New to the Hobby, Could use some expertise!

[johnnyr]

This:

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=10677

[Bas2888]

Hahaha I knew that...

[Stryypgya]

What are digital blue's exercises? Maybe my English is not that good or I'm just a newb...

Heh. As a fellow n00b, I'd definitely recommend DB's exercises.

They're under the "FAQ & General Information" tab. In a nutshell, the beginner exercise is to:
1: Get a cheap lock
2: Take it apart, and remove all but 1 pin.
3: Practice picking that one pin to get a feel for how it acts with no tension, when it binds and when it's set.
4: Add a second pin.
5: Repeat step 3 until you get a feel for how the pins feel when under no tension, binding, set and unlocked.
6: Add a pin and keep working.
7: Get 5 pins in and pick the lock!

As I said in his original post, it's an incredibly useful way to get used to the feel of your picks and the pins. I love 'em. I'm keeping a cylinder set aside to use like that to teach others how things work.

[Stryypgya]

This:

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=10677

And you beat me to it...

That's what I get for tiring my fingers out on locks all night... I can't type fast enough.

[awol70]

What are digital blue's exercises? Maybe my English is not that good or I'm just a newb...

right here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10677

[totos]

I think you should just take 3 of the 5 pins out oof the non-cutaway lock and try to practise with the 2 pins. It should help you get the feelings. When you'll be good at this, add one more pin and so on...
if you don't know how to change pins, check out this

[tballard]

Back to some of your original questions:

...how to you pick a lock when the binding order is all jumbled (not front to back or back to front) or when the tolerances are so low that two or more pins are all binding pins?

Binding order is seldom linear in decent locks, and moreover, it changes depending on how you pick, the state of lock, and the phase of the moon. The important thing is to get a feel for the lock and the condition of the shearline in general, and not get hung up on details.

It's different for everyone, and while some people like to have a perfect mental map of the inside of the lock, I personally almost never do. (With the exception of locks I pick very regularly) For me, it's more about having a systematic search. As you pick the lock, you will set pins, and you should be aware roughly which pins are set and are not. For example, if I'm picking a 5 pin lock, I can usually tell you at any given time the set/not set states of:

• the first pin (closest to the front)
• the last pin (closest to the rear)
• the "back-mid" pins (second and third from rear)
• the "front-mid" pins (second and third from front)

Notice the middle-most pin, pin 3, is in both the "back-mid" and "front-mid" groups. I think of the shearline more in terms of "zones" and keep track of where there is more work to do. Mentally, my inner-monologue along the lines of: "Hmm... back pin is set, as is the mid-front, so now try the first pin, or somewhere near the mid-back now..." Once I am working on a region, it is easy to tell what pin needs attention, and I don't worry about the specific number. (usually)

Yes, you should be able to instantly navigate to a particular pin, but that skill is somewhat secondary to knowing where you need to be heading. When you have two pins which bind equally, the answer is: either one is fine.

[kirkscoobz]

Welcome to a hobbie that is most brill, as said before by some 1 - buy a few cheap practice locks, the 5 pin ones are a brezze once you have mastered them your confidence will grow, then slowly move up to the 6 pins.

If not - try buying the brocharge snap gun, this is brilliant, if you dont want to do this, you can always buy or make a bump key for the lock in hand, these are quite easily made but not common to all.

If you need any further help please contact me.
All the best.

[tballard]

Welcome to a hobbie that is most brill, as said before by some 1 - buy a few cheap practice locks, the 5 pin ones are a brezze once you have mastered them your confidence will grow, then slowly move up to the 6 pins.

If not - try buying the brocharge snap gun, this is brilliant, if you dont want to do this, you can always buy or make a bump key for the lock in hand, these are quite easily made but not common to all.

If you need any further help please contact me.
All the best.

Johnnyr:
You seem to be on the right track as it is, so please don't get follow the above advice.

Kirkscoobz:
Growing up, my dad would tell me: "Son, there is Karate and there is Barstool" This was a version of a punchline to a joke which went thus:

A guy is tired of getting picked on all the time, so he signs up for a Karate class. After his first class, flush with pride, he goes to the local bar to celebrate. He has just barely ordered his beer when he gets into a confrontation with the local bully.
"Ha!" he yells, assuming ready stance, "Karate!"
"Ha!" yells the bully, snatching up his stool and breaking it over the guy's head, "Barstool!"

What's interesting here is that the barstool is extremely effective, right up until it isn't.

Bump keys and pickguns are a perfect parallel. Yes, they will open a lot of crappy locks; however, you won't learn much from the process, and when you move up to a real lock, you'll hit a wall. You have to learn the basics or you will never progress beyond hitting locks with barstools.

Moreover, tools like the above are for when the process of picking the lock doesn't interest you. Unless you are a criminal or a locksmith these tools are interesting diversions but nothing more.