Different Types of Picks

[GateTwelve]

I'm really new to lockpicking here (thus why I'm posting in this category), and bought a southord kit much larger than I will ever need in my life. I was just wondering if there is a nice list/index somewhere that will describe briefly what the great majority of those picks would be used for. Every pick has to have its own strong point, afterall.

I've done quite a bit of searching on this topic, and found nothing. If it's already been spoken of and beaten to death, just chastize me heavily (mercifully include a link as well).

Thanks in advance.

[logosys]

I'm really new to lockpicking here (thus why I'm posting in this category), and bought a southord kit much larger than I will ever need in my life. I was just wondering if there is a nice list/index somewhere that will describe briefly what the great majority of those picks would be used for. Every pick has to have its own strong point, afterall.

I've done quite a bit of searching on this topic, and found nothing. If it's already been spoken of and beaten to death, just chastize me heavily (mercifully include a link as well).

Thanks in advance.

N00B!!!!!! hehe, just kiddin. It's a rather common question. I would advise reading the MIT guide. (I have a strange feeling that the people on this site will agree with me) so that you have a generaly idea of what is goin on inside that lock and what your goal is.

Also, Romstar made an amazing (Read: 1000+ words) post about various picks and their general purposes. Let me see if I can dig that up....

[GateTwelve]

Thanks logosys,
I've had that guide bookmarked for a couple weeks already, but it's nice to know that I've been reading worthwhile material. I've opened a couple really really cheap computer case locks with some T-pins I stole from my cube at work.
But with set I purchased (69 piece southord MPXS), I am going to have about 60 more picks than I will use right away. I just wanted to know what on earth picks that looks strikingly similar to lumberjack saws and the like are specifically used for.

[Teus]

the most common picks used are the finger and the diamond. there are some variations on those picks, in case a regular finger/diamond doesn't work

the picks with a shape or saw form are to rake locks. you apply tension and then scrub the pins with the pick

[stick]

Wow, you got a massive set...

Well, looking at SouthOrd's website, I'm assuming you got the MPXS-62. In which case, according to the picture, from left to right:

First pocket: snake rakes
Second pocket: rakes, mainly sawtooth and a few snakes
Third pocket: a few snake/sawtooth rakes and two diamonds, I think
Fourth pocket: snake rake, full ball, hook, double ball, snake rake, hook
Fifth pocket: mainly rakes, large and small diamonds
Sixth pocket: looks the same as the fourth pocket
Seventh pocket: too many picks to tell
Things on top are warded picks I think.

That is way more picks than you'll probably ever use. And SO many rakes... Wow... I'd probably reshape a few and make some weird looking picks for fun with some of them.

So many rakes...

[logosys]

Wow, you got a massive set...

Well, looking at SouthOrd's website, I'm assuming you got the MPXS-62. In which case, according to the picture, from left to right:

First pocket: snake rakes
Second pocket: rakes, mainly sawtooth and a few snakes
Third pocket: a few snake/sawtooth rakes and two diamonds, I think
Fourth pocket: snake rake, full ball, hook, double ball, snake rake, hook
Fifth pocket: mainly rakes, large and small diamonds
Sixth pocket: looks the same as the fourth pocket
Seventh pocket: too many picks to tell
Things on top are warded picks I think.

That is way more picks than you'll probably ever use. And SO many rakes... Wow... I'd probably reshape a few and make some weird looking picks for fun with some of them.

So many rakes...

Lemme give you a quick rundown on these. The rakes are for what the MIT Guide calls 'scrubbing' very useful for quick entry, but not as much fun as pin by pin picking

The Full Ball, Double Ball (or Snowman) as well as Full Diamond (if you have one) are predominately used on wafer locks. The hooks, and half-diamonds are all used for predominately for pin-tumbler locks. The great thing about having a few (or a lot) of extra picks, is that you can use a Dremel tool on them and customize a little bit. I had to do this to pick a Medeco with a sidebar, and you'll find that a few tweaks to a pick here and there (or doing like I did and make one of them a tension wrench) is both fun AND productive...

[GateTwelve]

Well, thank you all for your help. Unfortunately, I found out what I didn't want to hear. It sounds like most of these picks are just variations of the basics. Thanks for the detailed specs and advice. Since I'm not good enough to know how I would need to alter these tools, maybe I'll just build a lock pick pyramid with all meh extras.

[PickPick]

Please post some pictures of your pyramid, I'd love to see this.

But I'm quite sure you'll learn soon enough how you can modify your picks in a useful way. One thing I like to do is to take a file and make the stem (the part between the handle and the tip) thinner so my tools will fit into tighter keyways.

Then I've seen some hook picks where people have filed a small notch into the side of the tip that touches thee pin, so they can somewhat catch the pin.

As for the tension wrenches, I'd take one or two of the thin ones and cut down the part that goes into the lock, make it shorter so when you apply tension in the middle of the core (top of the keyway in US) you get a better grip. And you probably have some rather thick wrenches in there, too with short tips, try to file one tip thinner than the other side to fit different profiles.

Btw, another modification that just came to mind and was tried out immediatly while writing this post is twisting the stem using two pliers so that the tip of the pick is twisted in a 90° angle seen from the handle. I've just picked my first lock using a hook with this design and while it's a bit awkward (puts a lot of flex into the tool) it works. Might be a good idea for rake picks.

[stick]

PickPick, the twisting the pick head is actually a pretty good idea for raking. If you use heavy force on the tension wrench, or rake lightly, it might help avoid oversetting pins through raking.

As for the hook with a cup in the tip, the tape is pretty much:

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[stick]

That should read shape, not tape... The pin you're picking basically just fits in that notch, and kind of helps if you have problems with the pick slipping off the pin while lifting it.

[GateTwelve]

Thanks for the ideas. Though I am somewhat hesitant to make such drastic changes to the picks, I'll give it a try. I can always just buy individually the ones I butcher. I'll pick a few locks once my set gets here, and then I will have see what alterations would work best for me. Thanks for the specifics.