Schlage Model B360 613

[SteveOXIII]

I just bought a Schlage Model B360 613 from Home Depot and tried to pick it with my SouthOrd set and didn't really have any luck at all. Then I grabbed a paperclip and a strightened out spring and picked it in no time at all. Which really brings me to the question of what do the mods on this forum have against using items other than lockpicks?

It seems like picking locks is picking locks and that's what we're here for, to learn and to share information. Are the mods getting paid to push lockpicks by some sponsor, or are they just jealous of anyone who can pick better than they can?

I saw a violinist play a piece of music on a violin and then smash it because he said that a true artist can work with inferior tools without compromising his performance and the violin he used was garbage. Lockpicking is an artform and it shouldn't matter what tools you use so long as you can learn and share what you've learned. Shouldn't the mods help people who want to get better at picking locks with improvisational tools instead of discouraging people who want to push their limits?

Just A Thought

[melvin2001]

what are you on about? just because your not skilled enough to pick a lock with real tools doesn't mean you have to be so angry. and i think the mods are pretty forgiving in this area.... they of course suggest people refrain from that because it teaches bad form and overall can cause more problems then it solves. some times a paperclip DOES work, but its generally less reliable then tools designed to do the job, which means it can just frustrate people that are learning...

oh and by the way.... get over it.

[Schuyler]

Sounds like a lot of pretension to me, friend.

It's good that you can pick with improvised tools. If you want to do something artistic with them have a look at what some of the people have done around this site.

The paperclip guide that was stolen from this site and put up elsewhere has a lot of cool information on improvised tools. Recently there was a cruciform pick demonstrated that was pretty cool.

Anyway, the information is here, the mods want to encourage proper picking, but are duly impressed by the ingenuity of our members. So, be inventive with your improvised tools.

Ever read about the mouse-trap plug spinner?

DIY tools are well loved on this site.

[SteveOXIII]

There was no malice carried in what I said so I'm not sure how you inferred anger from it. Perhaps it's a own reflection of your own shallow beliefs that when someone questions the traditions of a website you are part of, you get angry?

I never questioned the mods methodical flaming of someone who steps out of line, I only questioned the intent behind it.

The proper tool for the job at hand is always best, but only a fool relies soley on his tools. I'm just suggesting that sometimes it's best to practice under the worst conditions imaginable to push your skills to next level. If you only use professional lockpicks to practice, your skills are useless without them, whereas practicing with makeshift tools will cause you to think in new ways about picking a lock.

what are you on about? just because your not skilled enough to pick a lock with real tools doesn't mean you have to be so angry. and i think the mods are pretty forgiving in this area.... they of course suggest people refrain from that because it teaches bad form and overall can cause more problems then it solves. some times a paperclip DOES work, but its generally less reliable then tools designed to do the job, which means it can just frustrate people that are learning...

oh and by the way.... get over it.

[melvin2001]

so if this is a personal quest then why not just leave it at that... the mods are looking out for the noobs that come along looking for the quick way out, and grab a paper clip to pick with and then cant get consistent results. they have not PREVENTED anyone from doing anything they want... if you want to show your own personal skill and become the master over your tools and what not then do it... just leave your propaganda at home. by questioning the intent of the mods you are questioning their ethics, and i think thats pretty insulting to anyone. the mods have encouraged everyone to make their own picks.... REAL picks... not junky ones made from paperclips that have PROVEN to be unreliable at best. if the mods were so bent on pushing picks from lockpickshop then why dont they edit all the threads saying they have had bad customer service, or edit the threads about where else you can purchase picks (sometimes at a better price). your logic and argument are flawed. i dont think picking with flawed tools makes you any more skilled, i mean DB picked a lock with a banana... does that make him a jedi? he even made a video of it and passed it around... how is that for discouraging people from thinking outside the box.

if anything this thread was created so you can push your self righteous bull crap about how people shouldn't rely on their tools, and how it makes you better then other people... there is a difference between working with people to come up with new and interesting ways to solve a problem, and just whining about something you know nothing about.

[keysman]

The proper tool for the job at hand is always best, but only a fool relies soley on his tools. I'm just suggesting that sometimes it's best to practice under the worst conditions imaginable to push your skills to next level.

First let me congratulate you on you success with a paper clip.
This being a hobbyist site, the paper clip material is to allow newcomers to the hobby to experience lock picking for little or no cost,, if you plan to pursue the hobby or profession , it would be advisable to locate or make a decent pick set.

Hmmmm so if I were building a house I would be stupid to buy a hammer , when there are plenty of rocks around ?
Why have automotive tools when the same rock, and a pair of pliers ( presumably found on the side of the road) will work?

Having a rock for a hammer doesn't make you a good carpenter even if you feel comfortable using it......

I have used paper clips IN AN EMERGENCY , my skill and confidence came from using commercially available picks and lots of experience, not from always using the cheapest and most commonly available materials, that may or may not be suitable for the job at hand.
I don’t EVEN want to think about how many times a paperclip would not have worked .
Additionally I have NEVER had a paper clip last for any length of time,
I would hate to have to "make a new pick" every time I had to pick a lock, I would have to carry around a box of paper clips bigger than my pick kit .

[SteveOXIII]

You have serious issues, you should see someone about. I'm not your dad, go work things out with a therapist.

so if this is a personal quest then why not just leave it at that... the mods are looking out for the noobs that come along looking for the quick way out, and grab a paper clip to pick with and then cant get consistent results. they have not PREVENTED anyone from doing anything they want... if you want to show your own personal skill and become the master over your tools and what not then do it... just leave your propaganda at home. by questioning the intent of the mods you are questioning their ethics, and i think thats pretty insulting to anyone. the mods have encouraged everyone to make their own picks.... REAL picks... not junky ones made from paperclips that have PROVEN to be unreliable at best. if the mods were so bent on pushing picks from lockpickshop then why dont they edit all the threads saying they have had bad customer service, or edit the threads about where else you can purchase picks (sometimes at a better price). your logic and argument are flawed. i dont think picking with flawed tools makes you any more skilled, i mean DB picked a lock with a banana... does that make him a jedi? he even made a video of it and passed it around... how is that for discouraging people from thinking outside the box.

if anything this thread was created so you can push your self righteous bull crap about how people shouldn't rely on their tools, and how it makes you better then other people... there is a difference between working with people to come up with new and interesting ways to solve a problem, and just whining about something you know nothing about.

[SteveOXIII]

Thanks for the congrats. And Congats to you on being able to do it under stress and pressure no less! They last longer if you temper them properly since they're tempered for resiliency out of the box.

Your analogy is flawed, swinging a hammer and turning a wrench are not artforms. Lockpicking is best compared to cryptography if anything, it just so happens to happen in the real world as opposed to data on a computer.

I'm not telling people that they are they slaves of their picks and they need to throw them down to liberate themselves, I'm merely suggesting trying improv tools from time to time and see if it helps. It seems my intentions we taken as being hostile, so I guess this where I bow out of the discussion that seems to have people hellbent on turning it into argument. Now I know this is not place for new ideas unless they're not new and have only been proven to work time and time again!

The proper tool for the job at hand is always best, but only a fool relies soley on his tools. I'm just suggesting that sometimes it's best to practice under the worst conditions imaginable to push your skills to next level.

First let me congratulate you on you success with a paper clip.
This being a hobbyist site, the paper clip material is to allow newcomers to the hobby to experience lock picking for little or no cost,, if you plan to pursue the hobby or profession , it would be advisable to locate or make a decent pick set.

Hmmmm so if I were building a house I would be stupid to buy a hammer , when there are plenty of rocks around ?
Why have automotive tools when the same rock, and a pair of pliers ( presumably found on the side of the road) will work?

Having a rock for a hammer doesn't make you a good carpenter even if you feel comfortable using it......

I have used paper clips IN AN EMERGENCY , my skill and confidence came from using commercially available picks and lots of experience, not from always using the cheapest and most commonly available materials, that may or may not be suitable for the job at hand.
I don’t EVEN want to think about how many times a paperclip would not have worked .
Additionally I have NEVER had a paper clip last for any length of time,
I would hate to have to "make a new pick" every time I had to pick a lock, I would have to carry around a box of paper clips bigger than my pick kit .