The more the merrier?

[The_Krug]

i was just looking at lockpickshpo.com and i saw a 69 piece set. tell me, how do they come up with that many different picks? and does this set make picking more efficient or doesit complicate it like i think?

[UWSDWF]

there are alot of duplicates to the set.... for starting out i'd reccomend the 14pcs set.. it has all you need really.... once you're into this a bit then look into a set by Petersons that are quality over quanity

[Chucklz]

You can also get a smallish HPC set for around 25 dollars. Quality of the tools is high. Although I must say, when I reach for commercial picks these days, its Peterson all the way. SouthOrd are good for learning on, but I have a set I won, and I haven't even unzipped the case.

[fizzmahon]

i will agree with Chucklz. I bought some petersons and the quality of the picks is unbelievable. No further finishing was needed. The steel is so strong yet a good thickness. The flat 5 wrenches provide very high feedback.

Ive tried Dino, falle, HPC, and homemade picks and so far the petersons take all. My home made picks are next, then HPC, Falle, and then Dino.

FiZZ

[Chucklz]

Souring on those Falles eh?

[Eyes_Only]

For a beginner, having some multiple duplicates of the same picks can be helpful. Mainly because some people tend to bend and break at least one pick due to their inexperience in applying the correct tension. I have been guilty of this too a while back at first. Snapped my hook pick. Thats the one pick that suffers the most abuse I think.

[Shrub]

I bought the big set when i first started and still use it today for the job even though i have the falles and others,

The big set is the 14 piece set multiplied and then they throw in a warded pick set as well which ive never used or even tried,

Leave it alone and get the 14/15 piece SO sets then you can buy individual picks of other brands when funds permit and you know what you want/need,

That said all the suggestions above are valid and good ones so the world is you oyster just watch the money situation,

Buy the cheaper sets and some practice locks

[taracor]

Even the 14 piece set is pretty big. Some of the rakes are pretty useless in my opinion.

[Mankato]

I haven't been able to open anything with the rake that comes in the 11 and 14 piece sets. I could be doing it wrong, but I've tried a million times.

[Eyes_Only]

Raking can be tricky for many people, myself included. I usually combine raking and SPP together to get the desired results. That said, most of my rakes are almost never used or ever see the light of day.

[bumber]

I like free stuff so... if you NEVER use 'em would you trade/sell 'em?

[Gundanium]

Free stuff is good, just buy a nice 12 pieces, and/or a jackknife set, you'll get a lot of practice with a jackknife in weird situations, i've gotten a lot of practice from it, but you'll probably ruin it, so you're going to at least want the 12 pieces, to F around with.

[jhl]

Out of all the silly rakes in the Southord 14-piece set, I only ever use two of them. The key-style rake actually does an excellent job on a bunch of locks, and I like it for pre-setting spools.

Both hooks that came in the set were crap, though. One's too shallow, one's too long. I'm glad I picked up another hook with the set (lockpickshop has it as SLS-08), now my favourite pick.

I've used this set since absolute newbiedom and haven't broken one yet... they're pretty tough, fairly cheap, I'd recommend them for starting on, with that extra hook.

[jhl]

...oops... SLS-08.

[SEVEN]

When I first started I had the same problem as Mankato and found the rake useless ,it took quite a while for me to realize I was rakeing too high on the pin's and not allowing pin's to set. After dropping the rake lower I found I was setting between 3 and 5 pin's every time and getting the last few with a hook.Soon I was opening lock's with just the rake.