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Do European picks works on...

Having read the FAQ's you are still unfulfilled and seek more enlightenment, so post your general lock picking questions here.
Forum rules
Do not post safe related questions in this sub forum! Post them in This Old Safe

The sub forum you are currently in is for asking Beginner Hobby Lock Picking questions only.

Do European picks works on...

Postby Tutrigo » 31 Mar 2009 15:22

I'm concered about that...
I'm from Brazil and I don't know if should I buy USA picks or European picks.
So I thought, if our locks are smaller and I buy big tools it won't fit.
But if our locks are big and I buy thin tools it should work, right?
Thanks.
Tutrigo
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 14:44
Location: Brazil

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Slick Pick » 31 Mar 2009 18:47

Tutrigo,
I know this can all be confusing because of all the different tools on the market.
Even though the Slim Line picks were made for Euro locks, because the keyway In Euro locks is narrower and longer with less room to work your pick in than U.S. locks, the Slim Line picks will work well in all U.S. locks. And you’ll find you’ll be using them as your lock collection grows and you get U.S. made locks. Some of these keyways can be tight to move around in as well.
Start simple and make sure this is a hobby you want to stay with and you can always add more picks as time goes on. The Euro picks would be a good way to go.
Try not to get yourself all worked up before you even start picking, believe me you’ll have enough of that when you start. :)
Slick Pick
 
Posts: 145
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 17:48

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Tutrigo » 31 Mar 2009 19:11

Thanks for the answer Slick Pick :)
I ask these questions because I don't want to waste money :P
I think I'll like lock picking ^^
Tutrigo
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 14:44
Location: Brazil

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Tutrigo » 2 Apr 2009 14:36

Oh, and by the way...
Could someone put a comparison photo of a US/Europe lock and a US/Europe pick?
This way I could choose better my first tool :)
Thanks
Tutrigo
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 14:44
Location: Brazil

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Olson Burry » 2 Apr 2009 17:20

From here. This subject has been discussed before. A search for "slimline" will turn up many results that might be worth reading.

Image
Olson Burry
 
Posts: 405
Joined: 19 Jun 2008 19:39
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Tutrigo » 3 Apr 2009 16:12

Hmmm... They're very different...

Can you post me a pick of a US lock and and European lock? Just to know how are both.

And thanks for the link :)
Tutrigo
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 14:44
Location: Brazil

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Olson Burry » 3 Apr 2009 17:15

mmmm... Living the UK I dont have any great examples, the best I could do just now was this, the yale on the left is euro.

Image

I'm not really saying that picking euro locks with regular (non-slimline) picks is impossible, it is just that they seem a little clumsier in the lock, the slimlines are easier to manoeuvre in tight keyways.

Take a look at this for example. I've tried to show a really tight keyway on a pretty nice yale padlock with a selection of picks. From left to right, A ultra slim diamond I made, a slimline diamond, a large slimline diamond and a small regular diamond.

Image

I made my small diamond almost specifically for this lock but you might be able to see from the picture that the large and regular sized diamonds are going to struggle in this keyway, especially considering you have to get a tension wrench in there as well. (I use top tension for this one most of the time).

Lets look at those picks in a bit more detail:

Image

If you take a look at the regular diamond on the far right, you can see that the tip only extends half again as the shaft is thick (if that) where as on the slimline version (second from the left) the tip extends to the height of the shaft again. With the regular pick it will be hard to lift a short pin behind a long pin without disturbing it, just making it a little more clumsy. I've not found a use for the large diamond as yet so ignore that but it does show a tip extending more than twice the width of the shaft.

Picking with slimlines from the off-set will put you in good stead to practice picking properly, you just have to be a little more careful not to be heavy handed with them because whilst they are strong, they do not have the same "pry bar" strength as the regular ones.

You should be being very deliberate and gentle with the picks anyway, especially in a new lock, hardly any force should be required for tension and to get the pins to set.

Hope that helps, apologies for the blurry pics, it's late and I only have a phone to take them on.
Olson Burry
 
Posts: 405
Joined: 19 Jun 2008 19:39
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Tutrigo » 3 Apr 2009 18:11

Thanks!
Now I see the differences...
Very interesting...
Tutrigo
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 14:44
Location: Brazil

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Olson Burry » 3 Apr 2009 19:01

A few more examples of euro vs regular:

It was supposed to go regular euro, regular euro, etc but I got the last two the wrong way round.. I said it was late :P

Image

I only use the slimline hook out of those but they are fun to have around.
Olson Burry
 
Posts: 405
Joined: 19 Jun 2008 19:39
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Tutrigo » 3 Apr 2009 19:53

Pretty cool...
Did you make your picks by your own?
Tutrigo
 
Posts: 19
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 14:44
Location: Brazil

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Olson Burry » 3 Apr 2009 20:44

Yes. Lots of people make their own picks here. It is important to get some professional ones to model them on though so you know what works for you and what you like and dont like.

With a few tools, materials, the right knowledge and some time, I've found it very satisfying to use tools that I made just right for what I choose to do and how I choose to do it.

I made a topic on making some of my picks here although I have yet to do a "how to" on the metal handled ones which I prefer making. Others have made picks that are genuine works of art, take a look at the pick hall of fame or something.

Take it easy :)
Olson Burry
 
Posts: 405
Joined: 19 Jun 2008 19:39
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Engineer » 3 Apr 2009 21:01

To give you some idea of how bad keyways can be in Europe, this is an old lock I was given by my Father. I believe it to be a filing cabinet lock from the late 1940s-Early 1950s.

Image

The pick that won't even fit in (height, not width), is a Southord Slimline (European) pick made specially for the smaller keyways of European locks!

I could only open it (as you can see it is picked in the picture) by making a set of micro-picks specially for these annoyingly small keyways.
Image
Engineer
 
Posts: 584
Joined: 21 Aug 2008 14:53
Location: UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Olson Burry » 3 Apr 2009 21:16

640x380 pleeeeease.. now everyone has to scroll to see the text, Unless they're rich and got some super wide screen monitor.

:) just a heads up, no worries.
Olson Burry
 
Posts: 405
Joined: 19 Jun 2008 19:39
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Olson Burry » 3 Apr 2009 21:18

correction: 640x480 is right.

OB
-x-
Olson Burry
 
Posts: 405
Joined: 19 Jun 2008 19:39
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Do European picks works on...

Postby Engineer » 3 Apr 2009 21:40

Oops - I like to keep the images as large as possible so details can be clearly seen. In the past I've made small images with links for the larger ones if anyone wants them, but in this case it's really not needed and I see what you mean about it needing scrolling now, when it didn't before...

So I've fixed the photo and now it's only 640 pixels wide, so hopefully it won't be causing any problems for anyone now - Sorry!
Image
Engineer
 
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Joined: 21 Aug 2008 14:53
Location: UK

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