American series 2010 help

[magickhndz]

Hi everyone. My dad gave me a lock to mess with and Ive done a search on here but so far havent found anything. It is a American Lock series 2010. Im sure it is way above my current skill level but it doesnt hurt to push myself.
Ive added some pictures of the back with key, open with the plug pulled out, and locked with the key in it.
Info I am looking for is the type of lock it is and how it works. The lettering on the backside (looks like TEI) what it means and on the back of the key it has a numeric sequence of 81889. Are those the depth for cutting a new key?
Im sorry if these are dumb questions!
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

[FarmerFreak]

The "TEI" is a coded manufacturing date. I'm not sure what the date actually is, there is a list somewhere on these forums, but at least you now know what it is.

The 81889 would normally be the bitting, however in this specific case it is a key code. So no, it is not the bitting.

Other information about your lock is that it is a 6 pin lock. The pins will likely all be either serrated and or spooled. They can be tricky to pick. And as far as picking goes, the way it picks is identical to all of the other American padlock products. Most people learn how to pick these on the 1100 series, but that's only because they are cheaper to buy.

[magickhndz]

Thank you so much. That really helps me out. Are there any certain picks you would recommend me using? Would a half diamond or short hook work that well?

[FarmerFreak]

I pick everything I can with a hook pick. So that's what I recommend.