Can we ever have enough tools ?

[nozza36]

I was wondering , how many assorted picks , wrenches and rakes our
members have in their arsenals (in usable condition)
Most of mine are showing battle scars and i'm planning a dremmel fest
tomorrow , so i would like to hear from new starters right up to
jobbing locksmiths (to get some peace of mind)
This request only pertains to hooks , rakes , half diamonds ect' just
the type of kit used for opening padlocks and general pin tumblers
as i think i need LOTS !

[Warder]

I purchased an HPC kit which originally had about 20 picks. I use 3 of them more than any others.
I bought the Peterson IC core picks, thin thin thin! But I don't really ever need them..

An estimate of my use on these 3 types is.... 75% using a hook (metal and 'foam' handles), 15% double ball and 5% half diamond.

I have a dozen tension wrenches and mostly use 3 (AWOL thanks for the top-tension wrench).

I have 4 lubricants and use them all equally.

I occasionally use my magnifying glass w/ built in light.

I'm highly successful with these.

I purchased a pick-gun a few years ago, but never use it. SPP all the way!

[the lockpickkid]

I have about 40 picks give or take, they are all HPC except for 1 rytan slimline hook that also has a slimline diamond on the other end, and 2 very nice custom made picks I always use a short hook first, I have one that always gets used and a few backups. I have just as many tension wrenches, I seem to like to make a special wrench for every type of keyway, I tweak them so that they work, I also keep about 5 what I call "blanks" polished up and measured out tension wrench stock, so that I can make a wrench when I don't have one that meets my qualifications. Does a person need all of this? No, not really, but it gives you more confidence, if somebody hires you to open something and you just can't get it with your short hook, you just move to the second in line. I now cull out picks, if I see any hairline cracks, something that you have the luxury of doing if you have enough to take there places. You don't want to break a pick off in a nice lock, it sucks!

[Solomon]

Here is my stuff:


Here we have my most recent stuff. Goso dedicated dimple picks, dangerfield lever padlock picks, and circular tension tool. I've had the southord slimlines for a long time but they're in there too.


These are the goso picks, which have a nice variety of hooks and some rakes, aswell as their copy of the Klom navigators and a double ended auto tensioner. Also in this pic are some basic auto jigglers, southord padlock shims, and some homebrew lever pick wires (and a mini one for handcuffs :p).

Oh yeah, and an assload of tensioners I made. The slimlines are also making a cameo appearance.



And these would be the homebrew rake and half diamond I made out of old tat when I was feeling creative a while ago. I like 'em.