Sparrows / SouthOrd Neck Comparison

[PhilMTL]

Just got this set of Sparrows (the Competitor Set) and I told someone on chat that I'd post some pics of them showing the 'slimness' of the neck.

I've been using standard size SouthOrds up till now and I find the Sparrows much more maneuverable around warding.

The SouthOrds taper down quite a bit from the handle to the head of the pick, whereas the Sparrows are pretty slim right from the moment the handle ends and the neck begins.

Haven't got in much time with the Sparrows yet but so far I'm very impressed. Handles are dipped, not removeable. Was told by the customer service at lockpickcanada.com that all Sparrows are now dipped. Not shown in the pics are all the tension tools that come with the set. The thickness of the stock they're made from seems to fit my locks much better than the Southord wrenches which usually had a good bit of play and had to be wedged more diagonally in the keyway.

Cool little zipper case too that can you can fold in half and secure with snaps so it stands up as a mini tool shelf. No pics of that but there's another thread on here about it somewhere.

Lastly, I'll say that the folks answering the emails at http://www.lockpickcanada.com were really helpful. I had some questions about the different sets and handles on the picks and they got back to me quick with info. Ordered yesterday, shipped same day, arrived today. Your mileage may vary, I'm right next door to Toronto where they shipped from.

Note - No sanding / polishing done on any picks except the SouthOrd steep hook.

[awol70]

thank you for the great review.
what is your opinion about the sparrows coldmax steel vs southord?

[gnarus8429]

I like the sparrows rakes in particular. They are thicker width wise and hold up raking better than the SouthOrd. Their profiles for their rake set are very effective. When I bought my set the handles were removable (they just slid off). These would be too with a razor knife . I have not use their hooks but if they are made of the same metal then they would be of less use in restricted key ways. If you have a caliper could you measure the thickness of the metal on the rakes and hook to see if they are similar?

[jeffmoss26]

I love my sparrows picks

[PhilMTL]

thank you for the great review.
what is your opinion about the sparrows coldmax steel vs southord?

I really haven't had the time to use them enough yet. I just picked one of my padlocks real quick to try them out.

I know, I know, dude gets a brand new pick set and doesn't go to town on all his locks?!?

I like the sparrows rakes in particular. They are thicker width wise and hold up raking better than the SouthOrd. Their profiles for their rake set are very effective. When I bought my set the handles were removable (they just slid off). These would be too with a razor knife . I have not use their hooks but if they are made of the same metal then they would be of less use in restricted key ways. If you have a caliper could you measure the thickness of the metal on the rakes and hook to see if they are similar?

Keep the razor knife away! Definitely don't want to remove the handles. I like them a lot.

No caliper on hand, sorry. The rakes do seem thicker than the hooks but could just be my imagination.

I don't have any super skinny keyway locks, but I found the height of the neck on the SouthOrds was what was inhibiting me on the tighter keyway ones I do have. It felt clumsy to angle (twist?) the pick in the keyway to move around warding. The neck was too high and would bump up against the stuff I want to get around to push the pins up. It's still do-able, just felt more cramped in there. Based on my very limited use of the Sparrows hook so far, it felt like there was more breathing room just due to the neck being less built up.

[magician59]

So, is that Canada's last penny in the photos?

[mdc5150]

I have not used a pick gun since I got my Sparrows rakes a year ago. I think it is fair to say that I use them for work every day, and I have not had one broken rake.