Noobie looking for help on progression.

[Sewer21]

I have been picking locks for under a month and have run out of padlocks.

I am willing to spend a deecent amount of money on locks but have no idea where to start. I am hoping one of you veterans out there could give me a list of locks starting from the super easy to the ungodly complex. Something that could keep me on track for a while.

Any information would be great.

[barbarian]

Since you say you have only been picking a month, the best bet might be to collect a bunch of different locks wherever you can. Yard sales, ebay, local discount stores, building supplies, walmart etc. Take some time and develop the skills. I wouldn't spend too much money until you decide what is the most interesting for you.

There is a thread about security pins viewtopic.php?f=9&t=17879

Generally try to look for better quality locks with tighter tolerances and difficult keyways. Deadbolts are nice cuz you can take them apart and start with a couple of pins and work up. Then change the order of the pins, and it's like a different lock.

[Brett McMenimon]

You never know what kind of lock your going to get.

I run into some Kwikset that give me a really hard time. It's funny.

If the last pin is really small and the second to last pin is long your going to have a tough time picking it regardless of who makes it. Try to new Schlage F Series. They have mushroom pins that make it much harder to pick.

[n2oah]

Upgrade to Sargent or Schlages with difficult pin combinations.

[tballard]

I have been picking locks for under a month and have run out of padlocks.

I am willing to spend a deecent amount of money on locks but have no idea where to start. I am hoping one of you veterans out there could give me a list of locks starting from the super easy to the ungodly complex. Something that could keep me on track for a while.

I don't class myself as a veteran, but my personal progression has been roughly along the lines of:

Kwikset
Master #3
Schlage (*)
Master #140
Schlage with security pins (*)
Old five-pin American padlock
Brinks Shrouded/American rebranded (*)
American 1105 padlock
Medeco Biaxial (*****) (in progress, not gonna be opened any time soon... )

Items I've marked with an asterisk (*) are places were there was a noticeable jump in difficulty. I bought a lot of locks from a building material recycling place, so when I say "Kwikset" or "Schlage" I mean both branded ones and other makes with similar features. (e.g. Wisser/Brinks/Yale/Dexter)

The main thing is to keep working at it. I still learn a lot from picking Kwiksets and security-pinned Schlages. The nice thing about deadbolt locks is that they are pretty much all repinnable, which lets you try different things.

Other things to do is try using different picks and tension techniques. If you usually use a short hook, force yourself to use a half-ball, or try top-tension.

[5thcorps]

tballard's progression path looks reasonable for just about anyone but I'd throw in a few more before medeco. Commercial cylinders like Corbin/Russwin can prove to be challenging and can add a lot to ones tension skills becasue they reuire such a feather light touch at times. But don't forget when you have cylinders break them down and repin them several times before moving on. Say you moved onto a Brinks and got to the point where you felt comfortable with it and could open it any number of times. Once you're there start at the beginning again and work your way back up to it before moving on to the next challenge. The basic skills can get lost in translation when focusing only on the next challenge. I go back to the beginning constantly and feel it has easily doubled my skills and my ability to learn the characteristics of each manufacturer.

[tballard]

tballard's progression path looks reasonable for just about anyone but I'd throw in a few more before medeco.

Actually, I disagree. The Medeco has been really, really good for me. I don't have any expectation of opening it soon, but I am up to 5 pins (three 'shroms) with no sidebar. I have a long way to go, but the chisel tips on the pins, the tightness of the tolerances, and the amount of thinking it's forced me to do is incredible. (Plus, it has that lure, which keeps you coming back for more) Moral of the story: it's great for learning, but don't get disappointed when it kicks your rear. Repeatedly.

The basic skills can get lost in translation when focusing only on the next challenge. I go back to the beginning constantly and feel it has easily doubled my skills and my ability to learn the characteristics of each manufacturer.

This is fantastic advice. Picking (for me at least) is not like riding a bike. If I don't pick a particular type of lock for a while, it takes me a few attempts to get the skill back. And when you do, you realize new things about the lock which you had taken for granted before.