Sight or Touch?

[spud_edwards]

When you more experienced lockpickers are picking locks do you look into the lock at the pins or do you just do it purely by touch? I find it helps me to look into the barrell of the lock even though I can usually only see the front 3 pins. Just wondering what your opinions are?

[datagram]

Touch, of course. You can't see past the first pin, so no point in developing that skill for traditional lockpicking, really.

dg

[lunchb0x]

I do it by touch, also if there are destractions around I would close my eyes and try picture whats happening inside the lock which sometimes I find it helps.

Aslo just becasue you xan see a bottom pin doesn't have any spring pressure on it, it doesn't mean that the pin has been picked, sometimes the top pin will bind in the barrel so your better off feeling for when the pin has been picked.

[TheSkyer]

Touch I also close my eyes to enhance my feel in the lock, looking only distracts me....

[89ls1]

I agree its completely by touch. You can't see the pins so you need to be able to feel them. I usually go into a "day dream" of the lock Im working on if its more difficult. Not quite the same as closing my eyes but my day dreaming/starring off into nothing sure helps me "see" and feel the inner workings of the lock in my head. Weird I know.

[TheSkyer]

Not weird at all, that's just how it works XD

[le.nutzman]

Touch and sound. I have highly over rated hearing (i've been tested against this and have it recorded). I hear the faint clicks over tv, radio and other ambient noises. Mostly it's visualization though. You need to be able to visualize what's going on inside the lock as you "feel" the lock through your picks. If you can't do that, it's like picking a lock minus the use of one of your senses.

[raimundo]

If you put one finger on the inteface between the plug and cylinder, where that is possible, (not possible where the face of the plug is obstructed as in american locks or others with drill breakers in front of the plug.)

It is possible to feel pins set with this finger on the interface, the line between the plug and cylinder. feel picks up clicks that are impossible to see.

[5thcorps]

Pin tumblers, touch only. Some wafer locks I can actually see into good enough to be a help.

[Bas2888]

Touch. A while ago I also used hearing, but I found out that my skills improve by factor 10 when I listen to Crosby, Stills and Nash

Very strange... but helpfull

[poor paperclip picker]

Touch for sure. Sometime I look in the lock to see if there is one pin still down, but I learned that if I just try to feel whats going on, I can concentrate better on what is happening inside the lock.

[keeferO]

I would have to agree with everybody, it's all about feeling the movement of the pins, and if you really quiet you can listen some times as well. Closing your eyes helps. Without the distraction of sight your other senses really can aid you well.

On another note [edit]

-Keefer O'Malley

[edit- you already have another thread on this topic-keep discussion on that there -unlisted]

[Stryypgya]

Yet another person saying "touch". Although I do find that quieter areas help as well, even if it is just because I am paying more attention to the lock when there isn't any music or anything.