Need Tool advice!

[the lockpickkid]

I am getting into impressioning, I am tired of everybody else being able to do it and now I want to do it also. I need to know exactly what kind of Pippen file I need that will work the best, also I want a holder like what wolfspring uses to hold his blank. Anybody recommend anything?

[WolfSpring]

a vice and some sort of magnification I bought the 30 dollar mag head thing with the lights, but don't use it much, but when i started i used it alot i recomend either a radio shack magnifiyng glass stand or if you can find one a round magnifiyng glass with a light under it that mounts to a desk

[the lockpickkid]

Those visor magnifier things don't seem to work all that great, I have one, I hate it. There is a cheap tool place at the outlet mall down on the coast, they have those magnifiers with the clip that hold stuff with a light pretty cheap.

[WolfSpring]

You gotta get the key really close i found, but they are annoying, if you ever watch the impressioning competive videos like jos weyers they have the nice lamp magnifiers I want one when i get home.

[steveslock]

BRIGHT LIGHT
FILE
SMALL VISE GRIPS
MAG (OPTIONAL)

Don't think too much into it. Just practice with what you have, only hit the marks 2-3 times with the file before putting it back into the cylinder. You don't want to file away too much material. I always hit the top of the key with a very smooth file to start to make it into a mirror like finish to easily see the pin spacing.

[the lockpickkid]

A friend of mine on this site gave me a nice computer disk with a very good impressioning tutorial, I have watched it dozens of times, I am on my way, I just get too aggressive!

[thelockoutguys]

Head visors arent as good but they are what we use in the field. you cant use a desk mount and go back and forth to a car. never used anything to hold a blank but small vise grips and my hands. Try some wafer / desk style locks first then something a little harder. Youll get it. If it was reall easy everybody would be doing it.

[magician59]

I use a lens assembly from an old slide projector (Anybody remember film slides?). Don't know the magnification, but it makes my fingerprints look like a mountain range. But...these 51-year-old eyes need all the help they can get! The lens is portable, and with it, I can tell the difference between a rub mark, and a true impression.

[the lockpickkid]

What pippen file should I get, and where can I get the best price? I see them everywhere, but they are expensive and come in different patterns.

[the keymaker]

the pippen files are too high in price I preffer swiss made but you need to think one thing,
there are ocassions in wich is not convenient to save money in tools. ( the tools pay it for itself ) only my veiw point of course.
but if you not have enough money I recommend you to buy the most fine file you can find.
and by the way there are a good video I recomend you for learn the secrets of the impressioning.
the name is "filling for dollars".
I wish you succes in this matter.

Regards

[danny-el-cocinero]

Heres a link for you, for a nice little set i've been meaning to buy for a long time, but to be honest its a little pricey and i've tryied justifying it to myself as i normally do trying to convince myself that "I NEED IT". But to be honest i've been doing just fine with a cheap $3 set of small files and a candle doing the old "smoking" method. The only real advice i can give you that i wish i new at the start, is to use brass key blanks the soft metel really takes well to impressions and a really smooth file so not to get false impressions.

http://www.ukbumpkeys.com/subcat_Impres ... _index.php