European/Japanese Picks versus American

[xir]

hello everyone. i am just getting started on this whole lock-picking thing. i actually just ordered a 5-piece set, and i was really excited to get started... then i noticed that another website, with the exact same set, said that the picks were made thinner because they were meant for japanese/european locks, which have smaller keyways. now, forgive me if i am making a big blunder in my first post on this site, but doesn't that mean they will still work on american locks? (extra small picks should still fit into extra large locks, if common sense does not fail me here). is there some reason that this set wouldn't work on american locks? maybe they are *too* small to be effective? what is the deal here?

[Tuniz]

of course they work on american locks

just that here in europe "smaller is better", or so it seems atleast. they can make the keyway very narrow so regular picks wont fit, thats why they have made "slimline" sets.

The slimline set works great on smaller american padlocks too.

[vrocco]

just that here in europe "smaller is better"

How do the women feel about that?

[Grifter]

just that here in europe "smaller is better"

How do the women feel about that?

Haha, exactly what I was thinking!

[taracor]

Hmm..I think we might be getting somewhere..


But on a more serious note, yeah, you could use them in American key ways. It might just be a little less comfortable, or more touchy, or fragile. I'm not saying it will be, but it's a matter of preference. The pins on American locks would be bigger if I am not mistaken, so the smaller heads might have a little more trouble staying on the pin. Try it, maybe you'll like them better than the "American" sized picks, the difference shouldn't be too big either way.