Just A Suggestion

[Key 2 Success]

So i have been lurkin around for about two months or so before the lightbulb went off and told me " create an account". Well after 45 days , Four 3" grinding wheels, 32 thumb cuts and 56 blisters i stumbled apon a pick set. Now i love unlocking a door with my DIY pick that i made with zero info and a picture of a hook in my head.( i wasnt even thinking of keeping the picture up lol). On a delivery i seen a spy shop. Low and behold they have a 5 piece set and 14 piece set. Under 27$. I got one of each. Honestly guys And gals, just buy them if you are starting to learn this hobby/trade. You will not regret it. If you can not afford it and are truly serious about Locksmithing then i will go and buy u the 5 piece set my next time out in that area. These Southord picks work wonders. A little flimsy but i havent found a common lock or bs safe to keep me out yet. I was floored my first time i stuck one of the rakes in and wiggled it twice and thats it. Rest is history folks. No more band-aids and my first grinder is in the trash and second one under the workbench (which went back to being table for storage). I wish i would have bought these from day one! I have worked around metal fab and have knowledge of what tools are supposed to do and still wouldnt have started the way i did. Time is money. But i also gained a lot from the DIY along with the 3,000 posts i read before i even stuck a tension wrench any where near a keyway. Im not the top guy here but if any one that is starting i will be more then glad to help. Just give me a shout. We can take this journey together.

Now as of what is best when u open up the web page for Lp101. At the top of every page it says in BOLD "BEGINNERS, NEW USERS , CLICK HERE READ THIS". Now if it wasnt useful it wouldnt be there. Please let this be the first on your agenda. If you do not like to read and are a trial and error type guy (like the rest of us) well you probally wouldnt have found this site for the great HD pictures. Be a sponge. Hell, take notes. Nothing wrong with reading about wafer's and u only got 3 pins in your kwikset lock. Im not the oldest or the smartest here(all the spelling and no commas prove that) but i no when i see something special and it starts with this site. I found it by accident and i am thankful i did. You could read the old posts for a year and become a proffesional locksmith. Please use this site to your fullest. You wont regret it. Im done rambling and this phone keeps ringing and messing me up. Have a great day to whom ever reads this
Mike

[Dogrocket]

Nice to meet you Key 2 Success,

Honestly guys And gals, just buy them if you are starting to learn this hobby/trade. You will not regret it. If you can not afford it and are truly serious about Locksmithing then i will go and buy u the 5 piece set my next time out in that area. These Southord picks work wonders. A little flimsy but i havent found a common lock or bs safe to keep me out yet. I was floored my first time i stuck one of the rakes in and wiggled it twice and thats it. Rest is history folks. No more band-aids and my first grinder is in the trash and second one under the workbench (which went back to being table for storage). I wish i would have bought these from day one! I have worked around metal fab and have knowledge of what tools are supposed to do and still wouldnt have started the way i did.

I'd definitely agree that buying commercially available picks is a good idea for a beginner. I bent several of my first picks (which would break my heart if I bent one of my hand-crafted "just the way I like them" wiper blades).

You're also guaranteed a good profile, and the price is very reasonable in most cases (particularly if you take the advice on the forum and buy individual picks rather then sets, since a good hook, half-diamond and some tensions wrenches are all you need).

Making picks by hand though helped me get the hang of picking and which profiles I preferred (Hooks vary wildly by brands and sets) because I could readily make any profile I wanted, try it, and adjust it if needed. It also let me build some long-handled picks that I find more comfortable so I can practice for longer periods.

You can also build profiles that are less common (I have a "long snake" rake that's magic on most locks) and design your own to see what works (The failures are educational and help cement why the common pick shapes are the standard).

[Key 2 Success]

I also think it helped me understand about lock picking. I would look at the tops and bottoms to get that angle. I noticed when you make the angle to steep it cause overlifting. Personally i think you have to get this perfect for a good working and reliable hook. I like a gentle angle on the bottom of the pick. then you have to fine tune the hook. I would visualize how my pick is moving inside the plug. I wonder if you take a round file, a small one and just make a couple passes on the part that actually hits the pin. Wonder if it could be a good rake to. There is something about making your own picks though. I had no clue what a rake was a month ago. I should have taken pictures of the first Bogota i made. It was a funny looking piece of metal when i was done with it. Your right about the hook and couple tension wrenches. I think it is extremely important to have multiple tension wrenches varying in width. Locks are not one size fits all. So neither should the picks you make imo. Ill tell ya what i find myself doing when in any store. I look to see what has the potential for a pick or wrench. With all that being said, I still wish i had store bought picks first. I would make them either way. Its fun to experiment with different angles. Guys i apologize again for the long post and grammar. My thumbs are actually hurting from all this dumb phones