California, Pick sets, and Legality (no license)

[newbcake]

I want to buy a set just to satisfy my curiosity of picking locks WITHIN my OWN home. Nothing outside. As a matter of fact, the picks will most likely never leave my room.

I just want to pick some locks I have lying around my house just for the heck of it.

Now, the question(s) are (this is in the sense of being a normal resident WITHOUT any locksmith license):

1. Is it illegal to buy one in CA?
2. If not, is it illegal to buy one ONLINE and have it shipped TO your home?
3. If it is all legal and fine, WHERE can I buy one in California? Just a basic one is fine.

I've been looking at this for a starter set:

http://www.amazon.com/15-Piece-Lockpick ... 041&sr=1-1

[keysman]

welcome to the site ,

Check out this thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2850

[YouLuckyFox]

Welcome to the site, Newbcake,
Have you had much experience with picking before?
I personally favor the Peterson Reach, and use it almost exclusively (along with the Peterson Gem/Slender Gem and the PryBar and PryBarLite)
https://www.thinkpeterson.com/picks.html
https://www.thinkpeterson.com/tensiontools.html

If you are interested in seeing some other sets, and opinions on them, I would recommend the following thread, mainly the first reply by Squelchtone:
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=54676
I favor purchasing my picks online, but you can do as you please.
I would recommend not necessarily purchasing a set of picks but rather just get a few quality picks and make sure you get some good tensioners (tensioners are just as important as picks.) I purchased a set years ago and found I only use two or three of the picks.

[phrygianradar]

I agree with YouLuckyFox, for the most part. I also favor Peterson picks, hands down no questions! I use three of them for about every lock that I pick; The Jem, Hook, and Peterson Reach (plus the slender versions, so six picks...) However, they can be a bit more expensive than some other brands (like, all other brands), and for that reason I feel it may be better to start with a small set of Southord picks. They seem to bend a little more; they are more forgiving than Peterson picks. When you first start out picking there is a tendency to use too much tension and really try to force the lock into submission. You wont even know you are doing it, but it will happen. Even if you tell yourself, "I won't use too much tension, no matter what!", as soon as you get close to picking a lock that you have been working on for a while, you will be trying so hard to get that last pin to the shear line and; Snap! If you break a Peterson government steel Jem, that's 15 bucks to replace it (considering you get the nice black rubber handle...yummy ), whereas you can get a pretty descent set of Southord picks for that price.

When it comes to tension wrenches I totally agree. The two Pry Bars are really nice to have, and a couple of bottom of the keyway wrenches to top it off. Just as important, if not more, than the picks that you use.

Perhaps I am biased because this is my story, but I got a set of Southord picks, fell in love with lock picking and used them for a long time. By the time I was ready to get a new set of picks, I got the Peterson Gov. 20 with rubber handles. I am glad that I waited to upgrade. Peterson pick are tough, they bend, but they break. My Southord picks got very bent up, but I never broke one... go figure! I haven't broken a pick for quite a while, but it has happened. On the other hand, if you have the money for it, do whatever you darn well please! I have personally used almost every pick that I own at one time or another as I was finding what picks really work for me. It is good to have a nice arsenal at your disposal, but like YouLuckyFox said, you will probably gravitate to a small number of picks that you use all the time just because you have learned to use them well. Above all, have fun, be legal, and read as many threads and posts that you can. There is such a wealth of knowledge and experience here it is quite humbling.

I will be interested to find out what you decide on! Happy picking!

[newbcake]

Is the Peterson site reliable? I'm looking at their basic sets (~$25). I'm also looking at Southord sets for the same price. Which are higher quality and I have the best chance of receiving without any shipping troubles.

And where is the best place to get a practice lock?

[MBI]

Is the Peterson site reliable? I'm looking at their basic sets (~$25). I'm also looking at Southord sets for the same price. Which are higher quality and I have the best chance of receiving without any shipping troubles.

And where is the best place to get a practice lock?

Peterson and Southord eCommerce sites both seem reliable to me. It's just personal preference on their picks.

As for my preference, I used to prefer Southord as a better value for the money even though I liked Peterson picks a little better. However since then, Peterson has lowered their prices while Southord has raised theirs, so if it were me I'd go with Peterson unless you have found a nice juicy coupon code for a large discount with Southord. Those are occasionally floating around out there, but I've usually only seen those come up once or twice a year.

If you just want one lock, get a really inexpensive double deadbolt from the hardware store. Probably won't cost you much more than ten bucks and will give you two cylinders to play with. It's usually not worth shipping to order just one lock from ebay or whatnot. If you want to buy a small bundle of locks to make shipping costs more worthwhile, try ebay, or even better: the BST forum right here. You'll frequently find other hobbyists or locksmiths selling batches of locks. If you're not in a rush, just keep an eye out and watch the prices. You'll soon learn what's a good price and what's over priced and you'll have a selection of both high security and regular locks you can buy.

[newbcake]

Which one from Peterson is better for a beginner:

The City Set PLASTIC -ENP: only $45.00 (CIT-1P-ENP)


Shirt Pocket Pick Set PM7, Series A: only $26.00 (PM7A-PS-EN)


Should I also get a secondary tension tool/pry bar?

Such as the Peterson Flat 5, or Peterson Pry Bar?

Or is the tension tool that comes with the sets enough?

[YouLuckyFox]

Newbcake, hoping you'll get some more opinions on this than just mine, but my opinion is to also consider the "Shirt Pocket Pick Set PM7, Series B: only $26.00 (PM7B-PS)" because it has both diamond and hook picks. I feel it's important to use these two types of picks and find which is right for you. I think the City Set is a bit too expensive for your needs, better to go with either of the Shirt Pocket Pick Sets. My problem with some of Peterson picksets is that they throw in a key extractor that will not really help a beginning lock picker unless he is needing to pull out a broken key.

You might consider the following route:
http://www.thinkpeterson.com/picks.html
PR-RCS, Peterson Reach Rubber - Carbon Steel, $4.25
PG-RCS, Peterson Gem Rubber - Carbon Steel, $4.25
DP-RCS, Diamond Rubber - Carbon Steel, $4.25

http://www.thinkpeterson.com/tensiontools.html
PPB, Peterson Pry Bar - 0.050 thick, Price: $8.00

Total: $20.75
That's a lower price, the same amount of picks, and it gives you a better selection (and better handles.)
My only hesitancy here is that I am just assuming what is best for me will be best for you. It might be best to go with what PhrygianRadar was saying and buy a larger assortment so you can have a better chance of finding your favorite pick. But that's for you to decide, this is only what has worked best for me. I bought the Ken's Pick set first and ended up using less than half of the picks and liked my personally-crafted tension tools more than what was in the kit. For me, this $20.75 combination is very good and is just about all I personally use.
The only thing missing with this $20.75 combo is there are no tension tools that go on the bottom of the keyway (Peterson Prybar is meant for the top of the keyway,) but the Peterson Pry Bar is actually ideal in that it allows you better overall tension of the plug. Unfortunately, it is hard to get used to for a beginner (it pops out of the lock very easily.) If that doesn't make sense, please let me know - I'd be happy to explain.

Unfortunately, Peterson doesn't sell their bottom of the keyway tensioning tools individually (have to get like a $22 dollar set minimum,) and for a beginner, I would say the top-of-the-keyway is a little too hard to get used to if you've never picked before; so I would say go with the Shirt Pocket Pick Set PM7, Series B, or Series A if you would rather only pick between the City Set and the Series A. If you want to go with my other suggestion (buying individual picks,) there are many resources on this website on how to make your own bottom of the keyway tension tools (and as I mentioned, I favor these more than what even Peterson offers.) I make mine out of street sweeper bristle or windshield wiper inserts.

If you have never picked a lock before, I would recommend getting a Kwikset cylinder, they are probably the easiest to pick with the most room for your pick and tensioner. I can even mail you an easy Kwikset, along with a few bottom-of-the-keyway tension tools if you'd like (no charge, of course; PM if interested). Here's a pretty good video that details why a Kwikset might be a good starter lock (allows for easy "progressive pinning"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f10NEQWUSVU&list=PL446A37FEBC0AEDC2
Anyway, sorry for the long post, I've been up too late! Best of luck with your interest in lock picking!

[newbcake]

I'm getting this set from my friend who upgraded for $10.

http://www.southord.com/Lock-Picking-To ... S-05L.html

I'll probably add in parts some time soon.

And the Kwikset you have to offer sounds like an amazing deal. I'll be sure to PM you once I can confirm I can pick any lock at all with the set I bought.

[morriscarman]

You have to have paper works in obtaining it in CA.

[frostypicker]

You have to have paper works in obtaining it in CA.

Says who?

If anyone is interested in a breakdown of lockpick laws state-by-state, our friends over at ToOoL have come up with a handy little map. http://toool.us/laws.html

California's laws are the same as my state's laws. Completely legal to buy and own, unless you break into someone's house with them. Then they're not so legal, but then you'd also have bigger things to worry about haha.

Peterson's website says they only sell to qualified peoples (law enforcement, locksmiths, etc.) but people order from them all the time without those qualifications. I think on the buying form they ask for an aola number (locksmith license number I think) just leave it blank.


The place I bought mine from is LockPickShop.com, which is this forum's sponsor. OR partner. OR something...We're affiliated somehow. Anyway, they mainly sell SouthOrd picks (and a few Peterson sets) and they have very reasonable prices and fast shipping.



As a newbie to lockpicking, it's not a great idea to buy a Peterson set right off the bat. Peterson's are expensive if you get the good ones, the ones that come in Gov't Steel. So you're not going to get much for your money. I'd recommend doing what I did. Buy a SouthOrd set from the lockpickshop and go to Peterson to buy their Prybars, because Peterson prybars are awesome and sooner or later you'll want them. While you're there, the Peterson picks everyone likes is Hook1 (short hook), Peterson Gem (kind of a medium hook) and people also seem to like the Half-diamond (usually in Euro Cut or DCAP) and either the PEterson Reach or their Deforester, which they call a Diamond hook or something like that.

I started a thread on keypicking.com on which Peterson picks people would buy if they could only get 1 or 2, since I'm in the process of supplementing my SouthOrd set with some Peterson prybars and maybe one or two of the more popular picks. http://keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9785

Personally I'd buy the Peterson picks only in Gov't steel, since they'll last longer and they're stronger, and I'd get them in Euro cut. Their Euro cut is .025 thick (thinner than Classic but the shank height is also reduced, which helps getting in tight spaces if you ever want to crack open an Abus or any Euro locks) but thicker than their Slender cut, which are kinda delicate and newbies to lockpicking tend to be a bit heavy-handed/pry on immovable parts and could easily bend/break the .015 thick Slenders. The Euro cuts are also only $8 a pick as opposed to $15 a pick for the classics.

All in all, just remember that if you aren't sure you like it yet, try to spend as little money as possible, in case you realize after you've spent the money that you hate it. Honestly if I had to do it again I would just order a few individual SouthOrd picks (cost you $20 or less probably) and then supplement that with a few select picks from other companies as you find you need them. Because a lot of sets come with picks you'll never use.

[MBI]

You have to have paper works in obtaining it in CA.

Says who? ...

From the looks of his other posts, morriscarman is a spammer and I've now banned him from the forum. I'd take anything he says with a big grain of salt.