when can i say i'm good at lockpicking?

[south town ninja]

when can i rightly say, for my own knowledge, that i am a good lock picker? what are the benchmarks of success? should we set up a belt ranking system like some martial arts?

[GWiens2001]

Depends on with whom you are speaking. With some people, if you can pick a Master 140 padlock, which has some spool pins, you are good. If you are at a local lockpicking club, maybe if you can pick Medeco. LockCon, ASSA Twin or BiLock. If you are hanging at the world Lockpicking championships, well... you get the idea.

What it comes down to is what do you feel is good enough?

Gordon

[Comrade627]

I decided I was decent when I'd come across a lock and say to myself "meh, I got this one".

[billdeserthills]

If You have to think about it, it isn't true (yet)

[cheerIO]

I usually say to myself that I am a good lock picker right before I find some 4 pin, no name lock with no security pins that kicks my butt.

If you pick one brand of lock hundreds of times you can't say, I can now pick "this brand" of lock with no problems.

Even if you say, I have picked this certain model of lock a million times, you still cannot say that you've mastered that model.

Or you can have a lock that you're very familiar with that someone pins up with different springs, weird pins, crazy MACS, etc..

Each individual lock, is an individual lock, and they bring their own quirks and problems.

You can talk to experienced pickers that have stories about the cheap little Master or Chinese lock that just stumped them.

I think Socrates and Gordon have it right.

[Valdo]

I think you can never be good a lockpicking, because saying your good, is resting on what you know, and the great thing about this hobby is that you never stop learning new things

[KPick]

In my opinion, you can call yourself good after you've picked Medeco's, Kabbas, and some hard to pick exotic locks open. Sounds like a ton of practice to get into, but what are you here for either way. That is the fun of picking open locks.