Anyone up for a lock picking thread?

The Continental Op

Started yet another new hobby, lock picking. Probably watched too much of the LockPickingLawyer on youtube. So I'm fairly new to the game although I've picked cheap locks in the past and worked out how most of them worked.

First thing worth mentioning is that many/most of the cheap chinese lock picking sets are rubbish the picks are too fat for many locks. The picks are nearly all 0.8mm thick. Decent picks start at .63mm and for some locks you need even thinner ones. The see through plastic practice locks are also crap but at least help show how a lock works for anyone totally new. If you know how a lock works then they are totally useless and teach you nothing.

I was lucky enough to start out with this cheap pick set on Amazon. The picks are nice and thin and with some heat shrink tubing on the handles and some finishing (sharp edges) they make a useable set. I now mostly use a SouthOrd set again off Amazon but still go back to my original for some locks. I seem to be stuck with Amazon as a source as I'm too mean to pay import duties from the US or UK and wonder if some over officious customs official will confiscate them? The better picks on Amazon seem to be SouthOrd and Dangerfield. I tried one of the chinese sets with everything in it and it was terrible.

So far I've managed to open every lock I've tried BUT often have spent hours to achieve that. As a result I'm sort of going back to basics with one of these cut away repinnable locks and starting out from scratch with the simplest easy to open pinning and progressively making it more difficult.

Plenty more to say but will wait and see if there are any other replies - any about the legalities of lock picks will be ignored.

Mod feel free to move if you can find a more suitable forum?

the_amazing_raisin

Was thinking of giving this a go as well.

Have some misgivings about getting the cheap sets from Amazon, but not sure I want to spend $70 plus shipping for the lock picking lawyers set

If anyone knows a decent mid range set then would be interested

Might be a fun diversion during boring zoom calls

The Continental Op

The really cheap set I linked to above isn't bad at all if you fettle it a bit. The LPL has reviewed a similar set (think they are all the same) and said it was OK.

I've now got the SouthOrd PXS-14 which I think is a good value beginners set at about £30. At 0.63mm the picks are fine for a lot of locks but I will get some slimline picks as I'd like some more working room.

Found these Top Of Keyway tension wrenches really useful. So three items for £50 has most of what I need for my current level. This is another TOK set I considered and might still acquire. Currently this is a good deal for Tension tools at £9. Prices on the cheaper stuff changes a lot so worth adding them to a wish list and keeping an eye on the price.

Good idea on the boring zoom calls. What I do is put a film or series on and then start lock picking.

The Continental Op

Spotted this again on youtube so thought I'd put it up here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRPLGnR_6XI

Its the first set of picks I bought on Amazon and still using (link in post above but didn't include the lock which is not really that much use anyway). I put some heat shrink tubing on the handles, polished blades and the set is a good as any I've got. The pick thickness is good at 0.55 mm and they have proved very strong. However early on in my over enthusiastic manipulation I broke the skyline rake but I don't hold it against that set because breaking picks seems to be a rookie thing that most beginners do.

The Continental Op

Hardly the bargain of the year but I've had these in my wish list for about 6months at £40

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BTSMY322/

and noticed they have dropped to £29.

I might have bought them if I hadn't bought the SouthOrd PXS-14 set (link in first post) but they don't contain my favorite a skyline rake and there are two picks I don't think I'd ever use, not till I learn a lot more.

What I'd really like is a supplier that will supply individual picks without having to pay Brexit double VAT and import duties. I might give SouthOrd in the US a try next time they have a sale (they sometimes have 25% off everything on the website) which should help offset import duties and VAT - just hope customs don't get their knickers in a twist over lock picks?

This is it

I bought the cheap set with 3 or 4 locks from Amazon for the craic, it was only €30. Once you do them a couple of times you get a bit bored but they have covers too to make it a bit more challenging.

I tried using the tools on some old locks I have but they're too big, as above, a decent quality, thin set, would be far better.

The Continental Op

I have that set too its rubbish. I can open all the "practice" locks with the back of a pick (the flat side) so it was hardly challenging and the picks are bad in only a way the chinese can make them.

LambshankRedemption

Funnily enough, DefCon is on at the moment in Las Vegas and I was there a few years ago and bought a set of picks and a practice lock, for about 20 bucks.

If you are in or near Dublin, TOG have a lockpicking night every few weeks, a friend of mine runs it. More info here: https://www.tog.ie/calendar/lockpicking-2/

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122484640#Comment_122484640

Noticed that, but I'm down in Waterford would like to set up something similar here.

Tree

I think the southeast makerspace is still going, worth chatting to them and see what they're up to. Do drop by TOG if you're in Dublin though, open nights are on the calendar so you could get a tour and some pizza out of it…

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122484755#Comment_122484755

The first rule of lock picking club is you need to pick the lock to get into the clubhouse 😁

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122485096#Comment_122485096

My wife trying to show interest said they'd (lock picks) be handy if we ever got locked out. I pointed out the lock picks would probably be inside :-)