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How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 8:26 pm
by jondoe
I’ve been searching around on this site for quite some time and after learning so much decided it was time for me to make an attempt to give back. I wanted to make a pocket pen pick set. I first searched for some ideas. The most common pen pick is this http://www.lockpickshop.com/SO-212.html. If you keep searching you’ll come across this http://www.hpcworld.com/Picks/p_vips14.htm. If you look deep within the depths of the internet you’ll come across this beauty http://www.electromax.com/lockpicking.html. This final pen pick design is what I based my homebrew on. Here's how to make it:

1. Buy this http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sha ... arker.html. I picked one up at Target for around 10 bucks.

2. Buy an X-acto no.2 knife.

3. Cut the x-acto no.2 knife about 1 inch below the knurling. I used a dremel with a cut-off wheel and it worked pretty well.

4. Make some picks. When making your picks I recommend making the base of the pick in the same shape as the base of the x-acto blade. It makes for a very snug fit and will not move around when picking.

When you have finished making your desired picks and tension wrench/es simply put everything together. Remember, it is all pressure fitted. I recommend closing everything up in this order: 1. Place the x-acto tip firmly into the cap of the pen. 2. Place the picks inside the shaft. 3. Place the end of the x-acto tip (which is now affixed to the cap) into the shaft.
I took some pictures because, well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Hope this helps!

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 8:57 pm
by elbowmacaroni
This is a sweet stealth lockpick, but I've seen it somewhere before... your post over at the other site :wink: I couldn't find any stainless sharpies locally though :( Maybe, I'll just order one on my next order on amazon. How is the feedback on it? I really dig the concept though!

I do appreciate that you didn't post it verbatim, so that noone complains about "ripped off content" without looking at who posted it!

Thanks for sharing it here though too!

-Elbow :akimbo:

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2010 2:50 pm
by elbowmacaroni
I meant to make this topic sticky last night... I'm surprised no one else has commented on this, as it is a pretty damn novel idea for a pen style lockpick. It's sticky now.

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2010 2:54 pm
by jondoe
elbowmacaroni wrote:This is a sweet stealth lockpick, but I've seen it somewhere before... your post over at the other site :wink: I couldn't find any stainless sharpies locally though :( Maybe, I'll just order one on my next order on amazon. How is the feedback on it? I really dig the concept though!

I do appreciate that you didn't post it verbatim, so that noone complains about "ripped off content" without looking at who posted it!

Thanks for sharing it here though too!

-Elbow :akimbo:


Glad you like it. I wanted to make sure folks on keypicking.com could enjoy this as well. Also, the link to the sharpie seems to be broken so here is another one for reference: http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sha ... arker.html

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2010 8:38 pm
by elbowmacaroni
Well, again, thanks for sharing. And, yeah... I've seen it on thier site, but just can't find them in any stores around here. Which, honestly, surprises me, but what ya gonna do? I gotta order me one soon! I really need to make one of these. I'd been chompin' at the bit to make one for a while. Then I blinked, life distracted me, and I completely forgot about it until this post.

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 7:12 pm
by Tygart
Sweet looking pick tool, but the question is how is the feedback? I am sure its perfect for a pick to carry with you, but if you were doing a lock out job I think you would want more feeling from the pick!

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:13 pm
by elbowmacaroni
Yes, I also wonder about the feedback, but as it's all metal and pressure fitted with a collet, it should be pretty mechanically sound as far as transmission of feedback, but it would be interesting to hear from experience.

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2010 2:08 am
by jondoe
Feedback is pretty good. I'm no expert so I'm not drawing from a huge pool of experience but compared to a solid piece of steel, it's right up there for energy transfer.

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 12:22 pm
by jinmissouri
Cool!!!

Re: How to Make a Pen Pick Set: a DIY Tutorial/Guide

PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 2:13 pm
by jailersmith
The credit for your example idea is an HPC 007 pen pick set. I had one years ago and it was my "Technical Award" from The Locksmith Ledger in the 1980's. My idea was reverse the collet and leave a pick installed, placeing the picks in the top of the pen. This way you only had to remove barrel (lower) and remove the tension tool then start picking.