What are all of these picks for?

Mosly, they're for additional dealer profit on the part of those selling picksets...

Most of the "wacky picks" are known as rakes. They are sometimes (rarely!) useful on locks that aren't responding to "proper" picking technique. They mostly rely on luck rather than skill.

I've used rakes successfully. But I have VERY rarely needed to try them, and on those occasions they have been only marginally useful.

Ball picks are like diamond picks but different. They seem to work well on some specific locks.

Experiment with 'em. If you find a use for 'em, you'll know what to look for next time. If you don't, you'll know what to avoid next time.

That would be my opinion. When I first started, I went for the super duper "professional" lock pick set. Now I have settled on two picks that seldom fail me. The hook and the diamond. All my other picks stay snug in the carrying case. Interestingly, I have also found I don't really have to pick that many locks.

more (found

years ago).

problem is that

make of them.

trying in some

a padlock

taller hook...

tried since my

padlocks, a few

those cheap-o

of these locks

Now, in a few

cheap lock to

tumblers....

gotten me by.

picks. I've

with about 4

some strange

something more to

the four basic pick designs are all that I have ever needed. the hook, ball, diamond, and rake, plus a tension tool

well maybe a couple of different hooks and rakes.

Okay, but what the hell do I do with the ball? It's always been too big to fit in the locks I've tried. Wouldn't it be better to file down one side to make it a half-ball, or is this for picking the locks with two sets of tumblers?

- Joe

Think about it Joe. It's for picking double or single sided wafer locks. You can move it up, down, in, or out of the lock easily.

needed.

been too big

file down one

locks with two

good for some wafer locks..

Glen, do you remember what you was going to try and get for me ? have ya had any luck ? also, still have that gmc dealership in sugarland tx needing a good locksmith. the one they have keeps screwing up. if you know of someone that services sugarland ? send them over there and tell them to look up Bob Gore (service manager). Tell them to tell Bob that "Keyman" sent them..

thanks

my local GM hired a new mechanic... sent him out on a 03 PU, that the ign was hard to turn...

I didnt KNOW there was that many pieces in a dash...better yet WHY do you take the dash apart to get to the column mounted lock??? Oh well... took 5 minutes to fix...and 2 hours on his part each way to dis and reassemble...

--Shiva--

Check the mail

---snip---

ran outside to the mail box ! (out of breath now) nothing there ! (scratch head) oh ? ya meant my email :-)

(done deal) Thanks Glen

First, picking locks is about 1% or so of a locksmith's job, and so we don't spend a lot of time talking about it.

Second, we don't teach picking on this forum. at least I don't.

The one with the multiple "triangles" can be used to rake or to manipulate like a snake pick. In general it won't do anything the plain half diamond and/or hooks won't do. The ball is for wafer locks, less wear and tear on the wafers than a half diamond. It will work very well on some.

The ball is best for single sided wafer tumblers. You will find that it is too small for most double sided. You can get double sided picks which function like snake picks for them which work quite well.