Issues with L rakes...

[TheDave5150]

Ok, so, when I bought my first pick set, was the cheap, GOSO kit.... despite being substandard, most of them seem to work well enough.... but after a few dozen time the L rake broke..... Now, 1 day after receiving my sparrow beginner's kit (that comes with slim picks, with just the slim metal hhandle with no rubber or plastic), I just start trying out my new L Rake from the set... and it got stuck... WOULD NOT come out, no matter how gently or strongly I rocked, jiggled, and tugged.... with and without tension... and then the lil bastard broke.... I wasn't any more violent or heavy handed with them than I've seen that youtube guy from LockLab, Bosnian Bill.... Is the beginner sparrow set just a cheap POS set, like the GOSO, or is this common with those rakes? Or am I just being way too hard on them? I really don't get how the thing got stuck, opened the cheap master lock in like two seconds, and it just wouldn't come out....

[Squelchtone]

it got stuck in *what* exactly? a schlage deadbolt? a master lock #3 ? what kind of keyway, how many pins?

You're being way too heavy handed if you're breaking picks. especially an L rake that has no strange angles or deep under cuts. Either fishtailing the pick as you pick (only insert a pick in and out of a lock straight like the key goes in straight.)

got any close up photos of the two broken pieces of the Sparrows pick?

Squelchtone

[TheDave5150]

Ok so picture of what used to be L rake, and the 40mm masterlock (probably between 1 and 3 on their security scale, is barely more difficult than platic see through lock that came with my first set).

The head of the pick is completely lodged in the lock.... doubt a key retrieval tool would get it out.... only way to open the lock now is likely with shims... sadly I only have straight shims, not padlock ones.

And just to make clear, the first issue was the rake getting stuck in plug... it was only after wiggling it for 5 mins, and getting frustrated enough to yank and rock more forcefully that it broke.... but regardless... second time having LRake issues... starting to think I should stick to regular raking, zipping, and SPP, lol.

[Squelchtone]

ahh of course, the wiggling for 5 mins would break a pick for sure. I've gotten hand made Bogotas stuck in a lock before and I know that sinking feeling of realizing you're about to lose a pick. By luck or intervention of St Peter himself, the picks eventually come out in one piece, but I've been in your shoes before. I'd get rid of the low end padlock for future picking just in case something is up with that lock. Did the other L rake break in that same padlock?

hmmm

Squelchtone

[TheDave5150]

Well good to know I'm not the only one thats gotten a pick hopelessly stuck... and yeah, chucking it, as is a paper weight, rake tip won't come out so whatevs.... Only kept it around for familiarizing myself with different picks. But I do still have my stupidly easy training padlock