Good lockpicking tools?

[freddyharkin]

How about this youtube vid I saw on a good kit to use? feeback?

[fgarci03]

Hi and welcome to the forum


Ok, to answer your question..
Ditch the pick guns. They have no real use in hobby lockpicking. The fun about lockpicking is being able to manipulate a lock to open. Not "kick" it opened.
Unless you need to unlock anything fast.

That's something you need to be aware before buying whatever it is. And you can make a custom snaper. They serve the same and can be personalised by you. Search the forums, there are DIY's about them.

With that said, I personally like Southord. Most of my picks are from them and I am very happy with those.
The 14 piece set has everything you'll need to start off (I started with the 5 piece set). Once you get to know each pick, you may want to get some specific picks for your set, and you'll find some you'll never use too.

So don't get anything more than the 14 piece.

You need to chose regular or slimline picks. Are you from Europe? Here keyways are narrower so you'll need the slimlines. If your are from America, choose the regular picks, as they are more resistant.
There are also other pick makers of course. But I can't tell you first hand about their quality. Other members will

[ARF-GEF]

Ditch the pick guns. They have no real use in hobby lockpicking.

True words.
It is used but that's no longer hobby picking, it's for locksmiths' opening jobs.

So don't get anything more than the 14 piece.

+1 Especially at the beginning.
Many of us (me included) will eventually let the temptation win and get a big ass set full with more or less useless tools, but most of us will regret it.

Southord slimlines are very slim, excellent for Europe keyways, but be careful, since they are thin they can get bent or broken if you press to hard to things you should not press on. (Bending happened to me regularly.)

[LockDocWa]

That electric pick gun he was demonstrating can double as a weapon.
That thing is HUGE!

[Sinifar]

Don't make the mistake of thinking a huge set of picks will do you any good, except feed your ego.

As a working smith, I have a few in my case, a rake, a "long HPC computer rake" -- a couple of hooks picks which get used for almost anything and everything from spring setting to actually feeling out a lock, and a couple of diamonds. Toss in a couple of tension wrenches, and you get a good set of picks.

Most end up using one or two favorites which they have found to work best for them, again personal preference, and forget the rest. What counts is what you can work with, and get locks open. Get used to working with one or two, and have confidence in what you are doing. This takes practice and time.

ALSO keep a couple of "spares" in your case, Picks are fragile, and something to think about when working a lock. You can break them off at the worst time, then you got something else to fish out of the keyway. A lot of usage also contributes to broken picks. SO keep that in mind.

Pick guns, like bump keys work on the same principal. Today, most smiths use bump keys instead of pick guns, as it is hard to get a uniform setting to bounce all pins at the same time, A slight "off angle" can and will not open the lock. There will always be the guy who can work magic with almost any tool he has been practicing with forever - so don't use that as a basis for your selection of tools to work with.

Find something which you like, can get more of, and stick with that.

We use HPC, as we are in the trade and they are readily available thru our normal supply channels.

Sinifar

[ARF-GEF]

Sinifar which long HPC computer rake are you using? I've been curious about them and I wanted to buy a single one, but they all look the same which one do you use?

Since they are hard to desribe I think the easiest would be to writeh the article number from here:
http://www.multipick-service.com/htdocs ... atzlkpcks/

As for what you wrote: +1

[Sinifar]

HPC 2000 Series, SSP-12 / SSP-13 both work well, just rock them gently and they will do the job.

I also have a set of the "Computer Picks" - they are expensive, but for what you pay for them, they also work well. Again, insert, and rock gently and in time, using both sides and working thru the set, they will open locks.

Monday I had to open a closed business with the computer picks, second one in, a gentle rock, slight pressure and the Adams Rite rolled over. Were they amazed at how "easy" it was to get in!

Sinifar

[easy-e]

I don't see the video. I thought it was my browser (Iron) but I tried regular Chrome, Firefox, and IE.

[helen31]

I also not find any video here.Did you share the link again or update your post ?So I also watch this video.My brother is interested in lock pick guns.

[YouLuckyFox]

SSP -13: looks familiar

http://hpcworld.com/px/picks/2000/images/p_ssp13.gif
http://hpcworld.com/px/picks/2000/index.html
Sinifar, do you know the manufacturer on your computer picks? Thanks for your insights, it's good to have you on the forum!

[jfw]

I hear the picks over at http://http://www.sparrowslockpicks.com/ are great. And I must agree with everyone before me, pick guns are a waste of time.

[south town ninja]

sinifar, i am interested in the computer picks that HPC has as well, but i guess they only sell to locksmiths? How then, can one obtain a set? Are there any templates out there that i could make my own with?

[Paleo123]

Anybody who owns these computer generated picks/ rake..how much more effective (if at all) are these? I am not spending any more money on picks except maybe a cheap disc detainer pick but if these shapes are more effective I would like to try making some. So that being said if these are worth making and you want to post some pictures next to some common picks I wouldn't hate you for it

[south town ninja]

sinifar, i am interested in the computer picks that HPC has as well, but i guess they only sell to locksmiths? How then, can one obtain a set? Are there any templates out there that i could make my own with?

[glenaw]

Most everyone I know uses HPC Half Rake and the HPC TR-4 Rigid tension tool. Some people I know use the HPC Diamond tip and then modify it by taking a round file and filling the center down until the rounded center will hold the pin in it's center. Makes a excellent picking tool for those who pick a cylinder one chamber at a time.

My suggestion would be to take a 6-pin lock and dump all the pins but one chamber. Start with that and as you get the feel for picking it put in another chamber and pick the lock. Work your way up to picking the lock fully loaded. You will get the feel for which chambers are picked first and so on down the line. A chamber that is picked you will feel the lightness of the pin with no tension on it and no spring on it. Practice, Practice Practice.

Pick guns don't work very well but have been known to have there place. I would get a "Rytan Spinner" . Some times you can get the lock to pick one direction, the wrong direction, but as much as you try it won't pick the correct direction. Spinners work really well for those circumstances.

I have been doing locksmithing for 31 years and have taught a few people through the years and thats my take.

Good Luck with your picking!