Thinking of getting these slim line lockpicks

[JoR]

I live in the UK, and was thinknig about these:

http://www.southord.com/images/fullsize/C-2010.jpg

They are 54 dollars. I was just picking a few locks today with my original Southord 5 piece set and I noticed it was hard to get the wrench and picks cooperating fluently without getting stuck.
Basically I'd like to know:
1) Are they good quality i.e. will they break, are they durable.
2) Do they make a difference? Can they pick narrower locks easier?

Please add anything else you think I should know.
Thanks.

[Exodus5000]

Quality-wise you'll probably hear mixed reviews from various users. I think southord picks are a "good" quality. I have the mpxs-32 set, and have had it for a long time, i've never broken a pick - granted slimline picks are of course a thinner pick and more susceptible to breaking. I'm sure you wont have many problems with them though.

Do slimline picks make a difference? Of course, they give you more room to work with in the keyway. There's a lot of european locks that make it necessary to have slimmer picks.

It's always nice to have some slimlines around.

[JoR]

Right, thanks. I'll still be able to use them effectively against US locks like Master though won't I?

[Dent]

JoR:

I recently bought a couple of both standard and slimlines from southord with handles.(btw I've never bought picks or picked locks before so I can't judge quality).

However, they are nearly identical except just a bit thinner... they have a "lighter" feel to them when picking, and have more give.


So far, all I've used(out of my 8 picks I bought) is the small hook, a half diamond and a rake(actually all are the regular, not slimline).


So you might be better off just buying a thinner tension wrench for like 2 dollars, instead of spending 60 dollars for picks you might not even need or use.

Or just buy a slimeline wrench, hook and diamond and rake(which would be about 17 dollars) instead of the deal.

[jessopher]

As for wether you can use slimlines in standard us keyways, sure.I use my slimlines in non-restrictive keyways just about as much as i use my other picks. They slip off of pins a bit more frequently than standard picks, and you would likely mangle them in locks with high drive spring tension, but the upside is like Exodus said, they give you allot more elbow room, which in turn translates to much crisper feedback.

You cannot expect to rely solely on slimline picks though, stiff locks WILL chew them up. So i wouldnt go tossing out my standard picks just yet.

[Wolf2486]

In my experience in picking (3 years only) slim line picks have worked great. You do have to be gentle not to bend them however. I would recommend purchasing them.

[toomush2drink]

Ive slimmed my normal picks down with a dremmel and im at a loss as to how you can snap them in a lock. If you are using correct tension and feel at the very most they only bend a little but always bend back no problem. All i use is slimmed down picks and i cant imagine using an thing else now as they give you so much more room to manouever the pick in the keyway.

Maybe i see it different as i havent picked anything american so i only know euro keyways but i think once you get used to slim picks you wont go back to normal ones as they seem so big and awkward.

[jessopher]

well, i have a corbin padlock, and its got rediculously unbudgeable pins. Ive never snapped a slimline either, but i have bent one trying to pick that monster. its quite an evil lock.

[Wolf2486]

I know what you mean. I also have a Corbin cylinder and it does bend your pick, especially trying to manuever the traps.

[raimundo]

Try pick making, and use files, start by shaping the tip you want, and cut the shaft with a flat file. Use sharp new files from the hardware, not the beatdown rubbing bars that have the shiny look from beating around in a toolbox banging their sharp points against hardend tool steel. filing allows control, sharp definition of the shapes, you use rough files for the mass wasting and fine files for the finish shaping, All the electric tools are a step backward from the fine control you can get from files, and they heat the metal and change the temper, but when you make your own picks, you will be able to create a pick for the specific situation, You can be creative, Zen and the art of pickmaking is about being in the moment, not thinking about where you want to get to, but about where you are right now.

[RangerF150]

I've pushed my slimline picks pretty hard in some locks , and never come close to breaking one. They do make a huge difference in a euro lock.

Good luck