Lock Picking 101 Forum

by **MrBuz** » 1 Oct 2004 19:50

I seem to have better luck picking with a larger, heavier handled pick. I have Southord tools with the handles, but still am more successfull with the jacknife or other all-in-one tools.
I am contemplating purchasing rubber covers which are supposed to slide over the handles of my picks.
Does anyone have any experience with these?
Does anybody have anyother input?
All replies will be gratefully appreciated.

by **Romstar** » 1 Oct 2004 20:14

Wait a while until you see what I have coming out early next year. :lol:

Stainless steel picks, made from hardened and tempered steel bar. Heavy integral handle.

Excellent feedback and tactile control. The pick actually "pings" as you use it. Telling you what you have hit and how you hit it.

The drawback? They're heavy, and expensive. All my tools are precision hand made, polished and tested. Thus, there is a lot of time invested in them.

Look for them early next year.
Romstar

by **abrannan** » 1 Oct 2004 21:35

Romstar wrote:Excellent feedback and tactile control. The pick actually "pings" as you use it. Telling you what you have hit and how you hit it.

The drawback? They're heavy, and expensive.
Romstar

Sounds great. Define "expensive"? Ballpark asking price?

by **Romstar** » 1 Oct 2004 22:41

Probably $60.00 - $75.00 for the base set. That would be with a case. It could be higher depending on a few things. These things are most definately custom.

The problem is that I haven't sat down to figure out the prices on these things yet.

I haven't made an entire set in one go. I've made a diamond here, a lifter there a few rakes, but never a whole made to order set at once. So, I am going to have to assess the time and materials involved and make a choice then.

Just remember one thing. If you happen to see anything like this in the near future from any other company or person, they got the idea from here.

I've contacted every pick manufacturer going and nobody offers this type of tool that I can find. HPC, SouthOrd, LAB, ESP/Hudson, ProLok (I think they're rebadged SO now anyway), Majestic, everyone I could think of and a few others that were given to me. Nobody makes tools like this. So, if you see something like it, make sure you are looking for the Romstar name or logo.

Romstar

by **thertel** » 1 Oct 2004 23:37

Romstar do you have a picture of these and what picks will be part of this set

Thomas

by **Romstar** » 2 Oct 2004 2:44

Nope, no pictures at this time.
I simply don't own a digital camera. It's funny, but I never got one.

There will be some pictures of many of the tools soon though. Just hold onto your boots for a while while I try to get some of this stuff done.

God decided to play a cruel joke on me. He gave me 30 hours of work each day, and only 24 hours to do it in. The last time I saw a bed, I was face down on it with most of my clothes on.

Maybe sleep is a good thing? :wink:

Romstar

by **WhiteHat** » 2 Oct 2004 2:47

I'm eagerly awaiting that set - it sounds awesome!

by **thertel** » 2 Oct 2004 6:55

Yes I am also eagerly awaiting the sets. I mean I'm gonna keep buying tools with an amazing markup that are stamped out at insignificant costs, or I can buy some lovingly handcrafted tools that the price is actually based upon the effort that went into making the tools.

I feel you on the 30 hour days, having had those myself lately. If you ever go looking for investors for "Romstar Industries, LLC" (or what ever you will call your tool making division :wink:

) you should come looking here first, cus it would be cool to know "The Man" behind the tools.

by **Murph** » 2 Oct 2004 20:17

Hey Romstar,
I'd love to see those tools man!

by **frostbyte** » 2 Oct 2004 20:57

I thoroughly enjoy my Romstar brand lock tools. I keep meaning to write up a review of the pieces he made for me, but so far I've got no other tools to compare them to.

by **Romstar** » 2 Oct 2004 22:26

Thertel, I'm always looking for investors. :wink:

PM me, we'll talk. <G>
Sooner or later I am going to have to get some new tools. There is only so long you can keep pushing a 50 year old drill press, and a 30 year old grinder. Many of my tools are older than I am for heavens sake. :twisted:

If things keep going the way they are, I'm going to need another person at the very least. You ever try to teach art along side of technical expertise? It isn't the easiest thing to grind a straight line by hand.

Frostbyte, there are definately some more tools coming. Some replacements for a few of your picks that I wasn't completely happy with, and also those HPC tools you are supposed to be getting. Then you will definately have something to compare against.

Everyone else who is waiting eagerly will be rewarded very soon. Just as soon as I manage to get some pictures of them all. As I said, I have to sit down at the bench and make an entire set all in one go so that I can figure out what the cost of thse is going to be.

Romstar

by **seahawk** » 10 Oct 2004 21:12

wow. sounds like an excellent idea. i'd like to own a set of those. maybe i'll hold off getting those southord picks i wanted and save for these.....

by **randmguy** » 14 Oct 2004 5:52

MrBuz look at the Rytan plastic handled picks, Peterson picks, or the Brockhage Navigator sets. My bursitis gets worse every year and I find that using slimmer handled picks causes my fingers to go numb after a few minutes. I'm really starting to like the Rytan handles more than any of the others. I've even considered using heat shrink tubing on some of my most used Peterson picks to increase the handle size. Another option might be the HPC foam pick handles. I purchased some a while back and they are fat enough to be comfortable in my hand but I really don't like the feedback I get with them. They also make it difficult to store picks in anything smaller than a bucket.

by **BOBO** » 14 Oct 2004 7:06

MrBuz - go to Radio Shack and buy a pack of heat shrink tubing for $3.00... I like having the stuff on my SouthOrds. Anyway, for only three bucks you can see if you are on the right track with what you are trying to do.

Bob

by **raimundo** » 23 Dec 2004 14:33

I have often been told by people who have tried my picks that the handles are too small, My hands are small, but I have thought about those supposed razor knifes said to have been made in prisons where the blade is set in a tooth brush handle, Toothbrushes have some excellent large handles, designers have been at work. A hole drilled in one of these, with a hot piece of metal set in it could create a really fat handle.

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toothbrush handles

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