Hook with nib

by **Buzzzy** » 15 May 2006 21:57

I was reading the post LockNewbie21 made "My new pick with a bit of science", and it reminded me of a set of hooks I put together a couple of months ago.
The are not the same picks at all, but they do share one idea.

"Instead of a simple hook or flat or rounded head, i used a valley shape with sharp peaks so that the tip would'nt slip from the one pin you were working on and the sharp peaks fit inbetween pins so your not lifting or moving more than one pin at a time."

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=5/13420085560.jpg&s=f5

The hook has a small nib at the end, this helps you isolate each pin, and it works well.

The feedback on where you are in the lock is great, and you have a positive grip on the pin you are working with. I pulled them out again today. I opened a few locks and was reminded of how cool they were.

I can't take credit for the idea, it came from a friend who is a tool and die maker, and of course a lock tool designer.
I asked him if it was ok if I shared his idea with the forum, so here they are. He only asked that I relay to him any comments on the design.
It's not every day a contribution can be made to the basic pick design.

Sorry they are not shaped as evenly as I would like to see them. I will tidy them up when I get the time, but you can see the idea.

Andy, good luck with your your project!

Regards
Buzzzy

by **Gordon Airporte** » 15 May 2006 23:58

The downside, I've found, is that you can't scrub very well with the tip shaped this way. Many locks with spools can be picked by scrubbing until you get a false set, then finding and setting the spools that are caught. Not that it's so dificult to just switch picks. I guess having to stick with one pin at a time encourages good single-pin-picking habits :-)

.

by **LockNewbie21** » 16 May 2006 0:42

Buzzzy there great bud

and pass the kind words to the maker as well. They would seem to be great with the diffrent hieghts, and thanks for the kind wishes.

Gordon Airporte, i see you thought as well, but rember that the actual deisgn is for single pin grip, but a good observation none the less.

Andy

by **USMAN** » 16 May 2006 5:03

hi m8, this is a nice idea , yeah similar to the LockNewbie21's , i will try to make a pick similar to this as i also prefer single pin picking.

oh yes welldone!

Thanks

by **devildog** » 16 May 2006 5:10

I agree it seems like an excellent notion, and with regards to scrubbing--why would you use a hook for that? A rake, half-diamond, bogota; any of those should work better than a hook for that.

by **digital_blue** » 16 May 2006 21:12

That looks very much like a pick I made some time ago when working on Medeco locks. I've got pictures of it in the advanced forum. I did play with it a bit for common pin tumblers, and I agree it does make finding each individual pin a little easier when you're first getting going, but in the long run, I really didn't find it to be strikingly better, and if anything, it just slowed me down a bit.

Just my thoughts tho.

db

by **Gordon Airporte** » 16 May 2006 21:55

devildog wrote:I agree it seems like an excellent notion, and with regards to scrubbing--why would you use a hook for that? A rake, half-diamond, bogota; any of those should work better than a hook for that.

True, it's really sort of half scrubing - only while pulling the pick out. It still speeds things up often. I've been using a hook with a rounded head a lot recently, also...although I still only scrub the one way with it come to think of it.

by **Mr. Lock Pick** » 16 May 2006 23:21

thats a really good idea, especially for learners.

by **vector40** » 17 May 2006 3:56

You can find commercial hooks whose tips are shaped with a "dent" to help settle on an individual pin.

by **LockNewbie21** » 17 May 2006 6:29

My favorite purpose for the ones i made is for beating flase sets, i find that while admist regivitve plug rotation and trying nto puch the security pin up, its a tad bit comforting to have the little bugger grips on for no slippage, ofcourse i can do it with a hook also... but i am lazy sometimes and just the dips in the pick. And DB ofcourse its not going to help you!! Who needs this when you got a bussel of bannanas

Lol i tried that the other night..not ot go off toic, but it does work, and for my KW1 cut away i made a hyrid diamond and froze it to work on pin tumblers.... yea ok flame me now i have no life But yes my mommy says i am a really cool cat

Andy

by **raimundo** » 17 May 2006 9:17

DB's type is one I have also made in the past for medeco and such, it fits round as well as pointed/culleted pins, but these can ride out of the bottom center of the saddle while the newer nib shape in this post will not allow pins to ride up on the edges as well, simply because it is made less to fit and more to stop against the back of the pin, a tiny nip like that would be hard to sand smooth, though it can be done if you allow extra metal for that when making it and the sand it to finish the shape, it could however scratch and otherwise get tangled in paracentric wards. I don't know why everyone wants a hook with a really round curve, you can make them with more of an angle thus impinging less on any deep pin you are working behind. like this:
__________________/ see, more angle, less curve will put more of the hook tip under only one pin, without having the curve impinge one a pin closer to the open end of the keyway.

by **Buzzzy** » 17 May 2006 9:51

Ray

I agree with you on the curve being overly round. These were from my scrap box,to test the nib thing.

Medeco i've got one dealing me a fit right now,Hmmmm.

Regards
Buzzzzy

by **Buzzzy** » 17 May 2006 10:32

Thanks for the opinions guys, I pretty much agree with them.

The concept is much more about feedback than speed, and would be of most value to someone working on proper single pin habits.

The first tool I usually pick up is the diamond hook, as I also like the option to rake a little while single pin picking.

I do hope this concept is of help to someone.

It is nice to have a forum where ideas can be talked about, and openly debated. It has helped me today, as I did not think about Medeco at the time.

Thanks
Buzzzy

by **pinsetter** » 17 May 2006 10:45

I've made a couple of similar picks, except that they don't involve the hook. I called my design "Volcano" picks. They are steep half diamonds with a small V cut into the peak, somewhat like this:

________________/v\

On my design the V cut into the peak is just large enough to isolate a pin good, and they still provide plenty of lift. By using a steep half-diamond design it is very easy to lift a single pin at a time and the pick slides in and out of the lock easily. By making these in various sizes you can cover a wide array of pin configurations and keyway designs.

Right now my camera is MIA, but when I find it I'll get some pics of them up here.

by **pinsetter** » 18 May 2006 9:29

here's pics of my pick design. These picks work really good for single pin picking.

Small Volcano:

and.... Large Volcano:

Sorry bout the blurry pic of the first one!

Hook with nib

Hook with nib

nibers

really round curve

Thanks

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