Southord vinyl handle covers

[Engineer]

Don't use electrical tape, even the best will ouze with time as the adhesive oxidises.

Have you considered adhesive-lined heat-shrink tubing? It will give a similar thickness handle, but more of a "plastic" feel than rubber like dip does.

I've experimented with sand mixed into gloss paint for a textured coating.

If I'm honest, I just like the feel of rubber best, but I don't use them. The only problem with thick handles, is that it encourages you to use them with too much force. A thin edge might be uncomfortable, but it is doing a good job in warning you, you are using too much force.

The ideal handle would be comfortable to hold, yet provide a lot of tactile feedback so you know hard hard you are pressing and also how you are holding it in your hand.

Have you ever used proper medical scalpels? Not the plastic disposable ones, but the real solid stainless steel ones like those made by Swan-Morton? Wonderful quality and they just "feel right" in your hand. They are so well-designed, that it is hard to actually hold them badly in your hand. Unfortunately it would be very expensiveto make picks like that.

I'm working on a design of my own, that can be cut like current picks, but feel much better in the hand, without getting too uncomfortable over a long session with the locks.

[nostromo]

Many woodcarvers round down all sharp corners on their knives, chisels and gouges to make them more comfortable to hold. I do the same to all my pick handles and the portions of the pick blade itself that consistently touch flesh. And taking a page from Raimundo and the other senior pickers here, I've sanded and buffed all working ends to an exteremly smooth finish. Boy, does it make a difference in feeling the pins! Wish I had known about this when I was a working locksmith.

After rounding and smoothing, the handles get heat shrink tubing applied. It's inexpensive, easy to apply, stays even in all places, does not slip or easily wear off, and provides just a skosh bit of cushion. Not as soft as the silicone grips like, say, the Navigator picks, but still nice.

If you want a thicker handle just put on another layer of shrink tubing. If you decide you don't like it or just want a different color from black (you have to look), the tubing is easy to strip off.

And did I mention that i's inexpensive?

[Engineer]

I've just thought of another couple of possibilites for handles, although I have not tried them myself on picks.

One is the self-adhesive fabric tape that you can buy for raquets and other handles.

The other is to use self-amalgamating tape for a very rubbery feel. I have a socket wrench where the handle is too thin and slippery. I coated it with contact adhesive and tightly-bound twine to give it the texture. I then coated it with self-amagamating tape and it's stood up to many years of abuse without needing redoing. One of the benefits of self-amalg is that it is self-healing.

Just a thought.

[lockeymoto]

I use the sleeves, I can get feed back with tension wrench, so thats not a big deal to me, the grips are nice on cold days. or for medeco /scorpian locks when your picking for hours...