Rakes; What, How, Which

[rabidsquire2]

What is the purpose of a rake, how is it most effectively used, and how do I know which rake to use for each different lock? Any suggestions would be great, thanks.

Rabidsquire

[barbarian]

Let's see.

A rake is a type of pick used to quickly open a lock.

The technique is called raking or perhaps scrubbing as opposed to SPP or single pin picking. There are lots of tips and tutorials here. There are videos on YouTube that I found VERY helpful.

Which rake ? There is really only one "best". Bogata.

Some people also like an "S" rake.

[datagram]

Rakes are mostly based on preference, and many here would recommend raimundo's Bogota* rakes.

The most popular are S and C rakes. C looks like a squiggle and S, despite the name, resembles the letter M (like ___/\/\ )

dg

[Archive555]

I personally use an 'S' rake most of the time for raking, or a 'C' rake for smaller locks, and sometimes a combination of both. After (somewhat) successfully making my own bogatas, I agree, they are the best rakes. Full stop. Period.