Has anyone ever tried this "Folding Pocket Pickset"

[eric343]

I recently bought the jackknife set from Southern Specialties / LockPickTools.com.

I have spent the last few years going through a number of different "every day carry" type pick-sets: the HPC jackknife, the HPC-KGB belt set, the SouthOrd featherweight jackknife, and now the Southern Specialties set. (In addition to the mentioned sets, I own several standard pick sets, the HPC-NDPX Dental tools, the Falle Basic Picking Kit, a pick gun, LSS/Gov't, etc. I have a fair bit of experience with lock tools.

The Southern Specialties set is far and away the best pocket pick set I've ever used. The locking is dead-solid and the tools are easy to change. Using the tool, it actually feels as if the tool and the handle are one piece. The handle is designed well enough that it's nice to use, and the whole thing is small enough to carry in my wallet after removing the belt clip. Build quality is top notch -- the housing is machined from a solid block of aluminum, and the whole thing has obviously been designed by someone with extensive machining experience.

Service from Southern Specialties was excellent. The day before the tool arrived, they called me to apologize for forgetting to include the extra pick that I had ordered. The extra pick arrived a day after the tool itself.

This is not only the only 'every day carry' set I would recommend unconditionally, but the only 'evey day carry' set I would recommend at all.

The HPC jackknife is a cheap piece of sh*t. The amount of play in the picks is abysmal and there are enough design flaws to make it intolerable. The HPC-KGB is nice and the tools are excellent, but the belt-casing is badly designed to the point that both torque tools and several picks fell out and got lost after several months of use. (this was on an airplane, in fact -- I had completely forgotten about the set on my belt, and it wasn't caught by the metal detectors.) The SouthOrd Jackknife is tolerable with some modifications, but it's still far from perfect. (the SouthOrd metal jackknife that a friend owns is much better in the play department than the featherweight one, but still doesn't compare to the Southern Specialties unit.)

[Wild Weasel]

I used to post here long ago and have actually forgotten the name I used when I was here so I registered a new account. I "dropped in" to look around at a friend's suggestion and saw a couple of topics I felt like contributing my .02 on. Hope nobody minds me butting in.

Anyway...

I'm amazed to hear that anyone has ever walked away from a deal with Southern Specialties and not been perfectly happy! All I can say is, maybe the complaints are valid, maybe they aren't. They certainly don't match up with my experience!

I've dealt with Southern Specialties several times and the owner (Not sure if he wants his name mentioned here or not) has always been unflinchingly friendly, polite, and professional. The only other guy in ANY Internet business (Lockpicking related or not) I can think of who's as pleasant, professional, and easy to deal with is Steve Arnold of Steve Arnold's Gun Room. (Steve also happens to have the deepest voice I've ever heard!)

As to the Folding Pick Set offered by Southern Specialties, AKA Lockpicktools.com, I just recently got one of them for my birthday and I'm incredibly impressed with it!

My every day carry (EDC) up until a few days ago was one of the older versions of the "Slide Six" from Southern Specialties. (Updated with the new-ish and way-nifty Tension Wrench/Broken Key Extractor combo tool!)

The Slide Six is an awesome little pocket tool in it's own right and I'm currently carrying both the Slide Six and the Folding Pick Set if for no other reason than I'm so attached to the Slide Six, I'm reluctant to leave it at home!

Although there is slight "play" in the Slide Six's picks, I don't find it to be particularly bothersome when picking. But then, I've spent a lot of time developing the ability to pick with anything, rather than having a favorite tool that I depended on too much only to one day find that I was crippled without it. In fairness though, I don't recall if the picks were that loose when I first got the "Six" or if they've just loosened up after untold hundreds of hours of hard use!

Either way, I digress...

The Slide Six is an awesome tool and allows quick and easy one handed tool change in mid-pick, but the Folding Pick Set is head and shoulders above the "Six."

The Folding Pick Set (FPS) is really an incredibly well engineered piece of equipment. When it locks up, the pick has that nice "One Solid Piece" feel that you just don't get from any other "Jack Knife" type pick set.

It does take a little practice to be able to effect a one handed pick change in the middle of a job, but it's not that difficult and the awesome array of available and interchangable pick profiles more than makes up for the minor inconvenience relative to the ease of changing picks with the Slide Six. You also have the great luxurly of being able to order the pick set with EXACTLY the profiles you want, rather than being given a standard selection of "hard to move" unpopular profiles that you then have to pay extra to replace!

In addition to all that, the FPS is just one of the down right PRETTIEST bits of precision machine work I've ever seen! It's an elegant design perfectly executed.

For my .02, it's the absolute, hands down, best "Jack knife" pick set on the market.

Oh, one last thing...

I couldn't care less if Southern Specialties website looks "professional" or not. I couldn't care less if they have snazzy java scripts or Flash media. I'm amazed that anyone even cares about it enough to bring it up. I got over being dazzled by snazzy marketing tricks when I was about 13 and learned that the quality of the product is far more important than the quality of the marketing. (And that the two are mutually exclusive!)

Don't mind me, if that's whats important to you, fine but who would you rather buy from?

The guy who knows how to build the best tools, or the guy who knows how to hire the best web marketing company?

Have a good'un!

[JimmyD]

I've always liked the idea of "jackknife" picksets, although in reality most come up quite short of what I would consider to be a high quality set. However, recently browsing around I came across set I had never seen before that looks a bit more promising than most others. I was wondering though, if anyone else here has ever used it or heard anything about it. It can be found here:

http://www.lockpicktools.com/lockpicks.htm

It is under the heading "Folding Pocket Pickset". An image of it can be seen here:



I'm thinking about getting one ot try out, but before I do, I was just hoping to hear some others' opinions on it.

Thanks for any information,

Dave

I've got one myself from southern ordnance bloody briliant go for the ssteel one you can actually buy replacement picks very handy but do be carefull you need to be gentle with the pick or they will distort over time (bend slightly) I've been using mine regularly for more than 24 months now and have only replaced 1 pick.

[inedible_sword]

I have delt with this company myself and had no complaints except that the shipping can be a bit expensive if you get the standard UPS ground shipping option it is not too bad though. I recieved my picks in only a few days. The pocket jack knife pick is a good pick it is short and gives you good feedback. Quick to adjust to. And you can reflace the picks with only unscrewing the thumbscrew, so if you break a pick the tool will not be useless. The individual picks are at a good price too. They are also strong. The torque wrench is a bit thick though. Good torque wrench for locks that are a bit "sticky" though.

[scampdog]

i've got a southord pickset which was a bit restricted,but by adding a few of my own homemade picks,it is now quite a handy tool

as you can see i've added a rake,key extractor and a deeper diamond.

[h3x1lu2]

I just got my southern specialties set.....I have to say this is the best jackknife set I've ever had or seen, and I have been through them all...heh...this is far superior to the south ord one...everything from the tightening lever to pick replacement is just more though out on this set...it's the closest to being perfect as a jackknife set can get and I reccomend it highly to anyone who picks locks...its also customizable (spell?) with so many different pick types available - truly a work of art. I give it a 4.5/5 stars...well done

[CVScam]

Made from an old spark plug feeler guage Western Auto brand about 3 years ago.

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http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=4/10201035582.jpg&s=x10

[Olcaytug]

I always dream of a pick set in the form of a switchblade/clasp knife.. It would have a few different buttons, and each time you press one, a different pick would come out. One could easily change the pick without releasing the torque

[dmh]

I've been using a JPXS-6 with the fiberglass handle for over a year now with no major problems. As mentioned, only slight bending of the picks I used most, but I blame that on being heavy handed when I started. Also, the thumb screw is starting to get loose from natural use. That aside, these picks have worked fine for me so I suggest them.

[vjbeau]

My feelings about Southern Specialties were similar to others inre to the quality of the site and the pics.
I bought a couple picks, stainless with the Laminated Ripple Handle. Beautiful picks...my favorites bar none! The pics do NOT do them justice and especially those cheezy naugahide cases look awful.

You really should try one or two of these picks and you will be back for more.
Super smooth, good quality picks. if you like stainless then this is the place.

BTW..they have the best deal on auto jigglers out of them all. The same set everyone sells and only $12.95.

oops..I think I just talked myself into buying more picks from them now....See what You Did!!!

VJ

[PickerSlick]

Southern Specialities totally rock. Have received my FPS-7 jackknife this morning and like it so much I will probably be getting two more!!

Top quality and you can purchase the blades to suit yourself. Locks totally solidly.

Top quality piece of engineering. Well recommended !!

[dskippy]

Hey everyone,

I just ordered the Southord Jack-Knife pocket pickset and the "Concealable Kit KGB-7" from lockpicktools.com (the little folding set with the blue rubber half case. Here's my review.

I did not like the jack-knife pocket pick set for two reasons.

1) The big heavy handle is really distracting from the motion inside the lock. It really nullifies my ability to feel pins set. It also makes it hard to move the pick softly and slightly.

2) In the Southord version the standard J-hook is too long. I cannot fit it into most locks. If you are planning on getting a jack-knife pick still, I'd recomend looking at another model since Southord's J-hook is bad.

I really like the little blue, rubber folding kit.

This set is definitely tiny which is nice since it'll fit just about anywhere. It's really nice if you just want to put it in your wallet or something. I actually find it's a bit too small for my taste because it gives you less handle. I would absolutely love a set like this that was twice as big. The design of the folding handle into the rubber case is what I really like. I have emailed lockpicktools.com suggesting they offer another size.

Despite being a little small though, it works really well. Folding one pick out and the rest back allows you to use the others as a handle. This takes a bit of getting used to since the "handle" will bend in the middle but iit's manage able. I bought these sets for use practicing on the subway since I wanted somehting I fould fold up when transfering and not have to worry about droping the tension wrench on the way. I just fold the setup and go. This is a big improvement from getting my case out of my pocket and pull out the 1 pick I want and finding the tension wrench. I just walk from train to bus with the lock and pick set in my hand and then when I sit down I unfold it.

-mike

[stargate]

Im thinking of purchasing the jack knife set but I would like to known from someone who has purchased the steel one from Southord. Does the torque wrench be slot anywhere in the knive when its not in use or would i have to carry the wrench separately. Can i simply remove the wrench from with the knife set?

[scampdog]

yes,the tension wrench clips over the picks, and locks in under the main body of the tool.

[MrBuz]

Yes, I have the jack knife in question. I bought it out of quest for an improvement over Southord's, and bingo I struck gold. The fold out pick retainer is a geneious design, as there are no screws to mess with, and the feedback is by far superior to Southord's.
Pick repalacement is a user friendly process, accomplished sans any press. All you need is your two hands to place alternative picks available from Southern Specialties.
This tool is two thumbs up!