Bumping Vs. Picking

[lmmjgt]

So, in my way across the Internet I've come across with certain opinions that the locksport community has for bumping, note that I pour some of my opinions into it, and they're all negative, for the sake of discussion:

- Bumping is less popular than regular picking, and it is sometimes not seen as real lockpicking.
- Bumping is considered by many locksporters as a less effective (or fun) way to open a lock.
- The growing popularity (as far as the lock market concerns) of countermeasure locks against bumping.
- The damage that may incur on using bumping in your own locks, eventually wearing them down.
- Picking does not necessarily require a whole collection of tools to open a vast majority of the locks in the market.
- Bumping is certainly not the most silent way to open a lock.

Do you disagree or agree with any of these? Do you prefer one or the other? Do you think that both are intrinsical for a good lockpicker? Am I just making amateurish assumptions that will crack one or two veteran nerves?

Let me know what you think.

[ForSquirel]

I'm still a noob so here's my 2 cents

Bumping is just a quick "brute force" method that requires little to no skill at all. It's not much different than using a pick gun, or raking.

Me personally, if you can rake or bump, congrats. Most of the people who learn to do those 2 skills first never really go on to learn any others. Picking a lock ala 1 pin at a time is an art. Yeah, anyone can pick a lock but not everyone can pick every lock. I still have trouble with locks that others find easy, but I'm hoping to change that. Bumping won't get me there.

[mseifert]

I'm still a noob so here's my 2 cents

Bumping is just a quick "brute force" method that requires little to no skill at all. It's not much different than using a pick gun, or raking.

Me personally, if you can rake or bump, congrats. Most of the people who learn to do those 2 skills first never really go on to learn any others. Picking a lock ala 1 pin at a time is an art. Yeah, anyone can pick a lock but not everyone can pick every lock. I still have trouble with locks that others find easy, but I'm hoping to change that. Bumping won't get me there.

I agree with the above statement... Anyone can bump, 2 seconds of training and anyone can bump any bump-able lock.. Picking is a skill, I Single pin pick (SPP) because I like the challenge

[GringoLocksmith]

I'd say it depends on your goal. If you're interested in delicately manipulating a lock to the open position, bumping won't get you there. It's also not going to do much good with the best locks. If you're trying to get a lock open quickly and without much effort, bumping might just be the ticket.

It's kind of like the difference between going to McDonald's and freezing your ass off on a deer stand so you can stuff your freezer with venison. A full stomach is one ultimate result of both endeavors, but anyone who tells the guy on a deer stand that he should just go to McDonald's is missing the point.

To add to that, anyone who tells a guy in line at McDonald's that he should be hunting might also be missing the point. Bumping is a perfectly legitimate way of bypassing a lock.

[huxleypig]

Yeah, bumping is fine. On jobs I prefer to go straight for the rake and then SPP, with bumping coming down the list, just before the electric pick gun.

It definitely takes an amount of technique/skill though, and you have to know what type of bump key you have. I was trying to use a shoulderless bump key as if it were a 'normal' bump key for a while.

[scudo]

Not quite an answer re bumping but as my lock picking skills are not that great when I get a `new` lock I rake it just to give me the confidence that I can get it open, I then progress to a mixture of raking and spp and then finally my goal of spp. Personally I dont consider a lock has been properly picked until it has been spp but thats only my view.

Its horses for courses if a locksmith then probably the quickest method, in lock sport I reckon bumping is way down the list.

[locksmithsg]

Not quite an answer re bumping but as my lock picking skills are not that great when I get a `new` lock I rake it just to give me the confidence that I can get it open, I then progress to a mixture of raking and spp and then finally my goal of spp. Personally I dont consider a lock has been properly picked until it has been spp but thats only my view.

Its horses for courses if a locksmith then probably the quickest method, in lock sport I reckon bumping is way down the list.

I think you hit the nail on the head.
For locksmiths, speed is critical, thus I would say bumping and Electronic lock picks would be my weapons to attack a lock.
For sports, SPP would be the ultimate goal.