Flawed Technique?

[TippmannMan]

often times when i am picking pin by pin with a hook i find that when pulling out of the lock i am also raking it unintentionally and thus disengaging at least one pin on the way out. is my technique flawed? i have no complaints but where is the line drawn? i find myself half picking (to find the first few pins to disengage) then raking when i pick locks using the same hook pick.

[CitySpider]

If it works, then it works. I think it's a pretty big pitfall, to get caught up in "is my technique perfect?"

Oftentimes I'll even switch between a hook and a rake in the process of opening a lock.

Now, if I'm misreading you, and what you mean is that you keep unsetting pins when removing your hook -- yeah, either your technique is flawed or your hook is too big.

[TippmannMan]

hehe, yea you got it at the end. interesting, so i should not be unsetting pins when removing a hook? ive had this experience using a south ord small hook on all the locks ive tried.

[Chucklz]

Try putting your tension wrench at the top of the keyway. You will have some extra room at the bottom.

[CitySpider]

hehe, yea you got it at the end. interesting, so i should not be unsetting pins when removing a hook? ive had this experience using a south ord small hook on all the locks ive tried.

No, you shouldn't. Brushing against bottom pins (which should be loose anyway) shouldn't unset anything. If it is, likely it was overset in the first place.

[Chucklz]

If you find that you are still unsetting pins, remember to not just "pull" the hook right out of the lock, but rather to curve it out. You shouldnt have to pull the hook out of the lock completely until everything is all picked and plug turned.