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Hello all

I'm a new member from South Africa with absolutely no picking experience. I got bored with Netflix during lock-down and decided to try lock picking since I enjoy challenges and well crafted mechanical artifacts. I have a Sparrows Tuxedo set on the way and picked up a Master Lock 3 for practise as it seems to be a fairly standard beginner lock. I found out about the forum from Mike Gibson's Lock Picking: Detail Overkill, which is my main source of information so far (other than YouTube!).

Cheers,
Andrew

Welcome to the forum Andrew! The detail overkill guide is really useful in my opinion. One of the better guides I read.

Apart from the master lock I can really recommend a repinnable practice lock. Both diy and commercial are great. Note that I do not mean transparent. Those are good to study something but bad for practice. Lock Noob and others did nice videos on diy practice locks. Tallan Pick did a recent one and explains the simple steps clearly: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ts8lBKnh-k He has a great channel.

Welcome, Andrew. Nice to have you here.

Yes, Detail Overkill is awesome. As he says, if you won't learn to pick unless you can curse. I still remember the password on that file, even though I have not seen it in years. Just wish he had written it in such a way as to allow printing of the file.

Have not seen much from your continent for different locks. Have you seen any?

Gordon

Thanks for the welcome guys.

@edocdab thanks for the suggestion of a practise lock. I was considering one, but the only local supplier that I know of is out of stock, so the Tallan Pick video on how to make your own is greatly appreciated. I'm sure I'll do that sooner rather than later.

@GWiens2001 Most of the locks here are American and European (Yale, Master Lock, Abus, Cisa, Abloy, etc.) plus the ubiquitous cheap clones. Historically, the country was colonised by the Dutch and English so if I look around I may be able to find some antique locks from these countries. But unfortunately nothing uniquely South African AFAIK.

Take it easy,
Andrew