SPP vs Other Types

[NoobianPicker]

I just got my first pick set from Sparrows and only have been messing around for about a day and a half but for some reason I cant rake, zip, or any other way of getting basic master locks (No. 1,3,5), My front door to my house and a couple storage unit locks to open but I can SPP them all day. When I say SPP I do not mean Picking but actually feeling the pins and doing it correctly. I almost feel like I'm learning backwards.

Any ideas why that would be? Also should I even bother with the other types of picking or just come back to them when I'm more experienced.

[Squelchtone]

ugh... I need to talk to Bosnian Bill... his videos are certainly entertaining, but I think he's teaching a couple bad methods. this whole b*tch picking of his is sooooo wrong on so many levels.. I cringe when he mentions to get real aggressive with a lock, that's the opposite of what I've always taught people. If someone wants to break their picks, then that's the best way to do it, by jamming picks into a lock and wiggling wildly.

In a nut shell, your tools are not magical, just inserting a rake into a lock and zipping it out on day 1 doesn't guarantee it will open as it did for someone on youtube. BosnianBill has experience and knows how much to lift the pins, at what angles, and how much tension to apply.

Most new pickers use too much tension, and from people I have taught, they insert the rakes and fish tail them into the lock left and right, which if it were a real key would be impossible. I'd have to see you raking on video to offer good advice.

Squelchtone

[bioggy]

Like squelch said above it could be too much tension, which is what I think your doing.

You in my oppinion are better off start SPP and raking later, get used to tension and see how it goes, there is method to using rakes and it can take it's time.

Try using little tension just touching and raking gently and if your pins aren't setting put a bit more.

[NoobianPicker]

ugh... I need to talk to Bosnian Bill... his videos are certainly entertaining, but I think he's teaching a couple bad methods. this whole b*tch picking of his is sooooo wrong on so many levels.. I cringe when he mentions to get real aggressive with a lock, that's the opposite of what I've always taught people. If someone wants to break their picks, then that's the best way to do it, by jamming picks into a lock and wiggling wildly.

In a nut shell, your tools are not magical, just inserting a rake into a lock and zipping it out on day 1 doesn't guarantee it will open as it did for someone on youtube. BosnianBill has experience and knows how much to lift the pins, at what angles, and how much tension to apply.

Most new pickers use too much tension, and from people I have taught, they insert the rakes and fish tail them into the lock left and right, which if it were a real key would be impossible. I'd have to see you raking on video to offer good advice.

Squelchtone

"B**ch Picking" seemed wrong and a good way to break picks to me as well. I just said that to show that I'm taking my time with the pins rather than mashing them since I can picture new pickers like myself claiming to SPP but really just mashing and hoping to get lucky.

I dont have a camera to use right now for youtube since my phone just died on me but In a nutshell I'm using a couple different style rakes, pushing all the pins up and pulling out at different speeds and angles hoping to get lucky. Im using the same amount of tension as I do when I SPP. Im using the SF Edition Sentry from Sparrows so you know what I am using.


Thanks a lot btw.

[NoobianPicker]

BTW Any YouTube channels ether of you recommend watching?

[MBI]

BTW Any YouTube channels ether of you recommend watching?

If you want to learn to pick, instead of watching other people pick, I recommend just practicing picking yourself.

Learn to disassemble a lock, or get something like Mr. Wizard's practice lock, so you can remove everything but one pin stack from a lock. Learn to feel the feedback of lifting a single pin and how much tension you really need to turn the plug. Then add another pin stack and learn to pick it. Keep moving up until you can pick (or rake it) when it's fully pinned.

Once you get to where you can pick just about any regular pin tumbler lock and it's getting boring, start adding security pins and learning to pick locks those.

[NoobianPicker]

BTW Any YouTube channels ether of you recommend watching?

If you want to learn to pick, instead of watching other people pick, I recommend just practicing picking yourself.

Learn to disassemble a lock, or get something like Mr. Wizard's practice lock, so you can remove everything but one pin stack from a lock. Learn to feel the feedback of lifting a single pin and how much tension you really need to turn the plug. Then add another pin stack and learn to pick it. Keep moving up until you can pick (or rake it) when it's fully pinned.

Once you get to where you can pick just about any regular pin tumbler lock and it's getting boring, start adding security pins and learning to pick locks those.

Thanks for the advise.. Ill practice that tonight some. I can easily pick a couple master locks and storage unit locks. I know that might as well be saying "Hay I know how to hold a pick" cause of how sh*tty and easy they are but like I said, I just started. lol I do catch on really fast with anything hands on tho. I will take apart my first lock after I post this reply!

I appreciate any and all advise!

[NoobianPicker]

Thank you all for the quick replies. Ill listen to all your recommendations and advice!

[kwoswalt99-]

BTW Any YouTube channels ether of you recommend watching?

Schuylertowne has a 24 video series on picking for beginners. Most of the channels I watch wouldn't be very helpful if you're just starting out.

[RavenMox]

Bosnian Bill is how I got into lock-picking to begin with, but I am definitely investing a couple of practice locks, so I can do this right instead of just watching his videos and emulating it on the locks in my room. Thank you for all the advice.