Had it up to here!!

[SaintAccardo]

I just started at this hobby but I am already so frustrated I could throw my lockpick set through my large plate glass window! I bought a decent set of picks and I have been able to pick the deadbolt lock on my front door a total of 6 times. A couple of times raking it and a few times just picking around. I also bought a masterlock that is a level 6 security and have been able to rake that open like 4 times.
Now that nighttime has fallen, I can't pick either locks to save my life and no matter what I do or what tools I use, NOTHING!!!
Also, I get absolutely no feedback whatsoever. I never hear clicks and the times I picked my lock by actual single pin picking I chalk up to luck more than anything else. I've about had it with this because I'm getting so angry I could almost cry. Do any of you have any tips or anything to help me out?

[silvfox1200]

You most likely destroyed the springs. If you pick a lock one time it might survive, but if you pick more than one time. you weaken the spring as well as destroying the pins. If you could take the lock apart, you would see all the brass you have removed from the cylinder, plug and pins as well as weaken the springs, plus it makes it harder to pick or easier to pick.

Never, Never, Never pick your lock to your house or one you are going to use all the time.

Thanks

James

[SaintAccardo]

Well the masterlock is not something that matters whether it gets ruined or not. But I find it hard to believe I have destroyed either locks being that they both open with keys just fine. What lock would you guys suggest I buy at Lowes that will at least give me some feedback?Right now I feel like I'm just picking in the dark (figuratively and literally) and any lock I've opened I can only chalk up to pure luck. I'm going as light as I can and trying to feel for any feedback and I get NONE! I have no idea how a guys supposed to know what the hell he's doing, mapping a lock out, any of it if you can't get feedback. I'm thinking a level 6 master lock is not the best to start out on but what the hell good is this skill if you can only pick simple clunky locks?

[silvfox1200]

You may not have destroyed the locks but you can sure hurt them. If these are your first locks that you have picked, I would stay with some four pin locks for a while and then go to something like a Master 150 5 pin.

[SaintAccardo]

I must have destroyed this lock because although the key still works in it, no matter what I do, I cannot pick it open again and its been almost 4 hours of trying over and over and over again raking, picking, raking, picking, raking and on and on. Not only do I feel like a complete failure, I'm so angry I've thrown the lock several times and embedded it into my wood doors in my condo. I don't think this hobby is for me. It's just too difficult for me to even want to continue on. I feel like I'm either a f $=/% ing moron or just a complete failure at this endeavor and am also very angry that I wasted $160 on lockpicks that I have absolutely no use for now.

[SaintAccardo]

Finally got the bastard picked and by spp'ed too. I'm calling it a night now and ending it on a good note. I needed that little come up.

[MacGyver101]

If you pick a lock one time it might survive, but if you pick more than one time. you weaken the spring as well as destroying the pins. If you could take the lock apart, you would see all the brass you have removed from the cylinder, plug and pins as well as weaken the springs, plus it makes it harder to pick or easier to pick.

Stop! You guys are using way too much force if you are destroying a lock by picking it once.

If you disassemble the cylinder, you should never find that, in one picking session, you're significantly removing any brass, or ruining the plug, pins or springs. I have locks that I've picked hundreds of times that are working just fine. Just to give a rough guideline, you should be pressing the tension wrench about as hard as you'd press a laptop key (at most!), and your picks should be gently lifting the pins.

Having said all that, I absolutely agree: don't try to teach yourself lockpicking on locks that are in use.

[FarmerFreak]

If you pick a lock one time it might survive, but if you pick more than one time. you weaken the spring as well as destroying the pins. If you could take the lock apart, you would see all the brass you have removed from the cylinder, plug and pins as well as weaken the springs, plus it makes it harder to pick or easier to pick.

Stop! You guys are using way too much force if you are destroying a lock by picking it once.

If you disassemble the cylinder, you should never find that, in one picking session, you're significantly removing any brass, or ruining the plug, pins or springs. I have locks that I've picked hundreds of times that are working just fine. Just to give a rough guideline, you should be pressing the tension wrench about as hard as you'd press a laptop key (at most!), and your picks should be gently lifting the pins.

Having said all that, I absolutely agree: don't try to teach yourself lockpicking on locks that are in use.

Agreed. I'd just like to add that if the key still works, the lock cylinder isn't broken.

[FarmerFreak]

OH, and to the original poster. Be patient. I don't know anybody who has actually been proficient at picking locks their first day.

It takes time and practice to get a feel for what is happening inside the lock. It's one thing to understand how locks work and how they are supposed to be picked. It's a completely other thing to be able to have your fingers tell you what the hell is going on inside the lock. It's like learning how to walk. You are going to stumble and fall along the way. But if you keep at it, eventually you'll be able to do it.

[billdeserthills]

Finally got the bastard picked and by spp'ed too. I'm calling it a night now and ending it on a good note. I needed that little come up.

As the last poster said, Be Patient. I think of the ability for me to pick a lock to be something I would prefer to allow to Flow from my hands, through my picks and into the lock I am picking. Of course, as a working locksmith I don't always have the presence of mind to do that, but I can tell you when I get my mind in the right place something def changes for my picking ability and less locks get destroyed on those days. Try to not force something as what you'll likely find is irritation. Instead, think more of the zen moment, and allow the magic to come to you. Also a bit of spray lubricant into the keyway can work wonders.

[SaintAccardo]

Everytime I pick this master no.3 up I lose more and more confidence. I feel like people are born with certain skills and with practice they can make those skills better sure but some have it and some don't. I can see why alot of people do not stick with this hobby. Who wants to embark on something where everytime they take a stab at it, it just makes them feel like a complete loser. I think I'm best just throwing my Southord picks In the trash and being done with it. I've read through quite a few posts here and NOONE has had the trouble I've had with these particular locks. According to common knowledge, these are beginner locks and to me they seem as advanced as something you'd find in a government building locking away atomic weapons. It's just become very obvious that this is not for me, but what makes me the most mad is that I really wanted to be able to learn this but you gotta throw a dog a bone once in awhile and I'm just not getting any hints that I may be able to pick this up. All of you that are good at this should feel very very special because I don't care what anyone says, this is next to an impossible skill to be any good at consistently. Kudos to you guys as the world definitely needs you just as much as the world needs doctors and musicians. Thanks again for trying to help me out but when I've got my High Standard Duromatic in front of me and I'm seriously about ready to blow my brains out because of frustration and constant failure (just one more to add to the seemingly neverending list) I think it's best that I just step away from this endeavor and forget it completely. Oh how I wish I had some sort of skill.

[GWiens2001]

I assure you, other people here have had those issues.

Gordon

[silvfox1200]

Yes to the issues. Many people feel that the lock should open within seconds. This is not the case. Some locks I pick will open in 5 seconds or less. then here are some that will open very quickly and then it takes me a week to work on it off and on to open it again. Things will finally fall into place and work out. I can open some of the so called high security locks within minutes and then some of the simple locks give me the most trouble. Give it time. It will come.

Thanks

James

[SaintAccardo]

You're right. I've finally gotten to where I can now not only pick my security level 4 Master lock within seconds but I can now finally pick one of my Master no.3's within seconds, probably 10 seconds actually. I guess I can now feel a little feedback but its not much and it seems I'm more or less just mimicking a series of motions that I've kinda memorized while feeling very little feedback so I don't consider this real picking even though most would. I want to be able to take this skill from lock to lock now. Lets see if I can get my other no.3 down now. Thanks again for the advice. This is one of those bones I was talking about that I guy needs every now and again in order to be able to have the encouragement to keep going on.

[billdeserthills]

You are mistaken, You really are picking those locks open.
They will never lie to you about that. I think you should try a different tension wrench though
as I like the one that never comes in the kit you fellers buy. You can make your own, if you have
a hammer and a wire coat hanger and a place outside to hammer on.
Keep in mind that even an easy type of lock can have a difficult to pick combination of key bitting, which is not your fault.