Mechanical Discussions are a Good Start, But...

[ronemca]

This is a chat-at-the-local-coffee-shop discussion (as opposed to a rant). I wish I could meet a couple of you and ask these questions in person (I'd buy the coffee!) But since I don't know anyone, I'm just putting it out there...

Clearly the mechanical aspect of lock operation is important. When somebody is trying to teach something that is even remotely technical...I am the first guy to put up my hand and say:

"Hold on a minute - I need to understand the workings (engineering/design/components) of this "thing" before I can begin to grasp the operation."

And I am doing that.** I have my head well-wrapped around those factors.** I have a very technical mind, and I understand what I've read so far.** And/but -- as part of my self-education -- I am searching for publications (and video) to help me learn. But what I seem to find is that the available material talks primarily about the mechanical stuff**...with barely a mention of the technique.

What I'm trying to find is assistance with the "feel". The "tension". The "depth". The "rocking". The "pressure". The "touch".

And before you say it - I know; these are things that must be experienced. How can you put concepts like "the feel" into words. I get that. I fully comprehend the practice practice practice part. I have been through it with all sorts of interests...and I know with absolute certainty that this will be one such interest; it requires a whole lot of just doing it. So I guess I am asking this:

Is there a video series...or a book...or a YouTube channel...or a magazine to which I can subscribe that talks about things besides the binding order and the shear line and the lack of precision machining in most lock cylinders? I'm not saying I would skip pages...but I wish there was a book that had a few pages left to read after I've ploughed through the engineering section!

** Disclosure: I just became interested in this. I know nothing. I have by no means grasped all there is to know about the mechanics of lock operation. I am so green that I pee chlorophyll. I have a l-o-o-n-n-g way to go. Absolutely. But so far, everything I read takes pages & pages & pages to explain the mechanics, and then -- almost as an afterthought -- tosses out some brief reference to practice practice practice. Is it because nobody has tried to explain it? Is LP really that ethereal? Because if it is the consensus of this forum (and you guys would know, cuz you're the pros) that it cannot be taught, then please tell me, and I will discontinue my search for the un-findable (and practice practice practice)

P.S.: the coffee's on me.

[LinZex]

Check out YouTube channel; bosnianbill

He have some great videos on there, maybe it's what you're looking for


LinZex

[Squelchtone]

Locksport icon Schuyler Towne made a set of 24 videos that cover nearly every thing there is to this hobby, watch them:

Here's the playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVSL0liiWoc&list=PL66CD42F86F3A1F85


Enjoy!
Squelchtone

[smokingman]

It may sound hokey, but the "feel" is just basicly "ZEN".
Look at the pictures,drawings,or what have you,of the type of lock you want to pick.
Close your eyes and relax let your tools become an extension of your fingers
and "see" the parts move as you your tools touch them.
It really does take "practice,practice,practice".
Rushing and frustration are your enemies,seek a calm and doors will open
and unlock the mystery.
There are two meanings in the phrase, "light tension is the key".

[Zenophryk]

So Ronemca, you're new at this, have you got yourself some picks and some practice locks yet?
This is sort of like trying to describe to someone the differences between 2 different types of music when they haven't heard ANY music at all. Once you stick a pick in a lock you will right away grock some understanding and begin your journey to this Zen enlightenment that we are all on.
A lot of the posts on this site will go into describing the touchy feely part of LP, but you sorta already have to be on the road, and not looking through the doorway to the road, to understand the subtleties.

-ZENophryk

[nick08037]

One suggestion from me is to avoid trying to replicate the look, feel and speed of pickers in videos that are further along then yourself. It is paramount that you first learn and master the basic concepts, process and feel of picking at an elementary level and not get distracted by what you see in many popular video channels. While the videos dedicated to the basics may seem dull and boring compared to the others they are the ones that you should be watching and learning from. -Nick

[ronemca]

Outstanding and VERY welcome responses - thank you most kindly, gentlemen. Indeed I do have a set of fourteen picks & wrenches, and MrWizard has been kind enough to send me a 7-pin practice cylinder (which I don't have yet). And I am absolutely in agreement with the Zen aspect of the art. I have been flying big RC 'copters for a few years, and struggled with the same why-can't-anyone-teach-me-what-to-feel puzzle when I was new to that hobby. Even now I struggle with inverted flying, and the more complex (read: dangerous) tricks are well beyond my skill level.

If I feel that I have the touch for locksport, I imagine I will reach the point where I acknowledge that it is a near-impossible thing to pass along with words and images...but I wanted to put the question out there in the hope that there was something available. And whaddya know? You stepped up with just what I was hoping for.

<scuttles off to watch videos>

[Syl]

I'm a newbie too, ronemca. What I have found is that, even when people are attempting to convey a sense of technique or "feel", all of it is incredibly subjective. To the point where it can even be misleading to the right individual.

For example, if you go through the forums, I bet one of the most commonly stated pieces of advise is to "go lighter on the tension". In my case, this wasn't helpful because I had an issue with not putting enough pressure on the tension wrench. I was trying to go even lighter because that's what I kept seeing advised. When I got these Schlage cylinders, I noticed they were stiffer than the padlocks I have been opening, both in the plug rotation and in the individual pin springs. That helped me to realize that I needed to use more pressure on them, not less. Now when I go back to the padlocks, I can open them a little more quickly. So, I would say that trying your hand on a diverse selection of locks will be as helpful as any specialized advice you may receive.

I will also second the Zen comments. It seems the more frustrated I get, the less chance I have of opening the lock. When I am going slowly and really feeling it through, things just seem to pop into place.

[allan501]

As a beginner myself one thing I found useful is get a couple of locks that you can take apart. Make sure they are locks you can live without if something goes wrong. If you can get them with the same keyway that is a plus. Then take them apart a play with them. Take them apart and put them back together. Try using the spare pins from the other locks to rekey a lock to another key.

Just feeling and seeing how the parts go together and work really seems to help me visualize what I am doing inside the lock.

[ronemca]

I agree - and it is therefore with eagerness that I await the arrival of my Super7 cylinder from MrWizard. That said, the action...the movement...the components are clear to me; what I lack is the feel. But what I also lack is practice. Practice & experience. So that's the next task. I'm confident that alot of the more esoteric aspects of this craft will become clearer once I've had some practical success!

[billdeserthills]

Wouldn't the zen aspect require waiting until the lock desired picking?

[ronemca]

Ordinarily I would agree, but the very essence of the lock demands that - in its quest for fulfillment - it MUST yield to me.

[Jburgett2nd]

Check out BosnianBill or THE TACTICAL LOCKSMITH TOMAS CARRASQUILLO on youtube, they both explain things in ways a novice can understand, as for the "feel" or technique I just started doing it, I went with what worked and what felt right and it became habit, that may not be the "right" way but its my way and it's worked so far for me.