Pick Polishing... Worth the Trouble?

[HT4]

I see so many people polishing their picks... And I've seen threads and videos on how to polish picks. But I've never done it before, and never really felt the need. To the contrary, I've considered sharpening the bottom edges of my hooks to get traction on angled warding, and keep my picks from sliding off.

So please give me the benefit of your experience... Is polishing worth it? If so, why.

Thanks.

[MBI]

I get better feedback with a well sanded, smooth pick. Much better. I can feel what the pins are doing without false feedback from the shaft of the pick grinding up against the warding, or whatever. Tight keyways become easier also.

[Papa Gleb]

Yea I would same with MBI. Also keep in mind there is a difference between mirror polish and just making your pick very smooth. I personally polished my first set of picks to realize that I over did it and removed lots of material getting that mirror shine. My next set of picks I only rounded off all edges and made them very smooth which work great for me. For a home set barely used then year mirror shine all the way but for an EDC just smooth is fine. Mirror shine also gets scratched quick.

Bottom line: All or almost all commercial picks need some work done to them out of the box. Even Petersons mid line edge idea still needs some rounding but not much.

[Altashot]

I just use mine from new and they get polished from use.
My older pick are better than my new ones, but then again, maybe it's just that they have more experience.

Seriously, polished picks, or in my case, well used, do feel and work better.

M.

[escapenrv]

+1 for smooth picks.
Steve

[mercurial]

I find the feedback is much better when using a polished pick. Try it with just one pick and I'm sure you'll notice the difference.

...Mark

[jeffmoss26]

I do it with most commercially purchased picks as soon as I get them. Makes a huge difference IMO.

[huxleypig]

I've recently gotten into polishing my tools...well, polishing the mating parts. I find it helps with smoothness of operation immensely. Not to mention it looks nicer (which is completely incidental for me).

[HT4]

Thanks to all for the input... I'll give one a try and see how I like it.

[MBI]

For years I was "proficient" at picking, but never got to the point where I would have felt comfortable to call myself an expert, or truly exceptional at picking. I was frustrated because I could pick most common pin tumbler locks but I wasn't nearly as fast as I wanted to be, and I still occasionally ran across tough locks that really gave me trouble. I reached that level and it seemed I was staying there no matter how much I practiced. Then I bought a custom hook from a guy off lp101, back when there were only a couple guys making and selling custom picks. It was nothing terribly fancy to look at, just a heat-shrink tube handle, but the tip was slender and very well sanded and polished. I started using that hook and my jaw absolutely dropped. The feel was totally different and the first lock fell open so quickly I figured it was a quirk. Kept grabbing more and more locks and was consistently opening things at LEAST 2-3 times more quickly than normal and a few locks which had been plaguing me were now no big deal.

Before that, I thought I had a pretty good handle on SPPing a lock, operating by feel and being able to easily tell every time I set a pin. But now I could close my eyes and feel around in a lock with that pick and I could form a 3D map in my mind of the topography inside the lock. It was like I suddenly had radar or something and could "see" everything that was going on inside any lock I picked.

It was an eye opener. If I hadn't experienced it myself it would have been hard for me to believe how much of a difference it could make. My picking had made a quantum leap forward. I don't believe that having good equipment and well polished picks will automatically make someone a good picker. However, I realized that it is possible to reach a point where stock equipment is holding you back and having better tools can help you reach your own potential.

When teaching people to pick I still use stock picks, rough edges and all. I had fun discovering what a difference it can make and wouldn't want to deprive them of the same experience. That is, if they decide to stick with picking.

[HT4]

Wow!!! That's quite a billing... I can't not try now.

[jeffmoss26]

Whatever you do - don't polish your pick in public!

[mastersmith]

That was a long time ago, Jeff. Are you still being persecuted for that?