Hey! New here...with a few questions...

[Pickylocks]

Hey keypicking.com...nice to find you!

So Ive finally dove into this, lockpicking has long been a hobby Ive wanted to pick up. About a week or so ago I ran into some vids by wizwazzle on youtube...fastforward to now, and Ive just received my Sparrows lockpick set in in the mail, and I'm ready to get going.

First off, what would be a good lock to pick up for a first timer? I've got a small lock beside that I believe I bought in Thailand years ago...but it might be kinda rusty inside. It's a WINGKOO, made in Hong Kong.

Second question, for anyone who's familiar with this set I picked up...Are all of the tension wrenches supposed to come in those plastic bags? The reason I ask is because while most were (in sets of 3), several were not, and what's more they don't quite look like what I see in this picture of the product...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69246748@N05/6338044595/

See the really long ones which bend twice, with the rather long extensions (#4 through #6 if counting from the left). Well, I didn't receive those...or, if I did, they've already been cut down to size?? Can someone please advise me on this. Much appreciated!


D

[Riyame]

Welcome to the forum. Have you considered sending a message to the seller and asking about your issue?

[Pickylocks]

Yes, I have done so, but in the meantime I thought I'd ask you guys.

EDIT to ADD: OR perhaps...it just occurred to me, are the wrenches I'm referring to in the picture BENT to a particular shape? I'm looking at my tension wrenches again and perhaps they're just bent at about a 35 degee angle near the spot where it twists?

[Pickylocks]

Pickylock,

This oughta answer your questions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYoQWaB-L8&list=UU9HQ1rXEhuVOjHkMp7zHqKw&index=4 (in short, they come unbent to give the end-user more customizability; It is to be bent to your preference).

Your friend,

Lockpicky

[Pickylocks]

Okay, here's another newb question pertaining to something said in the vid. It says the wizwazzle tension wrenches come a little long (the end that you stick into the keyway). It is suggested that you stick it in to the point where its at the first pin, mark it, and cut off what you dont need so the 'L' portion is not overly long. So is this all personal preference or will the plug not turn unless you cut that part down to size??

[Lumpy]

I've left all my tensions at the length they came. Hasn't been an issue.

I think it's personal preference.

[Oldfast]

Hello, and welcome. I'm Mike. You've found a great place to get started!
Alot of helpful people here willing to give of their time to try and help.

.... It says the wizwazzle tension wrenches come a little long (the end that you stick into the keyway). It is suggested that you stick it in to the point where its at the first pin, mark it, and cut off what you dont need so the 'L' portion is not overly long. So is this all personal preference or will the plug not turn unless you cut that part down to size??

As to your question: The main thing you want to avoid when tensioning from the top of the keyway (TOK)
is having your tensioner touching (and possibly binding) the first pin. To avoid making contact with the
first pin, you could cut it down to a specific length, yes. OR, you could leave it as is and simply stop short of
the first pin when you insert it. If you find you're having trouble keeping the wrench in, then the bend may
be too far from the face of the plug... in which case you may want to consider shortening it a bit.

[Harvey]

Pickylock,

This oughta answer your questions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYoQWaB-L8&list=UU9HQ1rXEhuVOjHkMp7zHqKw&index=4 (in short, they come unbent to give the end-user more customizability; It is to be bent to your preference).

Your friend,

Lockpicky

Either I'm completely out of it and don't understand this, Or maybe this is a really crafty type of satirical self-answering?

[MacGyver101]

Welcome! To answer your first question: if you're in the Toronto area, I'd actually suggest a visit to Canadian Tire for your first couple of practice locks. They sell reasonably cheap (about $5) replacement rim cylinders, usually in the same aisle as their brand-name deadbolts and doorknobs, but off to the side a bit: it's just a small brass cylinder and two keys, labelled something like "replacement night latch cylinder". I'd suggest digging through the rack and picking something fairly easy (without many large steps between the cuts in the keys) and also something a bit more challenging (something where the keys have several deep and shallow cuts next to one another).

Those locks are good for quickly building some confidence: they're at the low end of security (no fancy security pins, and the tolerances are pretty loose). With some practice, you should be able to get picking them reasonably quickly.

Depending on the time of year, the couple of local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store locations in town can also be a good source for locks: they sometimes have entire commercial mortise sets, still mounted to a sawed-off section of former office door, for $15-$30 (depending on whether it has keys), and there's usually an assortment of deadbolts and loose cylinders for a couple of dollars.

Just a personal preference on my part, but I'd stay away from cheap padlocks for the first couple of locks: trying to deal with the extra spring pressure that you need to push against in order to open a padlock often leads new pickets into bad habits with too much pressure on their tension wrenches.

[Oldfast]

Pickylock,

This oughta answer your questions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYoQWaB-L8&list=UU9HQ1rXEhuVOjHkMp7zHqKw&index=4 (in short, they come unbent to give the end-user more customizability; It is to be bent to your preference).

Your friend,

Lockpicky

Either I'm completely out of it and don't understand this, Or maybe this is a really crafty type of satirical self-answering?

LOL! Me too! I wasn't sure what the hell was goin' on here... so I thought I'd just ignore it. lol

[LockManipulator]

Pickylock,

This oughta answer your questions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYoQWaB-L8&list=UU9HQ1rXEhuVOjHkMp7zHqKw&index=4 (in short, they come unbent to give the end-user more customizability; It is to be bent to your preference).

Your friend,

Lockpicky

Either I'm completely out of it and don't understand this, Or maybe this is a really crafty type of satirical self-answering?

LOL! Me too! I wasn't sure what the hell was goin' on here... so I thought I'd just ignore it. lol

lol i didn't even notice. Maybe he left his account running on his computer and a friend got on and answered for him?

[Pickylocks]

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses.

So I went to Canadian Tire today looking for a Master Lock #3 which Id heard was a good started, but I couldn't find it...at least I don't think I did. I ended up coming away with two locks, a cheap Garrison which was $6, and a Master Lock which was $10.00. Both were pretty much the cheapest ones there which I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, meant they'd be easiest and thus the best to start with. What do you guys think? I know one of you said to stay away from cheap padlocks...but I think that's exactly what I came home with. By the way, both of them are "40mm." Should I have gotten the larger ones that are more of a handful, like I see in a lot of the vids (the Master Lock #3, for example)?

So do you think these will be easy? Will they lack security pins? How to tell? Is there a model number I could give you guys?

[Pickylocks]

Hello, and welcome. I'm Mike. You've found a great place to get started!
Alot of helpful people here willing to give of their time to try and help.

.... It says the wizwazzle tension wrenches come a little long (the end that you stick into the keyway). It is suggested that you stick it in to the point where its at the first pin, mark it, and cut off what you dont need so the 'L' portion is not overly long. So is this all personal preference or will the plug not turn unless you cut that part down to size??

As to your question: The main thing you want to avoid when tensioning from the top of the keyway (TOK)
is having your tensioner touching (and possibly binding) the first pin. To avoid making contact with the
first pin, you could cut it down to a specific length, yes. OR, you could leave it as is and simply stop short of
the first pin when you insert it. If you find you're having trouble keeping the wrench in, then the bend may
be too far from the face of the plug... in which case you may want to consider shortening it a bit.

Thanks, man.

So when would I want to use TOK anyway?

[Oldfast]

..... So when would I want to use TOK anyway?

In my opinion, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. But again, it's really a thing of preference.
It's also a good idea to become familiar with a variety of techniques when starting.
But most of all... do whatever YOU find success with. Everyone's different.

[Pickylocks]

Dudes, this is harder than I thought!! I don't know what the eff I'm doing!

Actually, I've watched a ton of vids, so I understand the mechanics and principle of it, but I don't have the feel for this yet at all.

So, should I be feeling for the binding pin and tackling that one first?