Simple question

[nwkegan]

Hey guys.

I looked in the FAQ, googled, etc, but could not find the answer to this question. Sorry if it has been answered before, but I promise I tried! Bought a set of picks a while back, practiced for a bit, and then got out of the routine. Recently decided that was not where I would like to leave things and am going to give it another try.

Anyway, what I'm asking is whether or not you're supposed to use your feeler as a lever, with a point of contact on bottom of the plug/one of the wards, or lift it up vertically, keeping the pick parallel to the plug? It seems that if you do the former that you risk engaging other pins on the way up. Unfortunately, that's how I've started, so unless it's correct I think I should change habits now before it becomes so ingrained that it's near impossible to alter.

[Raymond]

what you are asking has no single answer. be prepared to change styles all the time. If one method is not working for you just change to a slightly different one. Both methods can work but it depends on the keyway, pick and bitting combination.

[raimundo]

some people do fulcrum off the immovable wards, and it can force pick some locks, but it will cause swaybacked picks because all that force bends them and that much force is not picking, its prying.
you can angle the pickshaft after putting the hook under a pin, or you can use the slope of the hook to cam the pin up in a gentler move that is more likely to set it at the proper place

There is no dogma on what is the right way, except for some people who are particularly prone to dogmas.

My own are sand your picks so you are not interacting with the wards and gouging out the keyway. and make your own picks, they will be better than any you can buy when you get good at it.