Peterson vs Southord

[sisk]

Money's been kind of an issue lately, but I've got a little extra this month. I decided that I want to treat myself to a new set of picks for EDC. I've been picking long enough to know what I want and looking around I've not found any one set that has all the picks I want without a bunch of filler and a $100+ price tag. Up till now I've only had Southord picks.

I've looked around some and settled on either Peterson or Southord for this batch. I've put together two shopping lists that will leave me with very similar sets - the 4 picks for my EDC (short and medium hooks, a bogata, and a worm) plus a reach and a deforest diamond to add to my main kit - with the only real differences being in the tension tools. With the Southord picks I'd be adding some TOK bars from Sparrows and with the Peterson I'd just be throwing some windshield wipers in with them.

So, any opinions from anyone who's actually had more than one brand of pick?

[Jacob Morgan]

They are both fine products.

Personally, I would see SouthOrd picks as everyday work horses for common domestic (US) locks. Petersons are very thin, might give better feel to some, and are good for paracentric or otherwise challenging locks.

[AngryHatter]

I have some of both and prefer Peterson.
I like the handles; they are more comfortable to me.

It took me close to two years to wear one pick out.

[Silverado]

I have a Southord set, Petersons of every variety, a Sparrows set, and the custom picks from Locksmith Army's kickstarter.

Honestly, it comes down to application for me. I have a tool roll filled up with the Southord, Peterson and Sparrows to employ when I need to unlock something. I put the LSA picks in a small kit for recreation.
The Southord picks are beefy, the Petersons (that I have) are thinner (as mentioned previously) but the gov't steel ones have stood up to plenty of use and abuse without bending or breaking. The sparrows is great, but not worth mentioning since you are only looking between the other two.

I could recommend either, really. The plastic handles on the Peterson picks seem to yield more feedback. Once you get a feel for feedback, you will be more attuned to notice it through the plasti-dip handles on the Southord picks. If you get them without handles, there will not be much of a difference (in my opinion).