Where should challenge locks go?

[tpark]

If you make challenge locks, where would you like to see them end up? Should I send them to people who make videos, or just generally distribute them as additional items during trades? Also, for people that make videos, what kind of locks work best for that? I think that locks that have something interesting going on (like the U-Change lock) are good. Locks that use standard pins or don't have modifications that are easily visible on camera (such as slightly tapered pins) or ones that are too time consuming to pick aren't so good. Anyway, I'm curious about what you think.

Also, if you're getting a package, what kind of additional swag do you like to see? picks? pick stock? more locks?

[mseifert]

WOW that is a lot to cover in one post, but here is my 2 cents...

Challenge locks, where would you like to see them end up? - I would think that you would eventually like to see them in the hands of the manufacturers so that you can gain some kind of money or notoriety from your design. Problem is that most of the ones I have seen are nothing more that a slight mod from what is already out there.

Should I send them to people who make videos, or just generally distribute them as additional items during trades? - People that make videos are where the most people are going to see what you have created.

What kind of locks work best for that? I think that locks that have something interesting going on (like the U-Change lock) are good. - I will quickly skip over a YT'er that makes another video about a Master No 3 or and American 1100. I would say bring something new or interesting

Also, if you're getting a package, what kind of additional swag do you like to see? picks? pick stock? more locks? - Most packages I receive have just the locks, nothing additional. but when I sent packages out I try and include something small from my local area.

[GWiens2001]

...when I sent packages out I try and include something small from my local area. [/b][/u]

Something small from your area? I thought EVERYTHING was bigger in Texas!

I try to toss things in to packages I send when I can. I try to vary it a little based on what the interests and skill level of the recipient.

Gordon

[gumptrick]

Most of the challenge locks I have seen wouldn't have much hope of being pick up by a lock manufacturer. The reason is mainly durability. A commercially produced lock has to be reliable enough to withstand many thousands of key insertions/removals. Most of the tricks we see in challenge locks like really extreme bitting, threaded or otherwise modded chambers, really delicate specialty pins, etc, won't hold up to that kind of use.

I would think the best idea would be to send them to the big name youtube pickers. Not only would that get thousands of people to see your lock when they show them on video, but they also tend to give away the locks they receive as well. So send your locks to Lockpickinglawyer, bosnianbill, etc, with a note: pick on camera and then give away to viewers.

[tpark]

Thanks for your replies - perhaps the challenge locks should go to those who will pick them on camera.

[greengrowlocks]

I would want a challenge lock to go to someone who would be filming it. There are plenty of people on reddit that would gladly take a challenge lock, as that's part of their belt system. I would personally try to make the lock as challenging as possible, but would also want something unique as added as well. I generally don't watch challenge lock videos unless there is something about the lock that makes it special. Some of locks that stick out in my mind were the checkers and chess pin lock, and the 17 pin lock made by Wayne Winton are some of the better challenge locks I've seen.

Chess and Checkers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxDBIW9Xp3E&t=8s

Kraken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kOCttZxeB4

[tpark]

I would want a challenge lock to go to someone who would be filming it. There are plenty of people on reddit that would gladly take a challenge lock, as that's part of their belt system. I would personally try to make the lock as challenging as possible, but would also want something unique as added as well. I generally don't watch challenge lock videos unless there is something about the lock that makes it special. Some of locks that stick out in my mind were the checkers and chess pin lock, and the 17 pin lock made by Wayne Winton are some of the better challenge locks I've seen.

Chess and Checkers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxDBIW9Xp3E&t=8s

Kraken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kOCttZxeB4

This is probably a good way to approach distributing these locks.
One of the issues is that it has to be possible to open it in a reasonable amount of time. I've sent out a number of locks that were never used in videos - I think that the issue may have been that they weren't interesting enough when gutted, or some of them may not be reliably opened in the 5 minutes or so that you have for picking in a pick and gut video.

I think that if a video is made, it can show other approaches to the lock that I might have missed. It's kind of humbling to see a lock that took an hour for me to pick opened in a few minutes on a video.