Thanks nite0wl. Hey, aren't you the guy on twitter with the Yuils and the quality comments?
Any way thanks for posting that image. Very illuminating. I have now ordered a pair for myself, of the -1 newer type with rivets (I think..) I have hope of trying to craft some technique or improvised/bent tool to get them open in time!
Need to improve my SPP. I lose my pin position easily, press between pins, need to know which pick and when to swap.
AspiringLockpicker wrote:Thanks nite0wl. Hey, aren't you the guy on twitter with the Yuils and the quality comments?
Any way thanks for posting that image. Very illuminating. I have now ordered a pair for myself, of the -1 newer type with rivets (I think..) I have hope of trying to craft some technique or improvised/bent tool to get them open in time!
That is indeed me (my handle would be the same there except it was taken when I signed up). The main trick with pick tools for the 104 is the narrow keyhole and the collar which force you to use fairly thin materials. I have had luck with small paperclips and thin wire with the tip bent into a small "U" shape to reach under the collar, these have had enough strength to disengage the double lock but between the size and the relatively weak wire lifting the pawl enough to open the cuffs hasn't worked well.
The thing is the technique. I use the bushing as a launch pad, kind of how you can use warding on a pin tumbler lock as a launch pad for your pick to give you a pivot, or what ever. That really helps to deliver the force to the pawl bar's key-ledge to get the pawl to disengage from the rotating arm's teeth. It does take a bit of force though. Luckily the blade format of the hair grip/bobby pin allows for just enough force to be delivered whereas something like a paperclip would bend before it got chance to even try to push the pawl bar up.
Need to improve my SPP. I lose my pin position easily, press between pins, need to know which pick and when to swap.
Your point about how to gain proper leverage mirrors my own experience, levering off the keyway warding and/or the key post is the best way to get the leverage you need.
I just tried to replicate AspiringLockpicker's tool and I found it even easier to unlock both sets of my S&W 104s than using any of my tools on my standard Peerless or S&W sets. The bobby pins I used start off 1.50mm wide, for the 104 I ground the end down to 0.95mm wide and instead of the classic 90 degree bend used for standard handcuffs I made a U shaped bend that I crimped down to be approximately 2.9mm across (about a 1.6mm gap between the two sides of the bent wire) and 3.85mm high.
Very nice! My next purchase will provide me more of a challenge I believe. I forget the name of them but they are french and have both a non-standard size lever lock in the same classic style, likely, as you would expect along with a pin tumbler lock for controlling the double locking mechanism. I bet I will be able to do it, but I highly doubt I would be able to do a classic pick, of them at that angle with them actually on.
Need to improve my SPP. I lose my pin position easily, press between pins, need to know which pick and when to swap.
