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Buying Picks

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McLockpick

Newbie

Posts: 5

Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 10:36 pm

Location: California

Post Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:25 pm

Buying Picks

If anyone on the forum sells their homemade picks please me know prices and pictures of the picks. I'd appreciate it a lot.
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MBI

User avatar

Site Owner

Posts: 1545

Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:25 pm

Location: Utah, USA

Post Sat Jul 02, 2016 4:04 pm

Re: Buying Picks

I haven't seen as many ads for handmade picks lately, but this is one place to keep an eye on for when they're posted:
viewforum.php?f=49
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WestCoastPicks

Familiar Face

Posts: 189

Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:45 pm

Location: British Columbia, Canada

Post Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:25 pm

Re: Buying Picks

I think you just have to keep your eye on the BST area. Speaking for myself. Hand made picks (if they are any good) take hours to make. The price I would have to ask just for my time would make them not worth putting a price on. Nobody is going to pay $20 - $30 a pick. And that's what I would need to compensate my hourly and materials.

So I don't even bother trying to sell them. But I do trade them sometimes.
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Josephus

Active Member

Posts: 267

Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:30 pm

Location: Michigan

Post Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:44 pm

Re: Buying Picks

WestCoastPicks wrote:I think you just have to keep your eye on the BST area. Speaking for myself. Hand made picks (if they are any good) take hours to make. The price I would have to ask just for my time would make them not worth putting a price on. Nobody is going to pay $20 - $30 a pick. And that's what I would need to compensate my hourly and materials.

So I don't even bother trying to sell them. But I do trade them sometimes.


Right. I have been struggling with this lately. For just the utilitarian ones using good material, after tuning them just right and quality finish work it's a bit over an hour. Add another for decent handles with a simple finish. Add another hour for a good finish. Add yet another for anything uniquely artistic like inlays or etching. That is just so expensive. Imagining someone actually paying what they would be worth seems silly. Tens of dollars for something marginally better, but much more pleasant, than what can be bought for two. The skills and pricing are similar to knifemaking without the market volume to support ongoing work.

Not to dissuade, there will be people selling picks both artistic and simple for reasonable prices one of these days. It's just money isn't the motivation.
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huxleypig

User avatar

The Prestigious and Powerful Porcine Prelate

Posts: 954

Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:59 am

Location: West Mids, UK

Post Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:06 pm

Re: Buying Picks

Josephus wrote:
WestCoastPicks wrote:I think you just have to keep your eye on the BST area. Speaking for myself. Hand made picks (if they are any good) take hours to make. The price I would have to ask just for my time would make them not worth putting a price on. Nobody is going to pay $20 - $30 a pick. And that's what I would need to compensate my hourly and materials.

So I don't even bother trying to sell them. But I do trade them sometimes.


Right. I have been struggling with this lately. For just the utilitarian ones using good material, after tuning them just right and quality finish work it's a bit over an hour. Add another for decent handles with a simple finish. Add another hour for a good finish. Add yet another for anything uniquely artistic like inlays or etching. That is just so expensive. Imagining someone actually paying what they would be worth seems silly. Tens of dollars for something marginally better, but much more pleasant, than what can be bought for two. The skills and pricing are similar to knifemaking without the market volume to support ongoing work.

Not to dissuade, there will be people selling picks both artistic and simple for reasonable prices one of these days. It's just money isn't the motivation.


Locktool making seemed like a great job, until I hit this problem. My Abloy tools take ages to make, it can take many hours to make just one part. Thus, the price goes up to a point where people think it too expensive. I have come to realise that financial reward can not be a motivator, a lone toolmaker can never compete with a factory on price.
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femurat

User avatar

Prolific Poster

Posts: 1451

Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:47 pm

Location: Italy

Post Tue Jul 05, 2016 1:54 am

Re: Buying Picks

If someone is not willing to spend 30$ for a homemade pick, doesn't deserve a homemade pick.
Yes, it's just a little better than a 2$ one, but there lays all the difference!

Cheers :)
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mastersmith

User avatar

Contributor
Contributor

Posts: 675

Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 4:16 pm

Location: Miami Township, Ohio

Post Tue Jul 05, 2016 2:08 pm

Re: Buying Picks

I agree with fermat. I make some nice picks, but still have purchased several. The reason? I now have some art in my pick case. A little bit of some of the craftsmen that frequent this site. I have an appreciation for their skill that goes beyond the piece of metal I received with my purchase. Similar to buying wall art, there is a huge difference between a master's work and a print, tho the picture may be the same.
"All ye who come this art to see / to handle anything must cautious be...." Benjamin Franklin
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MBI

User avatar

Site Owner

Posts: 1545

Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:25 pm

Location: Utah, USA

Post Tue Jul 05, 2016 3:30 pm

Re: Buying Picks

A lot of what makes handmade picks as good as many of them are is the sanding and polishing which allows them to glide more easily in the keyway. It helps avoid false feedback as burrs on the pick shaft grind against pins or warding.

Even a $4 pick can usually be improved a great deal with some judicious application of wet/dry sandpaper.

One more option to think about.
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Shifty1

Newbie

Posts: 10

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 10:15 pm

Location: Ontario Canada

Post Wed Jul 06, 2016 5:11 am

Re: Buying Picks

There is a guy by the name of John Falle. For 50k+ and 6 sacrificial locks of the most secure kind he will make you a device to defeat it. FYI. :) :reach:
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WestCoastPicks

Familiar Face

Posts: 189

Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:45 pm

Location: British Columbia, Canada

Post Wed Jul 06, 2016 5:41 pm

Re: Buying Picks

mastersmith wrote:I agree with fermat. I make some nice picks, but still have purchased several. The reason? I now have some art in my pick case. A little bit of some of the craftsmen that frequent this site. I have an appreciation for their skill that goes beyond the piece of metal I received with my purchase. Similar to buying wall art, there is a huge difference between a master's work and a print, tho the picture may be the same.


Never thought of that lol. I guess some people would pay just to have them. I couldn't picture using a $30 pick when I could make one though. So I would just collect them, not actually use them lol.

There are some very nice looking picks around here.

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