Picking Locks:How tough can it be.

[Grandpa]

Opening locks hasn't been very hard at all. Picking locks is a real bitch! I started picking locks last September. Didn't find it very difficult at first because I opened all of my first locks easily. After watching most of the videos, seeing how smooth and easy you all do it, I realized my locks were easier than most and I really was opening them not picking them. Then I noticed a new lock I had never seen or tried before and I bought my first brass Brinks. I just bought my no. 6 and still don't pick them. I open them a lot now but only after pushing on most of the pins several times. Never correct order so it opens the first time and never so I can find the binding order. Sometimes oversetting a pin because I can't set anymore. I practice often on padlocks mostly but also on kwikset and schlage deadbolts. How long it will take I don't know but I keep at it. I mean how tough can it be?

[bouncer965]

Hmmmm now i could say its tough and i wont be lying. But on the other hand i need to be in the right frame of mind to be able to pick. I didnt touch a lock for nearly a week until today.

Its all down to practise and more practise.All the locks that ive picked or openned as the case maybe i can do them quite proficiently. But as im getting onto harder locks not so much security pins but with higher tolerances then it is becoming more harder and i find myself struggling a fair bit. But ive only being picking 2 mnths so got a long way to go in experience wise compared to some on here.

It gets frustrating at times, but for me its a good hobby. Its just learning different tolerances, security pins, tensioning and basically defeating the mechanism. And patience is a key to getting good too.......i find if im in negative mood i go in heavy handed with the pick. But im doing it for a hobby and not trying to make a living from it so i can come and go at it as i wish. I think you can make it as easy as you like or as hard as you like. I watch a lot of vids and i read a lot and im certainly known for asking advice.

But thats just me.

[barbarian]

Heh heh heh...

Just when it gets a little easier, you will find yourself a harder lock...

This never ends...

In the search for binding order, you might like to try a deadbolt with only two or three pins. I know this will seem very easy for you now.
As you practice and add pins, you will be able to see how each additional pin affects the binding order. ie. Is the new pin addition now the first pin to bind,
or is the order the same as before and the new pin is the last to bind? Or maybe something in between?

Say the binding order found one pin at a time is something like, 5,3,4,2,1..
Now take the lock and feel pin five. You know it is the first to bind. Prove it to yourself with your pick. Do this for each pin. Feel pin 4. You know it's not ready to bind yet.
Prove it to yourself with the pick. Then try changing the order. Can you pick this lock 1,2,3,4,5 ?

If you play with the lock like this, you will soon learn a very high degree of feel with your pick. That will help you a huge amount.
You will know by feel with the tip of your pick whether or not a pin is ready to bind.

[bouncer965]

Heh heh heh...
If you play with the lock like this, you will soon learn a very high degree of feel with your pick. That will help you a huge amount.
You will know by feel with the tip of your pick whether or not a pin is ready to bind.

Well can you come and explain that to my Medeco, Sargent, lockwood, chubb, abus, russwin .......cause them feckers dont understand the rules of locksport.......i want a new referee

[barbarian]

Well... you will to feel..

And you will learn they are not ready to bind...

I didn't say you would be able to pick it..

[aarpazthelockpicker]

when you can pick a schlage primus let me know

[the lockpickkid]

I have a few locks that have only been picked a couple of times, and I have others that I have never been able to pick, it used to bother me alot when a lock would always defeat me, now a few years later I realize that no matter what there is always going to be some locks that are hard to pick and may never be picked, by me at least. You also have to remember that the bitting makes a difference, somebody may pick a lock that you have a model of real quick, but there bitting may or may not be as harsh as yours. I gave up very early in the game on trying to find binding order when I picked, I just simply use feel for everything, I can pick an American lock in front of you and I wouldn't be able to tell you the binding order at all, not even the first pin, I have never had a clue. Sometimes I think this hinders me while picking but my philosophy is to not overthink picking, don't make it harder than it has to be, just pick it, leave the science out of it, and just feel the pins out till the shacke blows.

[bouncer965]

when you can pick a schlage primus let me know

I'll just bump it open.