Lifting vs levering?

[Bent]

So I've got a lock that's been bothering me for a few days(bunch of wide spool pins) and because of that have been breaking down how I pick a lock. I tend to lever the pick against the front of the keyway which gives me finer control but I've noticed that if I actually lift just the pick I get more feel from it.... If I can avoid overlifting the pins. What does everyone else do? Lift or lever?

[GWiens2001]

Most of us use a combination of the two. Personally try to rake it with a Bogota or half diamond to get the quick false sets, then try lifting to find binding pins. Then if the keyway allows, tend to lever off either the bottom of the keyway or off the wards, but lightly, to set the pin that is in a false set. Once the binding pin is known, can have better control by levering the pick off the wards or keyway bottom to set the pin.

Gordon

[Bent]

Most of us use a combination of the two. Personally try to rake it with a Bogota or half diamond to get the quick false sets, then try lifting to find binding pins. Then if the keyway allows, tend to lever off either the bottom of the keyway or off the wards, but lightly, to set the pin that is in a false set. Once the binding pin is known, can have better control by levering the pick off the wards or keyway bottom to set the pin.

Gordon

Yeah, perhaps I should add some raking on top of the usual SPP. Usually I don't have trouble with spools but in an effort to completely remove luck from my picking I've been trying to build a set of "best practices". I wonder if most people use a mix of levering and lifting as well?

[nite0wl]

I will default to levering (either off of the lip of the keyway or off of some convenient warding) when I am SPPing with hooks and other lifter picks. When raking, I will purely use what you describe as 'lifting' using my middle finger as a pivot for the rake. Half-diamonds get both treatments equally depending on the keyway and what I am trying to do with it.
Different tools and different locks call for different techniques, getting comfortable with as wide a variety as possible makes it more likely that you will be able to find the right combination for the lock at hand.

[Bent]

Huh, interesting! I guess I need to spend more time lifting. Thanks!

[YouLuckyFox]

Huh, interesting! I guess I need to spend more time lifting. Thanks!

Sorry, I had to :

[Comrade627]

I'm a lever guy. I feel like I have way less control just lifting, so levering is my go to. Also, with your pick hand, if you place extra fingers on the lock itself you'll find it provides extra stability sort of like stabilizing a rifle, if you're familiar.

[sentientsentinel]

There is a cool little video on youtube that might cover this subject.
Lock Picking 101 - School Of Locksmithery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYNoEIV12io

[Chaos Engine]

I lever. I find just lifting alone doesn't provide enough control and as a result I tend to over lift.

[onionz]

Lately I have been doing a mix of the two. I've been watching Lock Tube by Bosnianbill. He holds the pick like a pencil and uses the middle finger as a fulcrum. So you could lift with the middle finger but it is still a fulcrum point.

[deolslyfox]

When coming down the pin stacks for the first pass, I just let the pick ride gently over the pins looking for that first binder. When I find it, I generally "lift". If you're dealing with a lot of spools / serrated pins, it is easy to overset when you're levering.

Near the end of the pick, when I'm down to one binder that I can't "lift" home, then I'll "lever", but gently. Otherwise, you can overset that last pin and have to drop it by releasing tension, which can result in dropping other pins along with it.

A "safer" (better ?) approach is to maintain a constant pressure on the pick, and slowly release tension until that binder goes home .... It takes a bit of practice, but worth learning .... Beats dropping a bunch of already set spools / serrateds ....

[smokingman]

Levering (using the lock's body as a fulcrum) can do a lot of damage to the pins and wards inside the lock.
When steel meets brass, steel will always win, this will also lead to
bent pick tools after a while.
I avoid it.
But to each their own.