Lockpick handles

[Boombaye]

I was doing some research about lockpicks and i came across many different types of pick handles. I was wondering if there is any special meaning to them, i mean do they help you feel each pin or are they just for grip purposes?

Thanks,

Boombaye

[Olson Burry]

Both for comfort and feel really.

I sometimes practice picking for extended periods of time and find that a plain old blade however carefully filed is just too thin to be comfy for a long time.

Also if you have a handle that is too squashy you wont feel the small details you need to in order to be as effective. You need to find a happy medium between the two.

I prefer the feel of pure metal handles, but had some good results with resin and Sculpy or Fimo.

[chev49]

I use my handles for gripping - normal or loose depending upon what i am doing. have even made some picks out of filed down stainless steak knives cause of the wood handles - just for fun (and cause they were 9 cents each @ the thrift store - a price i couldn't pass up)

[raimundo]

bogota ergonomics...... Many pickers use commercial picks some of which have no slab handles at all, moreover, they use their picks so that the edge of the pick is resting on the finger. this is a very thin edge. This quickly becomes irritating to the finger, but it also becomes the method by which they learn the feel of locks. They factor the discomfort in and it becomes a part of their style.
The bogota style pick has a twist where the pickshaft transitions to pick handle. this offers a broader area where pickers with the plain handleless, pick would be cutting its edge into the finger. This means that the picker can pick longer with less deterioration of the sense of feel.
Bogota picks have been misdescribed as picks that have no handles, but that is not the case. There is a handle, suitable for a two finger grip, the two finger grip is lighter than the kind of grip you can get on a popsicle handle pick, It is more sensitive, and not supporting of over forcing as the popsicle handles are. This means that it does support the light and loose method of using the picks.

[Boombaye]

raimundo, i remember asking about buying your bogota's. Freak parade(i think thats his name) was selling them, i know its not the time or place but are you selling them anytime soon again? I would like to buy a set.

Thanks,

Boombaye

[Olson Burry]

Hi Boombaye, Freakparade3 is selling the picks on behalf of Rai at the moment. If he hasn't got back to you after sending him a PM as you said on the 21st Nov I would suggest he is snowed under with stuff at the moment. If you sent the PM i'm sure you wont be forgotten.

Rai makes these things by hand and puts a lot of work in to them, so it may not be "top of the list" this month for either party. I think Rai also stops working when it's snowing and too cold as he makes them outside. Dont prod him just yet, you may just have to wait a bit.

Hope that helps