SouthOrd nonhandled picks.

[CitySpider]

After all the talk about Southern Ordnance's non-handled picks digging into people's hands, being literally painful to use, etc etc, I figured I'd do a little experiment.

I took one out, picked a master padlock, no big deal.

I picked the padlock again, this time squeezing hard enough that the pick dug into my hand. I had to squeeze probably six or seven times as hard as I usually do.

Then switched to an American padlock, because I knew it would take longer. Half an hour later, it was open, no pain or discomfort whatsoever.

Did it again, now gripping about five times as hard. Obviously it hurt after the first few minutes.

So you folks out there who have problems with SouthOrd's non-handled picks -- do I just have a really light hand, or what? How come you guys find using them uncomfortable? Can't you just not grip them as hard? Are you holding them by pinching the edges between your fingers, rather than the flats?

[Chucklz]

I just tried the same thing, I found no real difference in hand wear, but I did notice that I could best interpret the feel of the handled pick I use most often. Probably just an experience thing. Over time, I guess my touch as become progressively lighter. I guess that most people start really tightly gripping their picks, and eventually learn to ligthen up, and then just become used to the particular feel of a certain make/model of a pick.

[marso]

I personally prefer handled over non handled not because it hurts my hands. I would have to say sometimes when the keyway requires me to pick at a certain angle the edge can give my finger a bit of grief but that is only if i am picking for an extremely extended period of time. And this is nothing a file could not fix.

I use handled because of better control (my perception) and because the non handled flexs too much. Just fyi I also have heat shrink on my handled HPCs because its edge can become irritating over an extended period too. Again it all depends on the lock and so forth.

If non handled works for you great, just not my cup of tea.

[zeke79]

I use the southord no handled picks every day with no discomfort. I do find however as stated above that the handled picks offer more control. Of course my fingers are about as big around as a bratwurst too so that may have something to do with it.

[Grudge]

As stated before, SO non-handles actually hurt me during long picking sessions (a few hours at a time). It probably has to do with my overgripping the pick and the fact that I only shove a mouse around all day and think Manual Labor was a Mexican general.

Although I don't seem to be the only one, I am going to get off my no-handle soap-box because I may well be in the minority and it may just be an error in my technique.

Actually, this is really making me rethink my picking grip because I bet I am doing something wrong.

[Chubby]

I bruised my fingers when I first started picking and had "Onion skin" finger tips for the first month...
Basically I think nearly every n00b once they have had the thrill of picking their first lock open, tend to go a bit over the top with the amount of time they spend picking, they also cannot understand why they had no problem opening the first two locks, so why the hell won't this Abus Granit well open...
You need to be relaxed, too much muscular tension and you'll tend to have a death grip on your picks, the first locks I think many get to open do so because they haven't a clue what they're doing and after a while they slip into a state of not concentrating at all, and "Pop!" you then spend the next half hour concentrating like mad trying to repeat whatever it was that you just did, gripping string cheese too hard hour after hour will have the same effect on your fingers...Bad Picking Form IMHO...

Btw, I don't like non-handled picks and I don't like SouthOrd tools (Spits! on floor in disgust) period...

[quicklocks]

if you are puting that much force on your picks then you need to use less tension

[salzi684]

First off, with the exception of the tension wrenches I don't like South Ord tools. I'm not going to spit on the floor in disgust but I prefer other manufacturers.

The lock that made me dislike the non-handled picks was a BEST padlock that had new springs in it and took a ton of force on the tension wrench before the pins would set. After picking that lock my fingers were sore for about two days.

I do in fact hold the pick by the edges instead of between my fingers. The material that the pick is made out of is stiffer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction so therefore it would make sense that you would get the most feedback if your fingers were directly in-line with the stiffest part of the pick.

[Bomberman]

I'm kinda new at this, so it is very possible that I am using too much tension and having to hold the picks tighter than I should be. I'm just starting to realize how easy it is to pick a Weiser lock with very little tension.

That said, I still prefer the SouthOrd handled picks. I would never buy the non handled kind again. It's not like I despise them or anything. If they were the only ones available, I would happily use them, but when I can get picks that I like a lot better for a little more money, why wouldn't I??

[Propac]

I like tools with handles and the only ones that have the feel that I like have a ripple profile.I can grip the tool from the sides or use the edges and dont find any disconfort.Lockpicktools.com is the only source for this type of handle and the prices are cheap compared to the others.

[David_Parker]

Non-reinforced handles started to hurt after picking for days upon days and weeks upon weeks.

I wrapped mind in tape, and viola! they kick.


-Dave.

[CitySpider]

If you're spending weeks upon weeks picking a lock (or even days upon days), you're far more tenacious than I. I need to sleep and stuff, gives my hands time to relax.