phippoD wrote:i was wondering because there are so many different picks and types of pick which one is the best to use. So if any one has a type of pick that they consider as a "ultamate" pick please post.
You're in search of a chimera. There is no such animal as "the best" pick. If anything, the "best" pick is the one that best fits a particular need. The old saw "use the right tool for the right job" applies to lockpicking too. Superlatives like "ultimate" are more marketing hype than useful metric.
Personal taste is also a major factor in selecting picks. One of the reasons that there is such a dizzying array of choices in pick designs is that everyone has a preferred picking style. What feels ergonomic to one person might feel horribly kludgy to another. For instance, some folks prefer simple flat picks with nothing added to the handle. Others like to have a bit of thickness and weight added to the handle. Still others forgo handles altogether by bending and twisting piano wire into loops and other bizarre shapes so the pick actually becomes an integral part of the hand. Some adore large thick plastic handles, but I personally can't stand picks with bulky handles because the feedback suffers a bit. Others might disagree on that point, but that's okay. No one ever said we all have to feel the same way about everything. Some of the pick designs I've seen other people laud on this board are just "meh" to me. De gustibus non est disputandum.
That said, there are noticeable quality differences among various brands. Indeed, there are products out there that I've been very impressed with. Higher strength steels make for a longer lasting tool and allow for thinner, more adventurous designs capable of negotiating tight and highly paracentric keyways. However, that doesn't necessarily make them "ultimate". It just makes them better suited to the job they were designed for. These same thin picks wouldn't be very good for picking situations where you want a little more stiffness and power. Again, it's a feedback thing.
Instead of pursuing some mythical "ultimate" lockpick, I suggest you concentrate on figuring out what it is you want from a tool and go from there. You can do this by trying out all the different designs available to you and see which ones you like. Eventually, you'll find tools that fit your developing style and philosophy. Do you rake first and then SPP? Then find or design a tip that does a combination of both. If you're into SPP, then experiment with different sized hooks, lifters, diamonds, and Falle curves. You'll find that some types of picks work better for certain lock brands and bittings than others.
Describing a pick as "the best" is meaningless without some clarifying context.
Arcturus
