Peterson: Worth the cost?

[sisk]

I've noticed a prevalence of Peterson picks amongst other pickers so I went to see what they had to offer. Just looking at individual picks I've noticed that they're significantly more expensive than Southord and Sparrows (the other two big companies I know). In fact if you break down the per-pick cost Peterson's individual picks are even more expensive than the likes of Madbob, which are extremely high quality by all accounts. The Ghost Pro hook and rake set works out to $4.25 per pick if you don't consider the tension tools and case in the price and even less if you do. Peterson, meanwhile, is charging $8 per individual pick. And those are their least expensive ones.

All of which leads me to wonder: are their picks really worth the extra cost? And if so what makes them so much better than, for example, a Southord short hook with a stainless steel handle (my current favourite hook). I ask this because I'm contemplating buying a few more hooks to have a little variety in my tools. Right now I've just got my short hook and deep hook, but I'm seeing where having something in between would be helpful on some locks.

[Davis]

Looking at their website, all Peterson's plastic handled picks in "Government Steel" are listed at $8/pick, no matter 0.25, 0.018, or 0.015 thickness. The only ones I'm seeing more than $8/pick are the rubber handled government steel picks, at $15/pick! Their least expensive picks (the plated 10-95 spring steel ones with plastic handles) are listed at $3/pick.

Personally, I'm leaning towards placing an order of the pick profiles that I think I'll use, in the plated 10-95 spring steel picks. If the lifespan doesn't seem quite good enough, I might replace the ones I like best with the government steel version later on.

[billdeserthills]

If you are a locksmith you can buy ilco & hpc lockpicks for much less, even when they aren't on sale.
The only people who think these expensive picks are such a great deal don't use them to make a living with

[femurat]

I'm one of them. I have a few Petersons and sometimes i use them. 99 times out of 100 I use my own home made, that are uncomparable.

But, as billdeserthills said, I don't pick to live.

I live to pick

[cledry]

I have a couple of Peterson picks, but as I do this for a living (albeit picking is a very small portion of what I do) I tend to use HPC, & Rytan mostly. Never heard of Sparrows, Southord etc. until I joined this forum.

[FarmerFreak]

I do this for a living, and picking is a fairly large part of my job.

Some slender gov. steel picks are easily worth the price. Namely the hook and gem. Schlage Everest locks are easy to pick with a slender pick, not so easy with HPC's club of a hook pick.

A lot of the value depends on the users skill. If you are still bending picks. Don't get them, they aren't worth it. In the last 5 years I've replaced one of my hook picks. ONE, because I was doing something I shouldn't have been doing with it. I've had a good run, I would have expected a few more to fatigue and break on me. My point is, $8 for a pick that will last 5-10 years of heavy, but not abusive picking. Is not a bad deal.

The big kits with lots and lots of picks are definitely not worth it, not worth it from HPC, Sparrows, Peterson, doesn't matter the brand. They all make their kits big by putting in lots of picks that will never be of any use.

[Jacob Morgan]

Their tension wrenches are really nice. There tends to be a lot of discussion about picks, but personally I'd rather have a great wrench and an OK pick than the other way around.

Given the cost of practice locks and all the accouterments that go along with repining locks and such, the cost of a couple of really good picks is not that significant in my opinion. Peterson laser cuts their picks while others (HPC, for example) appear to stamp them out with a die and that leaves a burr. Given the cost of materials, the investment in equipment, and the small scale production I don't think that paying a few dollars more for Peterson is much to complain about.

[tpark]

I agree with FarmerFreak, the 15 thou gem and hook are worth it. The pry bars are great tension wrenches too. If the keyway is open enough, the 25 thou gem and hook are good. Certainly they are very nice tools, but I don't think that I can open locks any faster with them than if I'm using my own picks. I think that a locksmith is more concerned about time, where hobbyists can spend days working on some weirdly pinned lock which is clamped in a vise. The large handles on the Peterson tools are nice if you're working on something for a long period of time. I think they're worth the money for what you're getting.

[yojimbosecurity]

I just got my first Peterson's .015 pick and I have to say I'm not impressed. I'm not disappointed either. I also bought a Peterson's pry bar from lockpickshop because it was cheaper than buying it from Peterson's. Personal I am a fan boy for Sparrows but to each their own.

[sisk]

Well that's certainly given me a lot to think about. I average an hour or two of picking a day right now, but whether that's a long term habit or newbie enthusiasm remains to be seen.

I've yet to bend or break a pick, but all but one of the picks I actually use (as opposed to the junky Goso picks that they kindly(?) threw in for free with the case I bought) are .025. The next one I buy will be .015 at the thickest. I've got a lock in my naughty bucket that I suspect is defying me only because my picks are too thick to get around it's warding.

[Mattches]

I mostly have Peterson picks; I think they're great. I only have one pick with a rubber handle (standard hook), the rest have plastic handles. The rubber handle feels nice, but it's definitely not worth the extra $7. I have a few oh his nickel-plated spring steel picks...they're ok but I don't use them much. If you're just starting out, I think they would do just fine. I just wish Peterson had more reasonable shipping prices. I think it's up to $9 for shipping. Ugh.

I think Sparrow makes great picks, and they use good stainless steal. Also, they are more modestly priced than Peterson's. If you live in the US, the exchange rate is quite good right now. The prices on the website are in Canadian dollars, but the charge that shows up on your credit card will reflect the exchange rate. You can look up the exchange rate and do the conversion yourself to see how much things cost in US dollars.

In my mind, all commercially made picks will need some attention, even Peterson's. Bosnianbill has some videos on Youtube that show you how to shape them. You basically just need to round off all the corners with progressively finer sandpaper. I'm a nerd, so I finished with 2000 grit to give them a nice polish. A pick with smoothed edges with slide into the lock easily and provide more useful feedback. Any decent pick can be made into a great pick with a little bit of love (but they might not last as long). If you're interested, I can post a pic or two of some cheap Peterson picks that I've cleaned up.

[sisk]

I've cleaned up all my picks thus far, but sadly the finest sandpaper I can get locally is 800 grit. It's done a fine job on my Southord picks. I'd be surprised if any manufacturer that doesn't hand finish their picks could ship them without needing the finishing. I know of a few that do hand finishing, but I've not bought any picks from them to see for myself if they still need more work. As far as Peterson I'm more concerned with durability, comfort, and feedback quality - things that you can't really fix with sandpaper.

[Jacob Morgan]

I've cleaned up all my picks thus far, but sadly the finest sandpaper I can get locally is 800 grit.

If you want to get a good polish fast, after 400 grit or so you could try putting a Cratex abrasive point into a Dremal or Foredom tool. They polish up steel very quickly.

[74TR6]

Are Peterson worth the cost? If they work for you, they are. I bought several of their picks to try; a few are now in my case and some are pitched in a spares box. Their pry bar is nice and used frequently. I use a variety of picks--HPC, Petterson, Southord, and at least one no name from first set bought years ago. On a lockout call, the brand of pick is not going to open the lock; design, quality, feel and feedback, and your skill with those picks (practice) will gain access to the lock presented

[nite0wl]

Personally I think Peterson's are well worth the cost for some of their picks, especially the 0.018 in plastic handles for dealing with things like Everest, Abus, and any other type of lock with tight or paracentric keyways. As FarmerFreak mentioned, these are not tools for beginners or the heavy-handed on rough jobs (that is what HPC picks are for). Used with care and good technique they will last you a long time.