Portland n00b
* I'm 45yo, male, math teacher by profession;
* I've been picking earnestly for a few months-- I had some success raking at a TOOOL mtg, but SPP defiantly challenges my abilities as of this writing;
* I've been using a set of SouthOrd picks from 1986 (via an ad in the back of an Archies comic), but just got a BosnianBill-endorsed MadBob set that I hope will vigorously propel me towards competence;
* I mostly use a LearnLockpicking.com repinnable core and have SPP'ed up to 4 (std) pins (also 3 incl serrated), plus have raked several Master padlocks but am not sure I want to spend much time raking unless to build morale (which wouldn't be so bad-- I can get to feeling pretty witless);
* My current struggles are basic and boil down to tensioning correctly, which is something I vary but still can't quite "get";
* I educate myself through videos (eg, Lockpicking Lawyer) and books (eg, Deviant), so this forum is a new angle;
* I have everything I need (eg, vise, prybars), but again, persistent improvement has been elusive
Any insights/ advice welcome. Cheers!
~Chumluk