Best Way To Learn To Feel Pins?

[Dave568]

I've never really had any success picking locks the traditional way. I can rake most locks open fairly quickly, but I know that isn't very useful when it comes to higher security locks. However, I seem to have a problem feeling individual pins inside of a lock. When I stick my pick into a lock, I have no idea where the pins begin in the back of the lock, and I can never even tell how many of them there are. I also do not notice any sort of difference between the pins that I do feel. Does anyone have any exercises that will help me learn to get a better feel for the pins? I understand the mechanical aspect of picking, and I have a feeling that once I learn how to really feel the pins I will be able to pick up the rest quickly, but it is this beginning step that is giving me many problems.

[UWSDWF]

read digital_blue's guide follow and repeat

[Wolfe]

heres what UWSDWF was talking about
viewtopic.php?t=10677

Its really a matter of practice. The more you stick a pick into a lock the easyer it is to identify what it is you are feeling and identify the information about the lock plus the info on its vurnabilities. Each person is different in this, It took me couple of weeks of picking every day to get this down pat.

Just remember practice, practice, practice and before you know it these questions you are asking will answer themselves.
Good luck
W.

[Gypro]

Wolfe is right practising is everything.

But I've got a little trick for you how to count the pins.
Just stik you diamont the wrong way round in as far as you can. Now pusch al the pins down. Pull the pick slowly out and you will hear a klick for every pin.

If you realy want to feel the pins I would suggest you to practice on a cheap doorlock and not on padlocks.

Gypro

[Eyes_Only]

I would take the lock apart and start by only loading the first one or two pin chambers. Once you feel comfy with picking a lock with only one or two pin stacks you can slowly move up to more pin stacks. This really helps. I do it all the time with high security locks.

[drunk.with.love]

If you can, get a clear cylinder, then you can use sight to distinguish what you're feeling, it helped me a lot.

[Chucklz]

Back whten I was learning (way before lp101, back when alt.locksmithing was a place to lurk) I took a master #3 padlock, and just sat watching tv picking it over and over. Sometimes Id rake it, sometimes single pin picking. I found the distraction of the TV rather helpful. I was learning, but perhaps I wasn't concentrating so hard on the lock as to get nervous and fustrated.

[Shrub]

You could try This out and see if it helps in any way,

[freakparade3]

You can take a hook pick and file a shallow V into the tip. Then when you pick with it you will feel the pins slide into the V. It helps.