differently formed picks, what's their function?

May 13, 2005 Last reply: 21 years ago 33 Replies

Before bothering you with this, I searched the archive at

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without finding an answer, so please bear with me (especially as I took the trouble to wade through heaps of OT's).



I only recently took up this hobby and after much practice I have been able to open a few locks with one pick and the tension piece. The set of picks I bought contains ten more oddly shaped picks, and I would like to know what these are used for.



Thank you for any advice, answers, or links, Eduard.


Most of them aren't useful. Or, rather, are useful as a last resort when you don't know what else to do.

Speaking only for myself, my policy is that I don't teach picking techniques unless I've personally known the person for two years.

You can find many forums on the web, but that's out of my control.

When I was new at locksmithing, I was completely fascinated by picking. Now, after 20+ years in the trade, it's an important part of the job, but not totally fascinating. There is so much more to the job.

The reasons I don't teach picking are several.

1) There is no way to know who is the person asking. Most people asking (or lurking and reading the posts) are decent people, but a few are not. So, I've decided simply not to say anything to anyone.

2) Picking locks is a "trade secret" like many other trades which have their techniques and systems.

3) A very small part of the security of locks is that so few people know how to pick them. So, by teaching lock picking, I make all locks less secure for the world. Not what I want to do.

4) Purely selfishly, I learned lock picking the hard way, with lots of practice, and you can do the same.

I wish you well. Hope this doesn't sound unkind, but the world isn't a nice place sometimes.

try

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for some help.

Eduard,

The only picks I have found useful are the "hook" (curved), "rake" (squiggly), & "diamond". I think most of the others are included so they have more product to sell. I usually try the rake first, because overall it seems to work the best & all I'm interested in is getting the lock open, not trying to prove my pin by pin finesse. After two or three minutes with no success I break out the gun. (pick or .38 your choice) p.s. I don't use the hair dryer. ;^)

Leon Rowell

snipped-for-privacy@acm.org wrote:

the only ones you will probably use is the "diamond", "curve", "tension" and maybe the "rake" the odd shapes are probably different "rakes"

here are some links that may help you. some may be dead links because I have had them for quiet some time. Lockpicking

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http://155.247.166.101/~psantavi/index.html

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g'luck

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61-#spamblock*-@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:mb1he.18240$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

all he was asking was about his pics. he wasn't asking any specific instructions. although, I did give hime some links to help him out.

"hobby" "like to know what they are used for".

Sounds like picking instructions for a non-locksmith.

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61-#spamblock*-@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4Fghe.30562$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

---snip---

could be for a non-locksmith. however, I still don't believe telling someone what certain picks do constitutes giving picking instructions that would harm anyone.

guess that we can agree that we don't agree and move on.

i only use a diamond actually, 9 on ( pin tumber ) tried hook etc and rake but not for me. i find the diiamond right to rake a little anyway, and strong enough for the lifting. only use hooks to mark position of deadbolt hole before drilling, and maybe rake when shimming a lock open.

double ball, and double half ball for wafer locks.

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