Novice Locksmith: Buy or make picks?

[Curioso]

I've been trying my hand at the art of picking locks for about 6 weeks, and the posts from LP101 have been a fountain of knowledge for me. It's much appreciated

However, searching and browsing through the forums, I haven't found a really concrete answer on whether I should make my own picks or buy them.
Honestly, I'm a bit of a purist at heart, and buying picks seems like I'm cheating a bit I would like to actually learn the art of lockpicking.

My question is whether I'd be better served in the future if I bought a set of picks and wrenches and learned how to use them proficiently as opposed to feeling the art out 'one pin at a time' and just making my own picks?

I've already made my own picks, but I'm not too sure they are working very well. I seem to be binding a few of the pins with them. I usually do very well if I 'rake' or 'scrub' first, but I do poorly finding a binding pin without raking first. Here's a picture of the tools I've made.


Money and patience isn't really an issue for me as I have a bit of both too spare, but I wanted to really learn how to pick locks. It seems useful and fun at the same time

[Wesson357]

I would say if you have the $cash$ go ahead and pick up a set. That way you can have the best of both worlds and a template for designing more picks.

[Curioso]

True, but I suppose I'm hung up on if I'd be better off making my own tools for the sake of a learning experiance. I suppose anyone can copy the tools that you can order.

My question is if I'd be hindered or helped to make my own tools from the get go.

Does that make sense?

[Wesson357]

It makes perfect sense. I am of the opinion either way is a good way to learn. It takes quite a while to perfect making picks and commercial lockpicks will give you examples of what kind of feed back professionally made picks can give.

I would recommend getting professional picks but both ways work. Perhaps someone else has another opinion that can help you decide.

[David_Parker]

Whatever floats your boat should really answer your question.

Home-made/do-it-yourself picks are a blast to make. You feel an epic sense of accomplishment when you're done with them and they work out a-ok.

But you have to take into consideration the fact that commercial picks are made by people who know how to make picks. They've obviously created them in mass-production with some sort of research basis that the designs they use work for something.

So, in conclusion, I think its actually really best to get a feel for all the picks you can get in your hands. Start out with a commercial set, then move onto your homemade ones. Yours look good, and it shows that you've put time and effort into them.

-Dave.

[Romstar]

The better the tool, the better the picker. But, what makes a good tool? Do you always need good tools to pick locks?

Lets start with the last one first.

You can pick a lock with ANYTHING. It is entirely dependent upon your determination, skill and sensativity. Or, to put it more succinctly; The more you practice, the BETTER you get.

So, why have better tools?

Nothing hampers your development more than not having the proper tools to learn with. Do you NEED them? No. Can you get good without them? Yes. So, WHY should you buy picks if you can make them?

Simply because you will have a professionally designed and built product that is used by countless professionals in the field every day. You will learn to feel what they feel. Learn to see what they see, and come to understand why a hook works differently than a diamond. Why a 3/4 snake works differently from a riffle snake.

If you think you have the patience, the tools, and the materials you can use the information, pictures and photgraphs that are here, and elsewhere to make yourself some excellent picks that will be as good, or better than anything mass produced. There is no reason WHY you can't start there.

I just think that everyone should have at least a small "professionally made" pick set for comparrison purposes, if nothing else.

So, looking at what I said at the very first. The better the tool, the better the picker. What makes a good tool?

A good tool is one in which care and attention has been paid to make sure that the tool can adequately perform the task for which it is intended. Chop some picks out of a hacksaw blade, and you can most likely pick something with them. But, will you get the best results? No.

For the best results, you have to pay attention to details such as size, shape and finish of the pick. This means knowing the proper sizes to make, the proper shapes (and new shapes ARE being made) and then the most important thing, finish. One of our members Raimundo, produces picks that have a finish on them like polished glass. They move inside of a lock as if they were a part of it. Even some of the more expensive brands of picks, such as HPC still need some extra finishing on the part of the user before they are excellent.

Do some reading here, look at what it takes to make picks and then YOU decide if you want to go that route, or if you want to learn first, and experiment later.

Good luck,
Romstar

[silent]

From the looks of your picks, I would assume you have the equiptment to make the picks. Theyrs plenty of templates floating around and plenty of brickstrap, windshield wiper blades, and streetsweeper bristles around. So I would go for making them. Its free except for time.

[Curioso]

Thanks alot for the replies.

I suppose the general consensus is to have a professionally made set to possibly know what I'm missing out on. That was sort of the way I was leaning anyway, but I hope I still decide to make my own picks after I buy a set. Crafting your own picks kind of seems like part of the hobby.

I've read all the threads I could find on the subject of making homemade picks. The picks in the picture above are made from a flat plumbing snake, and a hacksaw blade. The were cut with a dremel tool. I live in an apartment so I don't have access to a bench grinder The wrench is a bent bobby pin. Believe it or not I prefer that over the others I've tried to make out of other materials.

Thanks again for the replies. They were all really helpful. Happy picking!

[Eagle]

I would recommend to buy picks individually, if you want to go that route. If you need help on deciding which picks to order, you can search around or send me a PM if you can't find the answer.

[raimundo]

i don't own many commercial picks, one ace pick from hpc I have five otherace picks I made from ace keys, I don't own any commercial pintumbler picks, I find that the hook, in its many variations and sizes, the half diamond, and my bogota rake and sabana picks are the only styles of pick tip I use. Several commercial types are complete nonsense, such as the ball and the snowman, I suppose they would work in a lock that can be picked by any pick at all, but no lock requires them and some locks wont open to them. If you make your own picks, then if they are broken, lost or stolen, you can replace them faster than any commercial pick. You can customise them for what works for you. The best template for making picks are the keys to the lock. Remember two things, the pick will be thinner and smaller than the key, you don't need to make a pick for the deepest or shallowest cuts on the key, because unlike a key, the pick moves up and down in the keyway. While you may do mass wasting with a grinder, this heats the metal and may make it brittle if you are not constantly dipping the tool in cold water, or have an assistant stand by with a dishwashing liquid soap bottle to constantly stream water on the metal as you grind. the finest shapeing of the tips cannot be done with a grinder, and in fact, the whole pick can be made without a grinder, if youhave new sharp files. A flat file, a round file like a chainsaw sharpener, and some needle files. THE KEY TO MAKING A GOOD PICK IS SANDPAPER if you do not sand your picks, they have a lot of friction in the lock, In fact, commercial picks routinely come out with brass grindings on them. So after you shape them, sand them smooth. Round off the square edges.

[raimundo]

i don't own many commercial picks, one ace pick from hpc I have five otherace picks I made from ace keys, I don't own any commercial pintumbler picks, I find that the hook, in its many variations and sizes, the half diamond, and my bogota rake and sabana picks are the only styles of pick tip I use. Several commercial types are complete nonsense, such as the ball and the snowman, I suppose they would work in a lock that can be picked by any pick at all, but no lock requires them and some locks wont open to them. If you make your own picks, then if they are broken, lost or stolen, you can replace them faster than any commercial pick. You can customise them for what works for you. The best template for making picks are the keys to the lock. Remember two things, the pick will be thinner and smaller than the key, you don't need to make a pick for the deepest or shallowest cuts on the key, because unlike a key, the pick moves up and down in the keyway. While you may do mass wasting with a grinder, this heats the metal and may make it brittle if you are not constantly dipping the tool in cold water, or have an assistant stand by with a dishwashing liquid soap bottle to constantly stream water on the metal as you grind. the finest shapeing of the tips cannot be done with a grinder, and in fact, the whole pick can be made without a grinder, if youhave new sharp files. A flat file, a round file like a chainsaw sharpener, and some needle files. THE KEY TO MAKING A GOOD PICK IS SANDPAPER if you do not sand your picks, they have a lot of friction in the lock, In fact, commercial picks routinely come out with brass grindings on them. So after you shape them, sand them smooth. Round off the square edges.

[sj]

Several commercial types are complete nonsense, such as the ball and the snowman, I suppose they would work in a lock that can be picked by any pick at all, but no lock requires them and some locks wont open to them.

I agree with most of what you say, but a few days ago I was asked to pick someones bicycle lock, which was a disk tumbler. With the hook and diamond, which work well with pin tumblers I didn't have any luck, but with the ball it opened in seconds. Also it was a double sided lock, so the fact that I could use both sides of the pick meant I didn't have to take it out and flip if over for every wafer. I didn't try raking, but for that I think a snowman would be pretty good, since on disk tumbler locks the wafers have sharp edges and would catch on normal rakes. With the snowman the smooth edges allow it to move over the wafers, like a normal pick would over the rounded pins of a pin tumbler lock.

[bembel]

If money is no issue I would also start with professional picks. But this was already said.
If you want to stay with homemade picks I probably would add some handles for a better grip.

Homemade picks don't have to be worse. I never bought any picks and I don't feel that I missed something. Quite the opposite: Making picks can be as much fun as picking and whenever I think another shape/thickness could be useful I can simply add it to my set.

[KamilM]

Wow, it's very perfect SET. Have You tension wrench made with this same material?

[Lockpick Dan]

must say, that set does look very nice.