just such a problem.

Torture test time.
Romstar

by **Bud Wiser** » 18 Oct 2006 11:01

I started out as a diamond fan for sure. But since realized that hooks are where it's at. Is one camp right and the other wrong? Can they both be right? I guess it all depends what works best for you. But in theory hooks would win.

by **rogue101** » 18 Oct 2006 11:03

Don't buy a set with 2 or 3 dozen picks in it because at this stage in your picking you'll have no use for them, and probably wouldn't know how to use them anyway.

yeah thats what i figured, just start basic and expand when needed. thanks for the suggestions, i downloaded a template from another post and im gonna get on the diamond and hook right now. what design would be best for a tension wrench?

by **Romstar** » 18 Oct 2006 11:11

Bud Wiser wrote:I started out as a diamond fan for sure. But since realized that hooks are where it's at. Is one camp right and the other wrong? Can they both be right? I guess it all depends what works best for you. But in theory hooks would win.

Both are right actually. Its about what works best in YOUR hands.

Romstar

by **Romstar** » 18 Oct 2006 11:14

rogue101 wrote:what design would be best for a tension wrench?

Oh BOY! Didn't you just ask a bear of a question.

Tension tools are the most over looked tool in your kit. I would recomend several of the things. Different widths, different thicknesses. This gives you light and medium tension in a variety of sizes to fit different locks.

If you can't feel your tension tool, then you will have more problems picking. Not to mention each time the tool slips out of the lock because its the wrong size.

Id much rather see a guy with a dozen tension tools and four picks than a guy with 40 picks and 5 tension tools.

Romstar

by **rogue101** » 18 Oct 2006 11:51

like i said, im fairly new to this. this may sound naive, but is there a certain way a tension tool is supposed to look? because ive seen many templates and examples of other home-made pick/tension sets, and they all differ from one another.

by **Bud Wiser** » 18 Oct 2006 11:53

I AGREE!!!

It's amazing how I can spend a lot of time on a lock and get no where, and as soon as I try a different tension tool, get better instant feed back!

Some tensions stick, some get in the way of the picking, some slip, some angle up towards the pins! I'm always making new tensions.

by **Kaotik** » 18 Oct 2006 14:57

rogue101 wrote:like i said, im fairly new to this. this may sound naive, but is there a certain way a tension tool is supposed to look? because ive seen many templates and examples of other home-made pick/tension sets, and they all differ from one another.

Not as long as you have a 90Âº angle on the end to put into the lock and a reasonable length to create various amounts of pressure to the cylinder.

Other than that, you imagination is the limit. The more tension wrenches you have the better, and like Romstar said; you can never go wrong with to many tensors.

by **Mememe** » 19 Oct 2006 16:05

I tend to go through phases. Sometimes I won't touch anything except diamonds; other times its hooks; and when I get frustrated it is back to rakes. Generally what happens to me is that I hit a lock that I can't open with the "flavour of the month" tool and try one ot the other types - then I'm hooked (excuse the pun)

same goes for tension wrenchs: sometimes I like them stiff other times I like them springy; sometimes shorter - sometimes longer.

The only thing I keep constant is that my picks have good handles.

Good thing I'm not a lockie or my phases might be drill - cutters - thermite - brick - drill - cutters - thermite - brick

by **ComTech** » 19 Oct 2006 18:14

I agree with Romstar that the tension wrench is probably the most important part. If I have a good working tension wrench, I can use it and open the lock with 5 or 6 different picks.
My favorite tension wrench is a short stainless with a 90 degree bend on the end, then I bend another 90 degree in the opposite direction on the other end, then just touch it to a grinder or sander and make on end just slightly narrower the the original end. One end or the other usually fits most locks.

Most of the time when I practice, I will lay out about 6 different type picks and see if I can open the lock with all the picks, one after the other, then I change to a different lock and start the whole process again.

first picks

first picks

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