Sorry if wrong section, but is this a good buy???

[CalBears]

http://stores.slingshotsusa.com/-strse- ... Detail.bok

[CalBears]

It costs me around $17.50 with shipping

[unbreakable]

"Got Questions?" mighta been a good section but no biggie.

For $17.50 with shipping it seems like a great buy, I bet the picks are spring steel which is fine. They're from an unknown manufacturer but for that price I'd say buy it, make sure to sand them all down smooth with wet/dry sandpaper to get any rough burrs from the cutting process off. Once you play with the picks a bit and figure out which ones you like (and if you like picking locks at all for that matter) then you should upgrade to better picks in the same general shape made by a more, shall we say, reputable manufacturer.

Provide the site isnt a total sham it looks like a great entry level pickset.

Good luck!

[Squelchtone]

They're from an unknown manufacturer

They're Southord, look at the handle that is included, that shape is unique to Southord. Maybe a bad run, so they sold off the 'not so shiny ones' and this company the OP listed resells such items for less, even though the lack of nice finish doesn't stop them from being perfectly good picks.

http://www.southord.com/Lock-Picking-Tools/Lock-Pick-Set-17-Piece-PXS-17.html

Squelchtone

[CalBears]

Thanks for your guy's input. I also have lots of locks I can not unlock that my friends gave me so I wanna try all different types of picks. I have three tools right now and I can pick Master lock 1-21, but I wanna be able do to the brand best locks i have and also master lock 930. And i have a wb lock

[slimjim123]

http://stores.slingshotsusa.com/-strse-510/19-Piece-Lockpick-Tool/Detail.bok

That is an excellent buy. Go for it.

[CalBears]

I am gonna buy it as soon as I get my next pay check, ill tell you guys updated on the quality.

[Legion303]

I got the set specifically for the case, since it was slightly less than just the case from Southord. The picks were a bonus. A crappy bonus. The metal's OK, but every pick is vastly oversized and the stamping die wasn't very sharp. These are on par with the DX credit card set for usability--probably fine in a pinch, but you aren't going to be winning any competitions with this set. Sanding is a must.

The wrenches are all huge too. I'm a top-of-keyway tensioner, but even using these at the bottom will leave you little room for pin manipulation.

The case is decent.

EDIT: case is too small for my larger pick handles. If anyone wants to try this set, I'll sell it for $15 shipped (CONUS). Sure, you're only saving a few bucks off the store's price, but these are completely unused and I will pre-sand them for you.

-steve

[viduata]

I have a set that is remarkably similar, if not exactly the same. The picks are good, but may require a little filing-down here and there. I sorta re-shaped the half-diamond a bit.

As noted, the wrenches are all too long and you'll want to grind at least one down so you can apply torque from the top of the keyway. They are fine for keyways that can torque from the bottom, though, so you can go crazy on Masters, etc.

That little handle jobber - useless. Not only does it not fit comfortably in any orientation, it also holds your picks in place with this rotten little allen-screw that will strip out its hole and require re-tapping in a few hours. Two days, max. If it's the same kit I have, you'll end up using 4 or five of the picks and some gaffer's tape.

All that said: it's still a good price and it will get you started. I paid 10 bucks more, and I'm happy.

Another bit of advice. If you find that you need files or dremel grinding wheels on the cheap, there is a surplus place called All-Electronics that I use. I actually live near the HQ, but they have a website. They sell mediocre-to-poor equipment at ridiculously cheap prices. I think set of files is like 4 bucks.

[CalBears]

DO NOT BUY THIS SET! This set is CRAP! Most of the tools broke very quickly leaving me with no good tools and out of $20! Never shop with Knife-kingdom.com, one of the tools came broken and they wouldn't do anything about it and just stopped emailing me back. Very disappointed

[Wizer]

How did they break?
It could be that those were infact poor quality picks (I can´t really trust these Chinese sites, thenagain I never ordered from them), but usually when southords break its because of too much force used on the lock. Tension should be really light, not more force than you would use when operating a key in a lock. Pictures?
I hope you have better luck with your next set.
-Wizer

[Squelchtone]

DO NOT BUY THIS SET! This set is CRAP! Most of the tools broke very quickly leaving me with no good tools and out of $20! Never shop with Knife-kingdom.com, one of the tools came broken and they wouldn't do anything about it and just stopped emailing me back. Very disappointed

This is why we tell people to shop at lockpickshop.com, next time listen to us and don't pick out the cheapest set from some unknown website.

Also, like others have mentioned, are you sure you know what the hell you're doing? I broke picks too when I first got a pick set, but if you broke most of them, you're probably doing it wrong or using too much tension, or instead of sliding the picks in and out of the lock, as many new pickers do, you're probably trying to also turn them as if they were a key.

Photos of your broken set please, and of your tension tools as well, then we can give you further advice as to why it happened.

Squelchtone

[CalBears]

I know what happened already. The lock picks are made out of a horrible weak thin metal. They bend all the time just from mild use, nothing I could do to stop it. And then after a week or so they snap. I am just tell people out there not to waste there time and money with Knife-Kingdom.com like how I did

[Squelchtone]

One issue I have lately with about 5 to 10 new forum members in the last few months is how everyone is searching the internets for the cheapest priced less than $20 US dollars pick set, and then they're surprised when its total crap. They also go to no name survivalist/spyshot websites instead of actually listening to our advice which usually includes lockpickshop.com, lockpicks.com, and lockpicktools.com

Everyone's like "do you think this $5.95 from Deal Extreme is gonna be good? I don't want to spend too much money" I'm not quite sure where all the cheap skates are coming from but when I buy tools, and I do consider lock picks as tools, I don't immediately go to the cheapest places to get tools that I am going to rely on. I don't run out to Snap On either because I can't afford them nor do I need professional lifetime warranty tools, which in the lock picking world would be Peterson, I guess, but you guys looking for a bargain, really need to stand back and say, ok, I'm getting about 5 to 10 metal tools, and a leather case, and I want to spend less than $20 including shipping and handling? The expectation is not realistic and it is not reasonable.

I don't really want to spend $15 per pick on Peterson government steel picks, but I wanted so see what they were all about, and I own a set now. I also own HPC, Southord, Southern Specialties, Raimundo Bogotas, Serepick Titanium Bogotas, a set of Majestic picks, and some TOOOL falle clones from HOPE. In the end you do get what you pay for, but I think more than anything, treating your tools with care will get you much more enjoyment out of them. The first 2 Southord sets I had ended up bent and broken, and that's because I was too heavy handed with them. So before you guys go blaming bad metal, or cheap picks, also consider if you may be a little rough with your tools, or perhaps you arent holding them correctly.

I see a lot of new pickers holding the pick by the end of the handle like a stabbing weapon, this is totally wrong. You want to hold it like a nice pen, and inch it with your thumb and index finger right where the handle meets the pick blade/tang. And don't fish tail the pick left and right, it should only go in and out of the lock, and a little bit up and down to lift pins. I need to make a video or a guide or something because I saw a lot of bad habits at the HOPE and DEFCON conferences. It's a shame the pick sets sold on the internet do not include a basic drawing of how to hold them.

Squelchtone

[CalBears]

I do know how to handle my tools, I also hold it not far from the actual picking part. And I am not going to go spend $50 on a set. I have learned a lesson that a set of picks for $20 is total crap. squelchton can you give me some advice on where I can buy a set of picks that have never broken on you and are still a good price?