Picking a BEST brand brass padlock?

[TLNixon]

I've been picking stuff for 10 years or longer, but I can't get this one. Is there a secret I'm missing. I've used diamonds and 1/2 diamonds, rakes, hooks and even the old pick gun and so far no results.

Anyone have any hints?

[Octillion]

10 years, eh? Sounds like a lot of down time to me . Actually, there is already a lot of information on Best locks on these forums, just search for "SFIC". These have two sheer lines, and from my experience, some are easy, and some are nearly impossible. Maybe you got lucky and found a nice hard one to play with.

[Stinger]

That's my experience too. I've bought one off ebay some time ago (think it was called B-23 or something like that, I might be wrong). I expected a huge challenge but picked it in 6 minutes. Then two months later, I went to a friends house, he's also a lockpicker and had a few of the same brand padlocks. But even though his lock looked much older than my version I could not pick it. I tried for nearly 2 hours ( I took breaks and cursed) but still couldn't get it.

[Bud Wiser]

This happens to me too. I suspect the key bites, pin heights have a lot ot do with it. I run accross this alot! I have several Master #5's. Most pick easily, then I run across one that is difficult. Same with other locks too I have more then one of. Just depends how the pins are configured. That's why I don't mind getting the same locks again because I know it won't be the same. Even simple locks like master #3, #5 will present you a new challenge. Just practicing on the same lock over and over again is not enough.

Just my 2 cents

[unbreakable]

Just practicing on the same lock over and over again is not enough.

Just my 2 cents

Agreed

I just picked a yale Y1 in the first minute of picking it up. Iv never picked it before, but it was just a super easy one.

[Octillion]

This happens to me too. I suspect the key bites, pin heights have a lot ot do with it. I run accross this alot! I have several Master #5's. Most pick easily, then I run across one that is difficult. Same with other locks too I have more then one of. Just depends how the pins are configured. That's why I don't mind getting the same locks again because I know it won't be the same. Even simple locks like master #3, #5 will present you a new challenge. Just practicing on the same lock over and over again is not enough.

Just my 2 cents

Nope, this is something entirely different. Yes, all locks of the same make and model will have certain ones which are more easy/difficult than another, but with SFIC’s in particular (as well as locks with master rings), a difficult lock is in an entirely different ballpark than a simple Master lock. Because they have two sheer lines, picking them as if they are an ordinary lock can be extremely difficult depending on how the pins bind. There is no way to tell what sheer line a pin is setting to. In some locks the pins may easily bind to one sheer line, and the lock opens/control cam retracts without too much hassle. In others, it takes a lot of luck (and it really may be more luck than skill) to get the pins to settle to one sheer line. It just depends on the hole alignment/pinning of the lock, and the pinning doesn’t necessarily have to be “hard” (pinned to MACS), rather it just needs to coincide well with the way the holes are aligned such that there will be no preference for one sheer line to bind easily.

So yes, your post was technically correct, but it doesn’t quite relate to things here, hard Master locks require skill to open easily, hard SFIC’s require luck.

[Octillion]

I should add, I’m not taking into account if you try using special tools, like the Finch control sleeve torque tool. Also, I’m not sure how much these things effect the ease of using a pick gun/bump key, these may depend more on the pinning of the lock.

[Bud Wiser]

I should add, I'm not taking into account if you try using special tools, like the Finch control sleeve torque tool. Also, I'm not sure how much these things effect the ease of using a pick gun/bump key, these may depend more on the pinning of the lock.

Yes, of course you are right too. Obviously in cases where the lock is more difficult like you outlined with 2 sheer lines, luck will play a bigger role. To be honest I'm not comfortably there yet, still a beginner I am comfortable with one sheer line even with security pins, so I have a way to go too.

The point I was trying to make is that just practicing on one lock over and over again while beneficial to learn the basics still will not prepare you fully for all the variations. You need to practice your new skills on other locks of the same model to really expand your skill level. At least this has been true for me. It forces your hand to find the correct procedure for each model, which will be different. Rather then memorize the procedure on the same lock.

This would also help explain why some beginners seem to have so much trouble with a master #3 and they can't understand why others have found the same model so easy. Well try another master #3 and perhaps you will see why. The next one may be easier or harder, but by practicing on more models you will expand your skill level.

Don't you think this principal can be carried over to any lock at any level?

[Octillion]

Sure, everything you are saying is correct, it just doesn't directly apply to this case. Certain things come about from having two sheer lines that have no analogy to, say, a Master #5. Yes, some locks are harder than others, end of analogy, but things go a bit further with SFIC’s. The main point I was trying to make is that there is no way to feel if you are on the correct path or not, despite experience. With enough practice, you can feel whether or not things are setting in a lock with one sheer line. You may quickly rake through and find every pin is bound, but nothing happens. In SFIC’s you can’t feel where things are being picked to, rather you may get lucky and end up having things bind in your favor, or otherwise have to attempt the pick over and over again until you get lucky and set things properly.

If you pick an SFIC that has a very difficult binding pattern enough times, you may learn the proper order to do things, but this will not apply to any other SFIC nor give you much insight on how to tackle another hard SFIC (it does give you experience, but the pattern itself is useless). Picking a hard Master lock at least allows one to start to sense how the pins should feel.

I’ve spent a lot of time practicing on Best SFIC’s, and in my best efforts to find a way to pick them, one method I have is to lightly rake until things start binding, then increase torque a bit and rake a bit harder to try and force pins into one sheer line. This doesn’t always work. I’ll also try and pin by pin pick these. I’ll try and go through various iterations of what pins I pick, and push certain pins up past their original binding point to see if I can hit the binding point in the opposite line, until things pay off. While I’ve been able to come up with a fairly reliable routine to pick Medeco’s, I’ve yet to come up with any standard method to pick SFIC’s, rather than trying over and over again when things don’t pay off, just trying to pick a bit differently the next time around.

[Octillion]

Oh, by the way Bud Wiser, I don't care how much experience you have, pick one of these up ! I'm only moderately obsessed with them, and even bought a Lab Annex and pinning kit.

[Bud Wiser]

Oh, by the way Bud Wiser, I don't care how much experience you have, pick one of these up ! I'm only moderately obsessed with them, and even bought a Lab Annex and pinning kit.

I've thought about getting a Best locks because our local zoo uses Best for all the animal cages and wondered how much havoc I could create if I could pick them

Seriously I would never do any thing like that to our zoo, may be the Buffalo zoo and blame bpc293