Comments on Picking in a Vise

[slack96]

So my birthday was yesterday, and I asked for a vise and about 7 new padlocks hoping to entertain myself while also improving my picking skills. I already got 4 of the 7 open, which I was pretty happy about. I got a small vacuum-to-the-table style vise and tried using it with a couple of locks and was surprised at how different it was. I even tried it on a 7 pin Best Access padlock I had that usually beats me (I've only opened it to operating 4 times) and I opened it in less than 5 minutes. I'm curious as to what you guys think about picking in a vise, like whether or not you think its any easier or harder, or how it feels different. Im curious as to why I had so much luck using it.

[FuzzyChopz]

I believe the positioning and angle of the lock, make a huge difference. I have seen this discussed before in the forum. With your vise, it is angled to your advantage and comfort. In the 'real world' you must contort yourself to the lock.

[mcsteve]

I usually pick locks I'm holding in my hand, when I'm just sitting at my desk idling. I have a much easier time, though, when I pick a lock that's solidly mounted to something. The feedback from setting pins is much more clear when it's not dampened by being wrapped in a padded bag of meat (your hand).

[fritzthecat52]

When you are picking a lock in a vise seated at the desk do you rest your arms for SPP'ing and lift your arm off for raking ? I can see resting your "picking arn" while doing some intense, calm and and "searching" picking . Also how about the arm and wrist of the tension tool ? Do you rest it on the vise ? As a beginner I'm curious what others feel is best for "vise picking "

[Wizer]

Everyone seems to have their own way of picking. I rest my tension hand on the lock and vice. Usually middle finger of the hand holding the pick touches the face of lock.
Watch videos of reputable pickers and see how they do it.
When picking a lock in vice, you can either protect the lock from scrathes and use rubberpads/paper/cloth on the jaws, but I perfer just metal against metal. This seems to amplify the feedback, and especially sounds.
It may not be like picking a lock on a door, but thats not my thing anyway. I like to pick euro-cylinders upsidedown and do what ever gets my latest lock picked.
A good vice is really nice if you will most ofted pick at one location.

[AngryHatter]

I wasn't about to pay more for a holder. I found a inexpensive panavise 301 - $31.
I've angled my locks up, down, towards me and away...upside down too.

They are versatile for practice and come in handy for work.
Just get one with jaws that open wide enough to hold what you prefer to work on.