Hi guys, I'm a newbie, and about to buy my first pick set...

[welshdemon]

Hi all.

I'm a newbie locksmith. It's not a profession (yet), more of a hobby. I live in the UK. I'm a bit unconventional and have lots of strange interests. In the past I've picked a couple of padlocks, a bicycle lock, a lock on a home "payphone" telephone, some small cheap metal cash box type things, and maybe one or two other locks. Basically I have tried any lock which I could find about the house. Most of which are cheap, poorly made, and which I picked with no particular picking knowledge. (Basically shoving in somehting like a hairpin, fiddling about and finding the lock magically opens...I guess with cheap locks all you have to do is lift the pins and get lucky. I have however got stuck on Yale type and a decent padlock which I found, so I decided to buy a decent pick set.

Anyway I'm looking to progress, and move on to decent locks, like well made pin tumblers, e.g., typical UK door locks or decent padlocks. Why? Well it's a hobby, but it also might come in useful for future employment. I'm considering moving into the security field in a few years after my skills and knowledge have grown.

I was about to order a jackknife set today, but first did a google on "lock pick jackknife review", and found this site. I decided to have a read through a load of posts and have (luckily) realised that as a beginner, the jackknife is not for me. Anyway, the reason for this post is firstly to introduce myself, and secondly to ask a question on a suitable pick set.

Like mentioned, I will be mainly practising on pin tumblers for now, which will be in padlocks and (Yale type) door locks, and possibly Medeco locks. I was wondering, for these purposes, do you think the MPXS-11 would be adequate for a beginner? I wouldn't like to buy the set and find that I could have used a pick which was not included in the set, or a different size I need which I do not have.

Also, has anybody heard of this Magic Material stuff?
http://www.airpistol.co.uk/lockpick1.htm
Has anybody tried it or heard of anyone who has? Surely it can't work too well?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Bye for now.

[frollard]

looks like it doesnt actually pick the lock, more bypasses the latch on the door.

[Luke]

its MICA... or Linen Micarta, they seem to be charging an aweful lot for it to.

[Quin]

For UK locks you're better off getting the slimline lock picks because the standard picks don't fit in all UK locks whereas the Slimline picks are designed for them.

If you PM me I can give you links for more info.

[welshdemon]

Luke: This "MICA... or Linen Micarta". Have you ever used it, do you know if it is effective?


Quin: Thanks for the info. I see you're in Torquay... I'm near Exeter!
Anyway I will PM you.

[Luke]

Im going to buy some soon, sounds some what effective, i wouldnt buy it till i write a review!

[Chucklz]

Before you buy any Mica, go and buy a gallon of milk. Sit down, have a glass or two and think about what you were going to spend money on.

[Romstar]

Before you buy any Mica, go and buy a gallon of milk. Sit down, have a glass or two and think about what you were going to spend money on.

Now there is a funny way to tell someone to chop up a milk jug.

Romstar

[zeke79]

Before you buy any Mica, go and buy a gallon of milk. Sit down, have a glass or two and think about what you were going to spend money on.

Talk about reading between the lines.

[Chucklz]

Well, I didn't want to make it too obvious, I wanted to have a bit of fun. Besides a glass of milk is good when your not quite ready for coffee, and coffee is good when your not quite ready for beer. Now if I could only find something pick related to do with a pint of Guinness.

[Romstar]

Well, I didn't want to make it too obvious, I wanted to have a bit of fun. Besides a glass of milk is good when your not quite ready for coffee, and coffee is good when your not quite ready for beer. Now if I could only find something pick related to do with a pint of Guinness.

Oh hell, that's easy.

Clean the bottle thoroughly, and then allow to dry completely. Find a plastic cigar tube that will fit in the mouth of the bottle.

Mix water and malt until the colour of dark ale, fill bottle 3/4 full, insert cigar tube. If liquid rises to proper level, glue upper part of tube into mouth of bottle. Allow glue to seal the opening.

When glue has dried, insert several lock tools into cigar tube, and close bottle with proper cap.

Hide tools bottle with normal beer.

Romstar

[Pheniox]

Well, I didn't want to make it too obvious, I wanted to have a bit of fun. Besides a glass of milk is good when your not quite ready for coffee, and coffee is good when your not quite ready for beer. Now if I could only find something pick related to do with a pint of Guinness.

Oh hell, that's easy.

Clean the bottle thoroughly, and then allow to dry completely. Find a plastic cigar tube that will fit in the mouth of the bottle.

Mix water and malt until the colour of dark ale, fill bottle 3/4 full, insert cigar tube. If liquid rises to proper level, glue upper part of tube into mouth of bottle. Allow glue to seal the opening.

When glue has dried, insert several lock tools into cigar tube, and close bottle with proper cap.

Hide tools bottle with normal beer.

Romstar

eh?

[Romstar]

He said he wanted to do something pick related with a bottle of Guinness.

He didn't say he wanted to open a lock with the Guinness.

Anyway, in order to make this thing, you forst have to DRINK the Guinness. So, it's pick related, and he did something with the Guinness.

Romstar

[CaptHook]

Now Rom, buy the draught in cans, then you can make padlock shims out of the cans silly. Another use, take the nitrogen ball, drill all the way through and hang it off the end of a tension wrench, you can add weight as needed.....Can you guys tell I run liquor stores?????
Chuck

[Chucklz]

Ha.... thanks guys.