hitech pickset

[murgle]

Hi, ive recently bought this set,

http://www.multipick-service.com/htdocs ... ts/pick99/

scroll down to about half the page,

hightec pickset 20.
so i was wondering if anybody has any info on them, or general info on how to use these sort of things?

i have tried working them but none worked. what motion is required? any general info on it? any experience?

[murgle]

i found something on the search function about using them, but not a whole lot, im kind of dissapointed.

the post said you shouldnt use them as rakes. but slowly move them around, and try a bunch.
seems discouraging. man im rly stuck.. cant open security pin locks, ssp or with this high tech stuff. next is rake, but im already months in and spent alot of $$$.

anyway if anybody knows anything, please tell me.

[Solomon]

They're basically tryout keys in pick form... the idea is to try each one until you find one which simulates the bitting of the lock closely enough that the pins will align almost simultaeneously and open the lock. They will work but there's so much trial and error involved you're better off just picking the lock normally. Even if you open locks as a profession these are a very poor option - unless you're dealing with a lock with a crazy bitting + super high tolerances + you can see the key clearly enough to choose your pick carefully anyway.

That aside, we're all here to help so I'll give you my thoughts on how you can use them more effectively.

To use these picks, you can employ a slow and gentle rocking/in-out motion or you can jiggle them around like you've had too much coffee. Doesn't really matter though... as with any kind of picking, tension is the most important thing so you need to adjust your tension according to the feedback you're getting from the lock. Which means if you've never picked or raked a lock before then you're not gonna get anywhere fast with these, in which case you may want to try this:

Find the pick shape which most closely resembles the bitting of the key for the lock you're working on and pick it with just that. Open it repeatedly until you get used to how everything is supposed to feel, then grab a different lock and start trying out the picks with the same motions and tension adjustment until you find the correct one.

[murgle]

thanks for your reply,

ive tried opening a cutaway already several times, but its not budging. ive held the key up to several picks, but none of them match fully, not even close. so im gonna try some more, try using two different ones maybe..
man im kinda beginning to think i suck at this.

the whole thing is, i can already open this lock with a normal hook and half diamond, and i set it to be exactly like my housedoor lock. but i can't open the lock on my door. i put spools in the cutaway and everything..

thanks anyway for trying to help, really appreciated.

[Solomon]

Yeah, they're not amazing... if you find something remotely close you can use it to rake the lock open the normal way but then again if you're gonna do that you may as well just rake it with, well, a rake

Also, just cos the lock on your door is pinned the same way doesn't make it the same lock. There are a ton of things which could make it harder to pick... it could simply be a higher quality lock, or it could just be stiff from wear... or the springs may be tighter or looser, which changes the feedback from the pins aswell. And if the lock is REALLY old, the tolerances may be so sloppy it's become harder to pick over time! Generally speaking the lower quality the lock, the easier it is to pick, but some locks can be so bad they're actually good.

Another thing, spools often make locks easier as the feedback you get from a spool is way more noticable than a regular pin. A high quality lock with standard pins is harder than a cheaper one full of spools. This isn't always the case, but generally I find higher end locks with spools easier... I can pick a lockwood with spools easily but when it's full of regular drivers I need to pay a lot more attention and be way more careful. As for cheaper locks they're about the same, spools or not... but on occasion they can be unexplainably annoying, and in those cases they're always filled with standard pins. That's my experience, anyway.

Out of curiosity, what is the brand of the cutaway and the one on your door?