If you could only have 3 picks?

[t0meh]

If you could only have 3 picks in your set, what would they be?
Name 3 picks and give reasons for choosing them.

[phippoD]

1.a half dimond because its it a good pick for SPP
2.a bogota rake because its a very good rake to have and works very well
3. my own type of pick which is like a hooked half dimond which i find can pick locks well.

but it really depends on the type of locks that are been picked to what you want in your kit.

[MacGnG1]

S rake: /\/\___________ great for raking
short hook: (__________ like for picking
half diamond: ^------ lil bit of both

[apb]

Regular Short Hook (southord, SS or HPC, doesnt really matter)-For Single Pin Picking.

A Southord Slimline Hook- for those locks that seem to need it, again Single Pin Picking.

Bogota style rake- For raking or jiggling technique.

[Legion303]

Short hook, deep hook, L-rake.

-steve

[Schuyler]

Deforest, Bogota, King

[dynil]

diamond for raking,S rake and short hook

[5thcorps]

Short hook, half diamond, wafer pick that looks like an 8

[datagram]

Short hook, long hook, and c-rake.

dg

[unjust]

half diamond, short hook, bogota

[nostromo]

For me the emphasis is on the tension wrenches. The half diamond can handle almost anything pin and disc-wise if you can control the amount and the 'feel' of tension.

For the second pick, a bogota for fast raking.

Third choice would be a straight blade on a pick gun, but that's probably not what you had in mind, so I'll go for a Z-shaped piece of spring steel to work warded/lever locks.

[nostromo]

For me the emphasis is on the tension wrenches. The half diamond can handle almost anything pin and disc-wise if you can control the amount and the 'feel' of tension.

For the second pick, a bogota for fast raking.

Third choice would be a straight blade on a pick gun, but that's probably not what you had in mind, so I'll go for a Z-shaped piece of spring steel to work warded/lever locks.

[dmux]

half diamond
deforest pick
Snake rake and of course tension tool

[dmux]

well, trade out the s rake for a bogota... what was i thinking

[locfoc]

I would use the peterson g4 elite short hook, then their reach pick -> this one is easy to come up under long pins to reach a short pin behind it, and my last choice is my 1/4 rotary pick on my cordless 18v xrp dewalt drill. When the first two fail, my rotary pick always gets the job done.

For tension wrenches I like custom made ones that I design using peterson's kit. I'm a big fan of their tools.
I did invest in the g4 elite and it's the last pick set I bought. That was about 3 years ago.


I also have a third set of picks, I bought the 14 or 17 set from HPC whatever the second smallest kit is, and I grinded all of them down and tempered the steel, they are thinner then the slim line, they fit into any mini-padlock keyway, or obscure plug with weird grooves. They are very tough picks, and I have also engraved my initials on the handles because they are modified. Great stuff. I love collecting picks