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Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

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Doogs

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 9:43 am

Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Not really a Review just needing some input on a more portable pick set. Just thought I'd hit the crew here for recommendations.

I find myself more and more frequently stumbling into opportunities where I could of used a pick set for lockouts whether cars or houses or even cabinets the latest being a ballot box at my local pub. I guess the word is getting around town that I have a unique skill set LOL.

Here's the deal I have a Southord PXS14 set but it's too bulky for EDC (I have enough crap in my pockets) And I don't get enough/frequent work to make it practical to carry. I was wondering if the card or pen sets are worth the investment for those times when running home just isn't practical.

My other option is to homebrew a SPP/Rake/Prybar for my wallet if push comes to shove. not really set up to to fabricate at the new house though.


Also $60 US +s/h for the NPS-2000 seems too much for something I may be disappointed in so If someone has one to sell at a much more reasonable price I may be interested. The credit card sets I could get from china for under $20 so if they are functional it's worth it I guess.

https://www.lockpickshop.com/POCKET-PICKS.html

Anywho I'm rambling here now so feedback would be appreciated for a more informed choice.

P.S. ordered the 4 piece plug follower set from Lockpick Shop the one with the Master pin Follower. I'll review it as soon as it arrives as I seem to be getting a lot of rekeying work also and have at least two locks that should have Master pins in them waiting to get repinned. That and I've been using the cheap ones from the CLK pinning kits. Decided it was time to get some nice anodized ones.
https://www.lockpickshop.com/LT371.html
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Anarchy_won

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 11:58 am

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

I have a CC pick set and they suck, but I still carry them (and practice with them) they get the job done but the handles are super small for my hands.
if you can find them for under $10 I would order another set.
(17:44:28) HAL 9000 Sez: LockSport is full of children who throw fits because low priced low security products sold in discount department stores do not meet their arbitrary expectations.
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MBI

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 1:28 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

http://www.lockpicktools.com/folding-picket-picks/

Being a tool whore, I've tried out a reasonable number of different pick sets over the years. The link above has the best folding picksets I've ever found. For longevity, I recommend the aluminum handled version over the plastic. It has an adjustable locking lever so the pick doesn't wiggle at all. You can order it with regular picks or slimline and they also have different replacement pick blades available and even a blank one so you can make your own homebrew pick to install in the handle. Unlike the wobbly Southord set, it is easy to remove the blades to change them.

Shipping may seem high but its the weird way their shopping cart calculates the weight so don't let it dissuade you. In the past, once it comes to actually billing your card, they've only ever charged me the actual shipping charges.
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Doogs

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 2:34 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Anarchy_won wrote:I have a CC pick set and they suck, but I still carry them (and practice with them) they get the job done but the handles are super small for my hands.
if you can find them for under $10 I would order another set.


Hey AW:

Yeah I may pick one up just for shits n giggles. I found a set earlier for 6 bucks but damned if I can find it now. I'll keep looking and post a link if I find it again.
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Doogs

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 2:45 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

MBI wrote:http://www.lockpicktools.com/folding-picket-picks/

Being a tool whore, I've tried out a reasonable number of different pick sets over the years. The link above has the best folding picksets I've ever found. For longevity, I recommend the aluminum handled version over the plastic. It has an adjustable locking lever so the pick doesn't wiggle at all. You can order it with regular picks or slimline and they also have different replacement pick blades available and even a blank one so you can make your own homebrew pick to install in the handle. Unlike the wobbly Southord set, it is easy to remove the blades to change them.

Shipping may seem high but its the weird way their shopping cart calculates the weight so don't let it dissuade you. In the past, once it comes to actually billing your card, they've only ever charged me the actual shipping charges.


Thanks MBI I've wasted most of the day browsing the usual suppliers Lockpick.com/Brochage, HPC, CLK. I definitely like the kook of SS's offerings over the others specifically the 8E set. I'll have to put that on my short list.

I started looking closely at the Sparrows MACE picks at Lockpick Canada. For 15 CA a pair I might pick them up as they seem small but not too small.
http://www.lockpickcanada.com/product_p/mace.htm
http://www.lockpickcanada.com/product_p/mace-ex.htm

They do offer a Goso/Klom folding set but even they poo-poo them and they're more automotive than general purpose.
http://www.lockpickcanada.com/product_p/klom-f.htm

Thanks for the input
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Anarchy_won

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 2:56 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Doogs wrote:
Anarchy_won wrote:I have a CC pick set and they suck, but I still carry them (and practice with them) they get the job done but the handles are super small for my hands.
if you can find them for under $10 I would order another set.


Hey AW:

Yeah I may pick one up just for shits n giggles. I found a set earlier for 6 bucks but damned if I can find it now. I'll keep looking and post a link if I find it again.



here is where I got my set from http://www.dx.com/p/jtron-5-piece-set-c ... ver-376681
shipping will take forever but you will get it eventually.
(17:44:28) HAL 9000 Sez: LockSport is full of children who throw fits because low priced low security products sold in discount department stores do not meet their arbitrary expectations.
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Mur670

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:09 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

For best portability for on the man carry I am a big fan of the Sparrows 'Mace' set. While they do take a little getting used to I find they work well pretty much anywhere. My only downside I have about them is using the opposite end as the tension tool, it doesn't hold well enough so I just use a normal tensioner. There is an expansion on the set which I'm yet to test out but for now I'm happy with what I've got. They're perfect for wallet sized picks but I carry them separate in a custom made covert case made from a 5.11 strap cover lol.

Hope this helps you out mate! Good luck :D
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Doogs

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:11 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Anarchy_won wrote:
Doogs wrote:
Anarchy_won wrote:

here is where I got my set from http://www.dx.com/p/jtron-5-piece-set-c ... ver-376681
shipping will take forever but you will get it eventually.


DXextreme yeah that was it godammit. Thanks just ordered it.
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MBI

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:55 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Doogs wrote:I started looking closely at the Sparrows MACE picks at Lockpick Canada. For 15 CA a pair I might pick them up as they seem small but not too small.
http://www.lockpickcanada.com/product_p/mace.htm
http://www.lockpickcanada.com/product_p/mace-ex.htm

They do offer a Goso/Klom folding set but even they poo-poo them and they're more automotive than general purpose.
http://www.lockpickcanada.com/product_p/klom-f.htm

Thanks for the input


I like how small and flat the mace set is, very handy for keeping in a wallet as an emergency set. As Mur670 said, depending on the keyway the tension wrenches don't always stay put very well so I'm curious to try out the new expansion set. The handle area is also very small, which some don't mind, but some don't do well with such a short handle.

In my opinion the Goso set would be lousy for EDC. It's only value to me is if you're a tool whore like I am, it's cool to have one more set to add to my reference collection of picks for comparison.

Obviously the lowest cost option is to grab some pliers, a couple metal files and street sweeper bristles and build yourself a set of Bogota picks.

My first choice for EDC is, by far, that Southern Specialties set. I like how it can be easily customized, has a big enough handle to hold onto and it gives good feedback. The same manufacturer also sells a "KGB pick set" which is a small set of picks with shortened handles, all riveted together at the end. It has a vinyl sleeve that fits over the end of the handles which lets you tuck a couple tension wrenches in there. I'm not a big fan of it, but the price isn't bad.
http://www.lockpicktools.com/concealable-pick-set-kgb/

Before I found the FPS-8 that I originally linked, I had been carrying the SouthOrd jackknife set, which works in a pinch, but the blades are very wobbly when extended and the locking screw falls out a lot and is easily lost. A replacement screw isn't cheap. They advertise (or used to) that you could order different pick blades to put in it, but I've never seen them available for sale. The pin holding in the blades isn't easily removed. It's slightly tapered but is hard to tell which way to drive it out, and if you pick wrong, the entire handle is toast.
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entropy

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Post Mon Dec 28, 2015 10:28 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

I second MBI's endorsement of the Southern Specialties folding pick set. This is basically all I've been using for years, along with a few specialized homebrew picks.

I'd suggest getting two tensioners, modding one for top-of-keyway. Also, if you make your own picks from feeler gauge, this is possibly stronger than the metal that comes with it. The slim euro tools seem to bend a bit each time. Whether that's the quality of the metal or how thin they are, I don't know. I've posted pics of some mods a while back: http://keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=8873
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norwoodgolf

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Post Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:18 am

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

If you want a jack knife pick set, the Southern Specialties is far and away the best. I own one and I really like it.

If you want a credit card set, I like this set since I'm a big fan of the Bogota style picks:

http://www.vigilantgear.com/vigilant-gear-titanium-entry-card-6-piece/

I popped out all the picks and polished the working ends. Then I used packing tape to hold the picks back in the card. I know this card is expensive, but it's a great solution.

IMG_1416.jpg


IMG_1414.jpg
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rerun12

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Post Tue Dec 29, 2015 1:40 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

This is what I carry. Used these to pick whatever I've come across the handful of times I needed to open a lock for somebody out in the world. Pen writes great and no worries about metal detectors. Flown with it multiple times as well without issue.
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kk500

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Post Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:08 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Doogs wrote:
Anarchy_won wrote:
Doogs wrote:
Anarchy_won wrote:

here is where I got my set from http://www.dx.com/p/jtron-5-piece-set-c ... ver-376681
shipping will take forever but you will get it eventually.


DXextreme yeah that was it godammit. Thanks just ordered it.


Yes DX dealextreme is convenient way to buy Goso/ Klom and other Made-in-China lockpick stuffs; another similar site is Banggood http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Lock- ... -2725.html with an assortment of interesting-but-of-unknown-quality-until-you-tried stuff.

(I have bought lockpick stuffs from both sites but have no affiliation with them)
- David
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HT4

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Post Wed Dec 30, 2015 3:25 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

rerun12 wrote:This is what I carry. Used these to pick whatever I've come across the handful of times I needed to open a lock for somebody out in the world. Pen writes great and no worries about metal detectors. Flown with it multiple times as well without issue.


Bravo. Nice solution.
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Doogs

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Post Wed Dec 30, 2015 6:56 pm

Re: Credit Card/jack knife/Pen Picks

Thanks for all the great replies everyone. I went a little overboard and decided to get a credit card set the mace set and I am ordering the Southern Specialties/RCS 8E jack knife (i prefer the picks in this set and I don't have any slims as of yet. I'll wait for the next Peterson sale for those) as soon as I finish typing this.

YEP!! I think I've caught whatever that mental disorder is that MBI suffers from. I'll call it Must Buy Instrument Syndrome or MBI for short

P.S. Peeps please add anything you may use or know of to give others (me) some more ideas.
The other, other, other, other Mike

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