Your opinion?

[s0u1h4ck3r]

Hi all!
I just started picking locks about a month ago and really enjoy this new hobby of mine.
And I would like your opinion on what you think is the best way to practice picking locks.
I have read many places that people recommend practice on one lock at the time till you can pick it in your sleep. Memorize the binding order of the pins
and tension so you can pick it in seconds. But this wil only teach you to pick that one lock and not how to open all locks.
I have taken another approach and switch lock when I have picked one open, (I own 14 padlocks)
And I don't memorize the binding order for each lock.
In my head this wil make me better at picking a new unknown lock as I constantly have to adjust tension and find the binding order of the pins.
If I pick the same lock the whole day I can do it faster and faster every time, but if I don't pick that lock for a couple of days I still have to use a lot of time finding the right amount of tension for that particular lock.
So my thought is that my approach will teach me to pick a unknown lock much faster in the long run.
What do you guys think? Am I on to something or are I just making it harder for me to learn the art of lock picking?

[cledry]

Sounds logical to me. I don't pick locks for a hobby, it is part of my job. Each lock I pick is different just because of my job, different brands, some new some worn, some with security pins, some master-keyed, some upside-down, some corroded.

So aside from picking different locks I would say chuck one outside in the weather for a few months, try one upside-down, add as many variables as you can.

[Silverado]

I'm on the same page as cledry. I pick locks as a hobby but I usually switch it up as often as possible. It adds variety and experience. I suppose if you're new to the hobby, practicing on the same lock consistently will help you get accustomed to the different things you have to develop "the feel" for. When a pin breaks through the sheer line, counter-rotation from a spool, too much or not enough tension...using the same lock to develop familiarity with the way a lock speaks to you is perfectly fine. Using different locks consistently helps you expand on that familiarity and develop experience.

That's my two cents.

[smokingman]

I agree with both of the above replies.
Keeping it fresh makes you have to adapt to the nuances of different bittings ,
strength of springs and binding orders that make each lock different.

[alberto_eimora]

I totally agree with above replies too.
Also, when you feel comfortable with one lock in particular, try to pick it with different picks every time. I found this useful since every picks has a unique way to "feel" the pins. i.e. for some reason I find that deep hooks give less sharp feedback than mediums. There are feedback differences between brands, too.

Finally, sometimes try to pick with your eyes closed. It amplifies the feel of pins (altough in the beginning you might find it a little difficult). It helped me a lot in situations where I felt stuck.

[gademsky]

This is good question. I have been picking soon going on a year. Finding practice locks can be hard or expensive. What I ended up doing is asking all my friends for locks they had with no keys, stopping at garage sales and I go to couple estate sales every week anyway. So, I just took every lock that was free...or cost 25 cents up to about 1$. If they had keys I paid a little more. Big expensive looking locks I maybe paid more.

So now I have couple hundred locks and divide up. Every time I am in picking mood I decide on something to work on. Last night it was Master 7, small keyway. I had 8 of them, couple with keys. Then I sat down and learned how to defeat them....

For me it is a good method. Couple of the 7's I could not open.

[s0u1h4ck3r]

Thanks guys
I wil continue to add as much variation as possible. I am thinking of buying at least one new lock a week to ad in to the mix. I own three picksetts so trying to pick with different picks is something I wil try. I have found 4-5 picks that I prefer to use so forcing my self to use other tools wil be interesting.
Picking a lock while holding it "upside down" also sounds like a great idea. And also buying more than one of each lock type sounds like a better way of learning how each type of lock works than to just practice on one lock of a particular type.
Closing my eyes while picking makes sense, lock picking is almost like meditation anyway, you have to enter an altered state to be able to feel what is going on inside the lock. I think closing my eyes wil enhance the feel a lot.
Thanks again for all the ideas, I wil try all your tips and hope this wil make me better faster.
I am in no way in a hurry to become a decent picker, but I really want to be consistent when I am picking locks. Now I am all over the place with some days I can pick all my locks with ease and some days I can't get any locks up. I am looking forward to the day I feel confident enough to say that "I can pick locks" I understand that this wil take years of practice to achieve, but I wil not give up

[HT4]

I addressed this issue in a video a few months ago... you may find it helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhcKAClO-AM

[s0u1h4ck3r]

HT4 that was a really good video. And a lot of locks, hehe.
Thank you! Subscribing and checking out your other videos

Picking with your eyes closed takes some time to get used to. My picks get stuck all the time.
Raking is impossible, hehe
I think I wil try again when I am more relaxed and focused.