Starting Set

[Tutrigo]

Hello, I want to buy a small lock pick set.
With a Tension Wrench (Single End Short TT-02 -> www.lockpicktools.com/images/tt03.jpg), Short Hook (flat top), Small Diamond. Is that correct, Im I buying the necessary basic things to open most of the locks?
I want to order from www.lockpicktools.com
By the way, I live on Brazil, I guess it uses the same lock-system, the difference I could see is that we use the pins at the bottom of the lock and in USA you use the pins at the top of the lock.
Well, thanks

And by the way, what is a Tension Wrench type Twist Flex Long? What is it for?

[barbarian]

If you get any of the small sets there and polish them a bit, they will work well. Some people like different handle types on their picks. You can see the differences in the "LPH" and "LRH" sets. They are just different handle types. For starting out, plain handles are fine and you can easily cover the handles yourself with some heat shrink tubing that is used on electric wires. Don't get one of the big sets with many different picks. You will never use most of them. The two or three you mentioned will be good for many locks. Also don't get one of the folding jack-knife sets for starting out. They are a bit clumsy to use.

There are many types of tension wrenches and they are very important when you pick a lock. The twist flex long wrench is almost the same as the other wrenches, but the metal twists in the handle part. This gives the wrench a different feel and it's a bit easier on your fingers if you practice for a long time.

Tension wrenches are the easiest thing to make yourself. If you can find car window wipers that have the metal strips holding the rubber wiper part in, they are perfect. Then you can just bend them with pliers and smooth them with a file or grind stone. Maybe look at a local car garage for some old wipers. They often throw them in the garbage, if you ask maybe they will just give them to you. Not all cars use the ones with metal strips.

Look at some of the posts here on how to make your own tools.

Good luck.

[Tutrigo]

Thanks for your answer.
But... I don't want to polish them or do anything, just the really correct tools to "have fun", so, can I work with these picks without polish them?

[barbarian]

Yes, you can use them just the way they are.

Polishing makes them a bit better and only requires some fine sandpaper, very easy to do, but it is not required.

[Olson Burry]

The tools will work fine "out of the box", however because these are stamped out of large pieces of stainless steel, sometimes the edges are quite sharp or abrupt. You want them to be a little more rounded so the shaft doesn't get hung up so easily on the warding

It's no big deal to give them a once over with some 1000grit paper. Should take you less than a minute per pick.

Depends how much you care about making things easier, a couple of minutes isn't too much is it now?

[Tutrigo]

One other important thing that I must tell you guys is that I live on BRAZIL and here we use our pins "upside down", instead of puting the pins up, we use pins down, but what I really want to ask is that I want to know if should I buy thinner picks like in Europe?

Can someone living on Brazil (or south-america) answer me if the USA's tools are thicker for Brazil's locks?
If yes, then should I buy Europe Picks?
If not, then should I buy normal Picks?
If anybody knows, then should I buy wich?

Thanks.

[Tutrigo]

And I forgot to put in the last post...
Why should I start with the last pins instead from the first then to the end?
Thanks.