Hook vs Diamond

[Olcaytug]

I have sent a message a few minutes ago, and I realized that I have never seen anybody mentioning the chief advantage of hooks. So I write this again as an individual topic:

I wouldn't recommend a diamond to a beginner, they are for inserting into extremely restricted keyways, using the advantage of the angle at the front end.

Always start with hooks, because when you aproach the pins at an angle in vertical direction (which you will always do, unless the keyway is extremely snug), the extra piece at the end of the diamond will interfere with the further pin; beheaving as if the tip is wider, as if your pick is less slim!

This may seem impossible, but if you draw on a paper on scale, you will see how much the few degrees the length of the pick makes with the horizontal line effect the depth of the tip. Especially with euro-profiles that I exercise on, slimness is crucial!!! even this small interference from the end of diamond makes many locks impossible to pick!!! You need to use diamonds in a straight line!!!

And usually the angles of diamond is too shallow at the top part of the tip and too steep at the bottom of the tip. Experimentally, I figured out that, the rounder the sides, the greater the succes. (Most diamons have straight sides, you see, its name is diamond) Especially if the tip is cut with larger round files (about 1/4 inches), success is usually greater! I can not figure out why for sure, but I think the reason is the unneccessity of depth and neccesity of smooth motions!

--> wider the tip, easier to fell the pins, more difficult to set them.
--> steeper or deeper the tip, more difficult to pick quality locks (I haven't seen any euro-profile that cannot be raked with the shorthest hook by pulling back method so far, as long as you build the pick extra slim. you need deep curves in really extra cases)

Regards...

[musicmaniac414]

I tend to disagree. I have taught several beginners and I find that a half diamond helps one better visualize the lock. The diamonds slides easily over the pins whereas the hook can confuse beginners. "What pin am I on now?" is the most frequent problem I encounter with the hook. However, both picks have their strong points.

[Blink]

I just recently started picking, and I can't stand the diamond. I always use my hook.

I find I can't keep the diamond under a pin because of it's front edge allowing it to slide under every other pin, where as the hook, and can push the tip up against the next pin to keep it steady, and keep track of pin numbers.

Just my $0.02

Blink

[maxxed]

This is one of those things that really comes down to an individual preference, it may be one pick profile( hook, rake, diamond), pick material ( carbon steel, spring steel, stainless steel ) or even the shape of the handle that determines what pick works best for you. Preference can change, as it did for me, so occasionally dig out the old picks and see how they work.
I recently changed to a stainless diamond in a jack knife pick set that I modified slightly.

[KottonKang]

Personally im throughly enjoying my new Southord Pick set. I have put the Rakes to the side so i can foucus my attention on picking the lock one at a time using mainly the hook it came with in addition to that i also like the diamond as well, it gives you a good feel for all the pins just gliding over them with no tension.

[dsdayl]

I am a beginner also and my favorite pick is a half diamond. More specificaly a copy of Raimundo's half diamond.

I have had no problem identifying which pin I am under or keeping it under a pin.

This is definetly my most used pick.

After that I like to use a set of Falle copies I made from hacksaw blades.

But I flipped one side of it so they make an "S" shape. I seem to like them better that way.

[krept]

Although I just started a couple days after I registered, I greatly prefer the half diamond. I did, however, skeletonize it so that if flipped upside down, it would resemble a crude hook. The ability to slide the pins up out of the way using the angle helps me a lot at this point.

[salzi684]

I find that I have much greater sucess with the hook. I tend to be a little heavy handed on the tension wrench and the flat surface on the hook makes it quite easy to push the binding pin to the shear line. When I use a diamond pick the pick has a tendancy to want to slip off of the pins I am trying to move. I would say however that I agree with the people who claim to have a better feel of which pin they are on when using the half diamond due to the so called 'gliding effect', the hook does have a tendancy to bind on any object in its path.