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transferrability of skills?

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Spinster

Newbie

Posts: 14

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:51 pm

Post Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:56 am

transferrability of skills?

One thing I continually confront is how difficult it is to go from one brand to another. I don't mean something extreme like moving from a simple 5 pin cylinder by company X to one with a sidebar by company Y - I mean similar locks, just different brands. At least in my case, just because I have a particular type of lock down doesn't mean I can jump to another. As I noted in a previous thread, I spent a lot of time picking a 6-pin abus 72/40 with five spool pins. From there I moved on to a few 6-pin schlage cores with no security pins. I had these locks down pretty well.

Then today I picked up a few schlage b360 deadbolts that I bought on craigslist. The first one I looked at was five pins (four spool and one regular). So I thought to myself if I can pick the schlage cores with no security pins, and the abus with a five spools, this one's going to be no problem. So I started picking and of course I was wrong. I'm still trying to open it even after removing two pin stacks.

Maybe those of you who have more experience have a sort of general skill set you can apply to each new lock you pick up - instead of a schlage skill set and a brinks skill set, etc. This is perhaps a clumsy attempt on my part to explain to myself why it seems I have to relearn picking each time I pick up a new brand. I'll keep pluggin away though ...
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HallisChalmers

Lord Emeritus of Keypicking HallisChalmers

Posts: 2070

Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:46 pm

Location: Hell

Post Sat Sep 27, 2008 2:09 pm

Re: transferrability of skills?

I used to do the same - try to pick each brand a certain way. Now I just try to learn the "feel" of the pin types - serrated, spools, etc.

Once you learn what to feel for, it then just becomes a question of continual practice - not unlike a billiard player learning to put the correct type of "english" on the cue ball. It doesn't matter what type of table or cuestick he uses - he has the basics for the different strokes committed to "muscle memory".

Once you become used to the feel and know what to look for, it then becomes a question of choosing the correct tension tool and associated pressure to spin the plug. That knowledge set is what I generally separate into brand categories - for example: American padlocks like the 1105 and 5200's generally require top of keyway tension, whereas Brinks padlocks are ok with bottom tension.

At least that's what works for me. Does that make sense?
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GutterClown

Post Sat Sep 27, 2008 5:58 pm

Re: transferrability of skills?

You're half right Spinster, there can and often is a difference in going from one brand to another. The reality is that some brands have a higher grade of machining than others, and so the lower quality (Master) will be alot easier to pick than something that's more expensive, with lower tolerences for error.

But sometimes you can find the same effect simply going from lock to lock, same brand. At a basic level it comes down to the fact that no two cylinders are exactly alike, minor manufacturing defects are what we as lockpickers rely on to manipulate them.

Other times it depends on how the mechanism inside the padlock works (balbearing opposed to just a locking tooth), some cylinders and springloaded to return to the centerline and are harder to pick if you're using light tention.

Hey, if it was easy, anyone would be doing it.
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Spinster

Newbie

Posts: 14

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:51 pm

Post Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:32 pm

Re: transferrability of skills?

Thanks for the replies.

Hallis: Yes that does make sense. On another note, I saw on LP101 that you have some picks from raytoke. Over the weekend here in Boston I got a chance to look at a new one from him- a red handled hook pick that is an amazing piece of work. I feel like I accomplish something when I make a tension wrench out of a windshield wiper, so I can only shake my head at the craftsmanship that goes into a pick like that.

GutterClown: Yeah you're right. If it were too easy there'd be no fun in it. The trick is to not bite off more than you can chew I guess. Spool pins are advanced enough for me right now. Anything beyond that I'd just be frustrating myself.
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HallisChalmers

Lord Emeritus of Keypicking HallisChalmers

Posts: 2070

Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:46 pm

Location: Hell

Post Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:05 pm

Re: transferrability of skills?

Look at his webpage and you'll understand why he's so damn good.


http://www.jonmryan.com/portfolio.html

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