$30 for Pocket Pickset,Tublar Pick,Warded Pickset, and vids?

[Bud Wiser]

Ok I got my copy today, another hands on review!

I think pickmonger may have been kind

It comes in a nice DVD case now, which is actually the most valuable part of the package.

Installation

A relic from the past. This is a old program! Installation was typical of cheap programs from 5-6 years ago. Reminded me of those old freeware and shareware downloads. But it did install on my XP.

The CD

What, no freaking sound?! But it does include text for you to read. The video quality was youtube level at best.

The techniques were good. This guy is obviously is a decent lock picker. He even used those cheap picks for some of the vids. But if you knew nothing about lock picking you wouldn't really get a whole lot from this, even reading the accompanying text.

He does cover all the locks. Warded, waffer, pin tumbler, and tubular.

The pick tools

These are very tiny pick tools. The only thing that is about normal size is the 2 way tension but is a med tension with below average quality. You get 1 tension, and 4 double sided picks, 2 warded picks, 2 rakes, 1 jigglar, 1 hook, 1 small diamond, 1 half ball. The tubular pick is comprised of using the center of one piece as a tension, and a hook.

I was able to open a couple of masters with the rack and hook, I know, no surprise, but good to know. I was not able to open my master #3 with the warded picks. I did not try the jigglar or tubular pick yet.

I recall some one looking for a really small pick set for the wallet may be here on one of the threads. These picks could fit in most wallets easily.

I agree with pickmonger that these picks would not be good for a noob to start off with, but I do think they might be of some use for more experienced users, advanced beginners at least. Certainly they would not be useful for more difficult locks, but for cheapo's, no prob.

Conclusion

Definitely not worth the $30! This might be a worthwhile purchase for some people for around $10-$15. It does attempt to show a little bit of every thing including many ways to make picks, even from templates. I'm sure it was pretty cool when it first came out.

Not recommended for newbies, plenty of better alternatives available.

If your a collector, you may find some value in this.

Would I refund? No, but if I was a total noob looking to learn how to pick locks and paid $30 for this, I would be very disappointed. I did pick up a few new things from it, but nothing to justify a recommendation for it.

Out of 5 Stars, 5 being the best, I give it 2-1/2 stars.

[Bud Wiser]

Correction: I could not pick my warded master lock with the warded picks.

[globallockytoo]

Theres an old saying, " dont belive anything you hear and only half of what you see"

[Bud Wiser]

Theres an old saying, " don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see"

Well I come from a long sales and marketing background, and Internet marketing is another animal altogether. It's not that I am a doubter so much, it's just that on the Internet, especially forums, misinformation is spread like wild fire, and often taken to be based on facts, when usually it's based on speculation, or fragmentation (half truths mis quoted).

Actually I may have been a little too hard on this product. It does contain very solid picking techniques if followed and practiced will lead to better picking.

I did pick up a new technique in it, Pin Tapping Technique.

apply a rotational pressure on the lock with the tension wrench. Then with the pick feeler rapidly and lightly start tapping on the most inner pin and slowly work your way to the outer pin. Repeat this process until the lock
opens.

This was just one technique taught on the CD, new to me. I had been using the pin press techniques and or raking. But I tried the pin tapping which is easy to learn. I had excellent success with it on my padlocks.

I found tapping to be most effective on some locks where it's more difficult to feel if the pin is setting. Rapid tapping combined with pin pushing and some raking is also effective! It also taught me better raking techniques.

I just wish there was sound and it was better quality. I don't even care about the cheap picks that come with it, though it would have also been nice to include better tools. This was no doubt a killer CD when it first came out, and still has some good points. At the very least, the price should be dropped.

[unbreakable]

Thanks for the review Bud Wiser, now I definetely wont be buying it. It seemed to good to be true....

What does the one jiggler look like? THat strikes me as odd, gving you only one jiggler

[Bud Wiser]

Thanks for the review Bud Wiser, now I definetely wont be buying it. It seemed to good to be true....

What does the one jiggler look like? THat strikes me as odd, gving you only one jiggler

Here is a pic of every thing along side a Southord, Peterson, and HPC pick.
Excuse the poor quality pick. I made it in a couple of minutes.

http://anarkey.net/locksmith-cd01.jpg

The jigglar is second from tension wrench.

All the picks fit easily in most wallets.

[LockNewbie21]

Man... I take it back they are horrible

Man... SO what are the picks comprised of.. thickness finish?

Horrible....

[Bud Wiser]

Man... I take it back they are horrible

Man... SO what are the picks comprised of.. thickness finish?

Horrible....

I'm not sure what they are made of, they have a strange bluesh tint to them. They appear to be the same thickness as standard picks. The tension wrench is worse then the picks, it slips out easily due to it's angle of curves.

This pick set is pretty bad, if not for it's compact wallet size, it would be usless. I was able to open various master locks (surprised?), kwiksets, and other cheap padlocks using these picks and supllied tension. I could still open these locks quickly, but not as fast as I could with other pick sets.

These picks would destroy your fingers and hands with regular use, they do supply a small soft clear plastic handle to slip the picks in. Good thing too, not much to grip on as the center of the picks are used for tubular locks.

I can see these picks opening simple cheap locks, may be some older auto locks, and tubulars with some practice. You certainly wouldn't want to try to use them for Schlage, or better quality locks.

They did give me a marketing idea however. How does a fisher price locksmith tool set sound for toddlers?

[LockNewbie21]

Cool deal

Ehh wel i wont bash any further. I am going get a navagator set.. i wanted that set for almost a year now.