Staying away from raking as a beginner ?

[Ske13tonKey]

Isnt it better to stay away from raking and practice mainly SPP as beginner for better skill development? I have some locks that I can rake but not able to SPP and it just feels like im blindly shooting into the sky full of ducks, doesn't feel as good as spp....

[KPick]

Of course you're right. You want to stay away from raking because you really aren't learning some of the foundational basics of lock sport. First of all, you feel like you're shooting in the dark? Well you're right! Why ? Because raking is a random skill that takes barely any skill at all.

Single pick picking is a skill that must be learned to pick locks in a consistently timely manner. If you know how to pick the lock open, chances are that you will be able to pop more locks open rather than the aforementioned activity of raking.

There are some locks which are rake able, but most nowadays, (built with a better approach to security), are not so rake able due to the incorporated spools, serrated, and mushroom pins which inhibit opening the lock with raking.

Don't look down on raking though because some of us love raking locks to get the lock to a false set position, which builds a starting step towards manipulating the lock into a open position.

I suggest you learn how to solely pick the lock open via SPP so you can get the feel of the security and non security pins of a lock.

Tip: Start of with a cheap lock such as a Master Lock - then progress over to a brinks padlock - and over to schlages - then to American locks. (this is a starting path, which I have built for you to master, then you will get the most basics of SPPing down)

[UnlockingBoredom]

I started picking just a bit ago and was raking, zipping etc.. and thought I was good at picking locks because I could open Master locks, quickset and schlage locks with ease. Well all of these locks I was opening were old locks with no security pins at all. I finally wanted to try SPP because of watching guys on YouTube do it.... Boy was I wrong in my thinking I knew how to pick locks! I found it very frustrating that I couldn't SPP a Master lock #3.

For me it wasn't until I bought an American 1105 with Serrated and Serrated Spool pins that I learned how to pick a lock. I learn differently then most, I needed feedback from the pins to understand tension control. After I was able to pick the American lock I went back to all my Master locks and SPP'd every one of them. Now I am looking for a lock that has the Christmas tree pins because they look like a challenge.

Use what ever lock you will learn with, it may be a Master or maybe you will be like me and need the feel of the security pins to start to understand whats going on in the lock.... But above all else, Have fun..
Well that is if your not a locksmith and needing to get better for your job.. if so, get to work!


UnlockingBoredom

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Of course you're right. You want to stay away from raking because you really aren't learning some of the foundational basics of lock sport. First of all, you feel like you're shooting in the dark? Well you're right! Why ? Because raking is a random skill that takes barely any skill at all.

Single pick picking is a skill that must be learned to pick locks in a consistently timely manner. If you know how to pick the lock open, chances are that you will be able to pop more locks open rather than the aforementioned activity of raking.

There are some locks which are rake able, but most nowadays, (built with a better approach to security), are not so rake able due to the incorporated spools, serrated, and mushroom pins which inhibit opening the lock with raking.

Don't look down on raking though because some of us love raking locks to get the lock to a false set position, which builds a starting step towards manipulating the lock into a open position.

I suggest you learn how to solely pick the lock open via SPP so you can get the feel of the security and non security pins of a lock.

Tip: Start of with a cheap lock such as a Master Lock - then progress over to a brinks padlock - and over to schlages - then to American locks. (this is a starting path, which I have built for you to master, then you will get the most basics of SPPing down)

How long have you been picking out of curiosity?

[billdeserthills]

I think when beginning it's important that you succeed enough at picking open locks. You don't want to make
everything too hard and hence no fun, because it can ruin your new hobby. I know for myself, when I'm on a job I will try
every option at my disposal in the 5 to 10 minutes I have, before I pull out my drill and just destroy whatever I need to get into.
As a result I have many different rakes & cheater keys in my tool box

[Jburgett2nd]

I started off with raking, masterlock, kwikset and other low security locks it stimulated me enough to seek harder and harder locks eventually I had to become proficient with single pin picking, however my first instinct is to try to rake the lock first.

[BSG_314159]

Of course you're right. You want to stay away from raking because you really aren't learning some of the foundational basics of lock sport. First of all, you feel like you're shooting in the dark? Well you're right! Why ? Because raking is a random skill that takes barely any skill at all.

I want to disagree with you on the raking is a random skill. Raking is a skill and you can use different techniques to assist in the raking process. Yes most of it is luck but with the proper form you can rake with a better chance of opening the lock.

I can SPP a lock open way before I can rake it open.

From one beginner to another why not use both SPP and raking? They are both important skills.

[bjornnrojb]

I think when speed is the ultimate desire a few quick rakes and then spp'ing the last pin or pins is the best technique ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO PICK A LOCK. You have to know how to do both if you want to be fast. Raking is a crutch and you will learn slowly or plateau quickly if you rely on it too much.

[GWiens2001]

@Skel3tonKey - love the key in your avatar. Beautiful.

Raking has its place in picking. Most of the time, even when intending to SPP a lock, will rake the pins a couple times with the hook, half diamond, or whatever pick am using at the time. It can help the lock go into false set, and typically at least sets a couple of the pins. Occasionally, it even opens the lock that easily.

That said, more locks can be opened by SPP than by raking, especially with extreme high-low combinations of bitting. Raking, when it works, can be scary fast. But SPP requires more skill (though there is a skill to raking as well).

Gordon

[KPick]

Of course you're right. You want to stay away from raking because you really aren't learning some of the foundational basics of lock sport. First of all, you feel like you're shooting in the dark? Well you're right! Why ? Because raking is a random skill that takes barely any skill at all.

Single pick picking is a skill that must be learned to pick locks in a consistently timely manner. If you know how to pick the lock open, chances are that you will be able to pop more locks open rather than the aforementioned activity of raking.

There are some locks which are rake able, but most nowadays, (built with a better approach to security), are not so rake able due to the incorporated spools, serrated, and mushroom pins which inhibit opening the lock with raking.

Don't look down on raking though because some of us love raking locks to get the lock to a false set position, which builds a starting step towards manipulating the lock into a open position.

I suggest you learn how to solely pick the lock open via SPP so you can get the feel of the security and non security pins of a lock.

Tip: Start of with a cheap lock such as a Master Lock - then progress over to a brinks padlock - and over to schlages - then to American locks. (this is a starting path, which I have built for you to master, then you will get the most basics of SPPing down)

How long have you been picking out of curiosity?

6 years into the hobby and counting.

[KPick]

Of course you're right. You want to stay away from raking because you really aren't learning some of the foundational basics of lock sport. First of all, you feel like you're shooting in the dark? Well you're right! Why ? Because raking is a random skill that takes barely any skill at all.

I want to disagree with you on the raking is a random skill. Raking is a skill and you can use different techniques to assist in the raking process. Yes most of it is luck but with the proper form you can rake with a better chance of opening the lock.

I can SPP a lock open way before I can rake it open.

From one beginner to another why not use both SPP and raking? They are both important skills.

No. Raking is somewhat of a random skill on my side because well if you listened to me closely, I said it takes somewhat of barely any skill at all. Really, all you're attempting to create is a meeting of splits in the shear line in a random manner. The only skill raking requires is feeling when you've over set a couple of pins and some tensioning.

I do recommend using both though because they do go hand in hand at times, but I highly recommend (as a experienced lock manipulator) that you learn the basic, intermediate, and advanced skills of lock picking without raking because this will take a better approach at focusing your time and practice at picking the lock open.

Just enjoy the picking though. I wouldn't want to drive you're hobby to be something of a uncomfortable activity. It's a very enjoyable and rewarding activity.

Nice pickings,

Kpick

[deolslyfox]

Raking, zipping, rocking, etc are all part of the game. Locks w/o security pins are easy to rake or rock open. As you move into security pins you can rake into a false set to save time but you'll have to finish off by SPPing.

Combining attacks is generally the fastest way to get an open.

ANY method that gets an open beats not opening the lock!!

[Ske13tonKey]

@Skel3tonKey - love the key in your avatar. Beautiful.

Raking has its place in picking. Most of the time, even when intending to SPP a lock, will rake the pins a couple times with the hook, half diamond, or whatever pick am using at the time. It can help the lock go into false set, and typically at least sets a couple of the pins. Occasionally, it even opens the lock that easily.

That said, more locks can be opened by SPP than by raking, especially with extreme high-low combinations of bitting. Raking, when it works, can be scary fast. But SPP requires more skill (though there is a skill to raking as well).

Gordon

Thank, love the key too, been looking for proper key image for a while.

Thanks for advice everybody. I do understand that raking is a one of the picking techniques, but it feels like something really random and not like you opened that lock cause you have a skill to me. The reason i got interested in lock picking is because how sophisticated spp feels. I love solving this puzzles everytime and the most rewarding feeling i getting only when i spped lock, and getting that "meh" feeling everytime i raking open one.
So i think il stick to spp for little while and not even atempt to rake the locks i cant pick.

[Bandit870]

I feel along the same lines as a beginner I want to understand these locks and learn that feeling, however raking is a different skill set on its own. A personal experience I had with this Master lock (not sure #) I was trying to pick in my hand for a good while to no avail so I decided to give raking a shot and what do you know within a few passes - POP goes the lock. I felt dumb for not being able to pick it so I went right back at it and eventually single pin picked it. Making that success even more fulfilling.

[billdeserthills]

As a beginner don't be too hard on yourself. The whole point is to pick the lock and have the fun, you can make it harder later on
My Dad always told me if you could pick the lock several times, it was skill-no matter how you did it