A little history and some questions

[emt1581]

When I was a kid I used to order from catalogs all the time. I'd have everything sent to my grandparents' house and we even had a code word worked out so I'd know a package arrived even if my parents were listening in. It helped that my grandfather was the chief of police... he could care less I was ordering all sorts of edged weapons, security stuff, etc. never mind I had absolutely ZERO use for any of them. Well one time I got this catalog back in the 90's...Shomer-tec. I saw a lock pick set in it, turns out it was a Majestic set. Well I had to have it. So I ordered it, when it came, being around 12-14 I tried to pick a couple locks with no success. After that I threw it in a box and there it sat for around 20 years.

Fast forward 20 years...

About 2 months ago....I found the box! Still knew almost nothing about picking. Then again, I also knew very little about working on our cars, ham radio, molding/reloading bullets, plumbing, electrical work, etc... but thanks to youtube I can do all kinds of cool stuff. So I started watching BosnianBill and a couple others and within a day or so I was able to pick all the locks in my house, my desk at work, gun locks, etc...scared the hell out of my wife when she saw me pick our deadbolt in about 3 seconds!!

It's pretty entertaining and seems like a cool pet to have. Just tonight I ordered a the Ghost tactical set from Mad Bob over in the UK. We'll see what that's like, but Bosnian Bill got pretty excited and couldn't say enough good about it...so I'm pretty confident it'll be a nice set.

Now for the questions...

First off...tubular locks. I have a few old Sentry safes, a car brake pedal lock, etc...again, from when I had pretty much NO use for the safes/locks. Well at this point, no clue where the keys got to. The Southord seems WAY overpriced and the HUK doesn't seem to have the best reviews. Thinking about ordering these....

http://www.thekeyprom8.com/wholesale/7.0-7.5-7.8-pin-tubular-lock-picks.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiAjMC2BRC34oGKqY27jtkBEiQAwSXzfqJgycCS5KgIN4SidMpS5_-AOkaH-ayYJXhphjkMn0kaAoXW8P8HAQ

Good to go or is there something better but still economical?

Secondly, can I print out a tubular lock decoder so I can have keys made or do I have to buy one? Seems like it'd be something that should have a printable template...no?

Lastly, to be a well rounded hobbiest, aside from tubular and tumbler picks... any others to consider?

I haven't tried car doors yet. Seems like those would be fairly difficult with maintaining tension and doing two sets of pins. But I'm sure I'll get there. Also saw something tonight that looks like you buy it for different brands of cars and then it'll let you decode the lock to make a key. No real use for it though.

Also amazed at all the electronic stuff out there!!! Seems like plenty of devices to use in the OBDII port...which is great for diagnostics in the car but I wouldn't have thought it could also bypass security and even start the car!

Looking forward to chatting here.

-Emt1581

[billdeserthills]

I actually paid a third that much recently on banggood.com for that set of picks. I haven't tried them out yet though

[Squelchtone]

Welcome to the forum,

I like your renewed enthusiasm in picking but just a word of caution, we do not openly discuss car opening or bypass methods as the general public enjoys their cars and we don't want to educate miscreants with methods of gaining entry, disabling of alarms or any form of hot wiring or tricking out the electrical systems.

There are dark corners of this forum where trusted members and friends who earn special access can talk about cars, safes, bypass tools, and picking vending and high security locks, but we don't discuss those topics in the regular public areas. New members are not allowed in those Advanced areas, but can work towards becoming members.

See you around the forum,
Squelchtone

[emt1581]

I actually paid a third that much recently on banggood.com for that set of picks. I haven't tried them out yet though

Either your math needs some work or you were referencing something else...

http://www.banggood.com/3Pcs-GOSO-7-Pins-Adjustable-Tubular-Lock-Pick-Tools-700MM-75MM-78MM-p-930991.html

...or did you have a coupon code for a huge discount??

Thanks for sharing the site though. Strikes me as a higher quality and much more well-rounded dealsextreme.com' That credit card kit looks great but not sure if it's too generic to be of any quality.

EDIT: I think you may have been referencing only buying ONE of the three as they do sell them individually...for around a third of the price.

Thanks again!

-Emt1581

[emt1581]

Welcome to the forum,

I like your renewed enthusiasm in picking but just a word of caution, we do not openly discuss car opening or bypass methods as the general public enjoys their cars and we don't want to educate miscreants with methods of gaining entry, disabling of alarms or any form of hot wiring or tricking out the electrical systems.

There are dark corners of this forum where trusted members and friends who earn special access can talk about cars, safes, bypass tools, and picking vending and high security locks, but we don't discuss those topics in the regular public areas. New members are not allowed in those Advanced areas, but can work towards becoming members.

See you around the forum.
Squelchtone

Don't openly discuss cars?...I guess I can understand that. But half a minute on google and the other half on youtube and I had the how-to's right in front of me. But I suppose ethics are ethics. Personally, I don't have much use for cars at this point. I use those magnetic (and gorilla taped) hide-a-key boxes on my vehicles and then I hide a house key inside....so I can't really be locked out of my cars or home. No picking needed.

As for vending machines and such, I hadn't thought of that. As I said, I just want to get these safes and brake pedal lock open. However, it'd be hilarious to put cans of soup, vegetables, slim fast, or beer in the soda machine and maybe boxes of condoms, laundry detergent, laxatives, etc. in the snack machine at my fire/EMS station!!

Good meetin you!

See you around the jungle.

-Emt1581

[Jacob Morgan]

Shomer-tec. I saw a lock pick set in it, turns out it was a Majestic set. Well I had to have it.
-Emt1581

A Majestic hook pick that I bought back in the 1990's is still my favorite pick for SPP where the thickness of the pick is not an issue. It is not as nicely finished as other picks I have, but it just feels right.

I remember the Shomer-Tec catalog. They are still around, but it seems their selection has dwindled. At one point they had a strange tool that consisted of weighted tension wrenches and brushes for raking. The idea being that someone with no skill could pick a lock by using a weighted tension wrench to apply tension hands-free then scrub the pins with the fiber brush to set pins. It is not for sale anymore and I've wondered if it worked with any reliability.

If you have old safes, and other things that use tubular keys, a local locksmith can probably cut you a key by code if you can demonstrate that you are rightful owner.

[emt1581]

Shomer-tec. I saw a lock pick set in it, turns out it was a Majestic set. Well I had to have it.
-Emt1581

A Majestic hook pick that I bought back in the 1990's is still my favorite pick for SPP where the thickness of the pick is not an issue. It is not as nicely finished as other picks I have, but it just feels right.

I remember the Shomer-Tec catalog. They are still around, but it seems their selection has dwindled. At one point they had a strange tool that consisted of weighted tension wrenches and brushes for raking. The idea being that someone with no skill could pick a lock by using a weighted tension wrench to apply tension hands-free then scrub the pins with the fiber brush to set pins. It is not for sale anymore and I've wondered if it worked with any reliability.

If you have old safes, and other things that use tubular keys, a local locksmith can probably cut you a key by code if you can demonstrate that you are rightful owner.

The Majestics seem to do okay but I'm really looking forward to the Mad Bob set!

Shomer-tec... I still remember the original order I placed...hollowed ice pick (for deflating tires), caltrops (again, for tires), snap-light trip wire booby trap, sap gloves (leather with lead shot in the knuckles), flex cuffs, and the lock pick set. Might have cost me all of $100 back then...had absolutely no use for any of it. I looked at their site last week. They have some interesting things but most of it seems to lean to the crude side rather than the well refined.

So is this forum 99% about tumbler lock picking until being invited to the secret squirrel part of the site? As I originally asked, just curious what other types of locks everyone plays with?

Are most people here from the US or are the majority from the UK, Europe, etc.? A lot of the vids I've seen, the guys have UK accents...must be a pretty big hobby over there. What about the ladies?... many female pickers or just a token few? Personally, I find gals with guns or nice cars pretty sexy....but I suppose a gal that could picks locks would be fascinating.

Thanks!

-Emt1581

[billdeserthills]

I actually paid a third that much recently on banggood.com for that set of picks. I haven't tried them out yet though

Either your math needs some work or you were referencing something else...

http://www.banggood.com/3Pcs-GOSO-7-Pins-Adjustable-Tubular-Lock-Pick-Tools-700MM-75MM-78MM-p-930991.html

...or did you have a coupon code for a huge discount??

Thanks for sharing the site though. Strikes me as a higher quality and much more well-rounded dealsextreme.com' That credit card kit looks great but not sure if it's too generic to be of any quality.

EDIT: I think you may have been referencing only buying ONE of the three as they do sell them individually...for around a third of the price.

Thanks again!

-Emt1581

You are right, I did spend more. If you click on the 'US Direct' box, the price drops by a buck and you get the item much faster

[emt1581]

You are right, I did spend more. If you click on the 'US Direct' box, the price drops by a buck and you get the item much faster

I saw that. However, for other items if you click the China button...it's cheaper. It does take longer on the boat getting here, but I'm used to that having ordered plenty from dealextreme (mostly 3volt batteries for my lights)

So far in my cart I've got shims, the credit card pick set, and the 7mm GOSO tubular pick. Still no clue what the 7.8mm/etc. are actually measurements of...maybe the diameter of the core/center post?? In any case I think the 7mm should open what I've got pretty easily. Haven't actually seen any locks that weren't 7mm/7 pin.

This site has some interesting items.

-Emt1581