Number of Falle Safe Picks?

[Exodus5000]

Hey, my Falle Safe picks just arrived! W00t! I notice that I have doubles of all the progressive curve picks, tapered hooks, and fixed 2 prong tension wrenches. Is this standard, or did I recieve a factory glitch?

And BTW - what a great set of picks. These wrenches are awesome, makes the pins setting feel like hammer blows.

[Shrub]

Yes thats normal.

In total you should have,
4 adjustable wrenches,
6 set distance double wrenches,
16 normal wrenches of varying widths,
6 curves,
11 picking tools (hooks etc),
4 lever lifting tools,
3 rakes,
1 big brass handled lever tension wrench.

[digital_blue]

Yup. I concur. There's doubles of most of the picks.

[devildog]

Yup, I concur. Also, take some 600 grit sandpaper and metal polish to them--you won't regret it. Keep in mind that your Falle Safe picks are nickel-plated tool steel (the tension tools are all stainless steel), so whatever metal polish you use needs to be safe for use on nickel--I haven't yet seen a polish that specifically states nickel as being one of the metals it's for use on, so my logic for determining this is as follows: stainless steel is typically about 10% nickel, so if the polish states that it can be used on stainless steel, then it should therefore be ok for nickel. I have seen a couple polishes that specifically state 'Do NOT use on stainless steel', so there are some available that you probably don't want to use.

[devildog]

Oh, and use a polish that's pretty watery; I used MAAS, which is an otherwise excellent polish, and it's really thick which caused to to stick inside the lettering on the picks that say 'FALLE-SAFE' and try as I could I couldn't get it all out, Q-tips and everything, so now there's gunk in the lettering on my falle-safe picks that I'm soon going to clean out with some other metal polish I bought that's a lot more viscous (watery) and a toothbrush. Really, Brasso ought to work just fine--it's very viscous and I'm almost certain it's rated ok for stainless steel.

I had an idea earlier--anyone know how using Carbeurator Cleaner to get the tarnish off my falle-safes would work out? I used it to get some gunk off a key yesterday, first time I'd ever used it but I bought it because I heard it can take ugly off an ape, and was very impressed to see the gunk on the key literally MELT off of it in about 2 seconds after I sprayed it on there. Didn't seem to hurt the key, although I learned that I need to do this outside from now on . Seems like it probably wouldn't be the best idea, and I've already got some new metal polish I'm planning on using on them, soooo...just wondering.

[Shrub]

What on earth are you doing with them to get them that dirty and why polish them, are you putting them on the mantle piece to look at lol

The fales are some of the worst picks i have had/used/seen for having sharp edges, a right good session with some wet 'n dray is most definatly needed.

[Exodus5000]

Shrub: you've really had tha bad of a problem with your falles being sharp? Mine are very well smoothed over, no scratches on the picks, no mill marks, nothing but nice quality picks. The only thing that I COULD complain about is that the nut and screw for one of my adjustable wrenches was floating free in the case when I got it... but I just put it back on and it's fine.

[Shrub]

Yup i did, the pips were left on the shanks where theyve been cut out of the sheet and all the edges were heavily burred.

I was that disopointed with them i still ave yet to even use them.

But you all know im fussy when it comes to tools, the wendt gun simply wasnt up to scratch when i got one so sold it a few days later.

I think i may just have a pick with the pip left on, ill see if i can get a good pic to show you what i mean.

[Wolfman]

Really, Brasso ought to work just fine--it's very viscous and I'm almost certain it's rated ok for stainless steel.

Brasso shines stuff by EATING a layer off. In J.R.O.T.C. we have to polish our belt buckles with it... Evil stuff. I realy dont know if it will work on stainless, as far as I know, Its just ammonia and something else.

Thats why the call it BRASS o

[Shrub]

I have removed them all except this one, i knew i had this one as i found it after i had finished and couldnt be bothered doing it, i have infact done a few passes with a rough emry cloth to get the edges off but i missed it with the wet 'n dry wrapped around a file,

I had hoped i had also missed the edges but i havent.

Sorry for the poor pics but im sure you get the gist.




I also find them too thin for my liking, i have devised a plastic handle that slips over the handles to make them slightly thicker but have not made it yet.

[Shrub]

By the way the pips are/were top and bottom of the picks and they were sharp.

[devildog]

Oil from your fingers will tarnish the nickel plating on the picks. It'll be most pronounced on the pick(s) you use the most often, for me the 4/5 graduated curve pick. I personally think that it's completely worth tolerating as the fact that the picks are tool steel instead of stainless, to me, IS a big improvement. No picks I've used (SouthOrd, Majestic, Peterson, HPC) are close to the Falles in toughness in terms of the amount of leverage, bending and shearing forces, they can handle without bending let alone breaking. Also, that nickel plating is like armor for the pick--you can NOT scratch, ding, or gouge those picks; this is something that particularly irks me about stainless picks. You'll be amazed that you can stick one of those Falles in a lock, root around like you're digging for buried treasure, and it'll come out as smooth as when it went in, whereas stainless would be all torn to he*%. Stainless can't even come close; I'd say the next best ones to the Falles in that regard are the Peterson spring steel picks.

I think most that have the Falles here will agree with me Shrub--you are missing something here. Pull those Falles out, take some wet n'dry to them, and play with them for a few days, you won't regret it

[devildog]

When I said missing, I meant that you're missing out on a good thing, not that you're overlooking anything.

[dmux]

where the heck did you get falle safe picks?? i want some but i cannot find a source that sells them to "non" locksmith people

[cracksman]

dmux buy them here: http://safeventures.com/ Can't say enough good things about this company.

I actually like the way they tarnish, (they just seem to darken up). When I whant to shine them, I use a wadding polish, its like cotton with some cleaner on it, works fine.

As Shrub showed, they need a good polishing on the edges, 400-600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, I add some gun oil, will smooth them out nicely.

I have always used the plastic/rubber piece that held the keys together on a brinks lock I got to go over the handle. It slides on and is set to sit in the crease between my thumb and finger, helps alot with comfort.

We all like to talk about our Falles-hehe