Here's a tip you will find very helpful, spray motorcycle chain lube in the lock before starting to pick, I have opened many with the wrong key in seconds, what the chain lube does is slow down the movement of the pins, after picking, simply spray carb cleaner in the lock and put a little 3 in 1 oil,works well
I am a pretty hard handed picker. I never thought much about pick pressure, but I haven't broken any picks yet either (except for one Chinese city rake). I guess I'll have to put a bit of thought into it when picking locks. Great video, mate. cheers
That’s interesting. I am very light on my picks. Rarely break picks. I use one pick for most of my picking, like 80%. It’s just a Sparrows medium euro hook. I have around 4 and a half years on the current one. Every once in a while I file the tip a little to make it flat again. I don’t pick like most people using a finger on the pick and the contact point of the lock. My fingers are all on the handle of the pick. It works for me 😃 thanks for this interesting topic 👍🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾
Great to hear!! Yeah, lots of people I feel use an overly hard amount of force on their picks when they don't have to, resulting in bends and breaks, so getting in early with low pick pressure is a real gem of knowledge to have.
Regarding this, considering that the pins are tapered in the TE5, heavier tension has anecdotally made it easier to pick locks like this due to the clearer feedback and sharper tolerances.
Lock picking is a mechanical skill. A professional mechanic won't hammer on a ratchet because it's not an impact rated tool. If you need that much force, you'd use a breaker bar or a pneumatic impact tool. Those practiced in any mechanical art will have an intuitive feel for the force a tool can apply and will always remain below that level. A screwdriver isn't a pry bar and a .015" thick pick is not the tool for ham fisted brute force lock picking.
And that's the issue for a lot of beginners. Many are hamfisted or bend picks because they don't know the feel for how much force is too much force, or if they're even picking a pin and not warding. The entire point was to dial it back instead of just trying to poke harder if you're a newbie because they often try to bully instead of finesse.
@@alpama37 - Many experienced pickers have publicly commented that most new locksport enthusiasts are too delicate and suggest that more torque is usually needed to induce binding with proportionally more pick force needed to set pins. Some have gone so far as to recommend buying .020" thick medium hooks five at a time because they're consumable items. My point wasn't that more or less force should be used, but rather that there should be a feel for the amount of force a tool can endure before the metal experiences plastic deformation. Regardless of technique, there is no benefit in bending a pick and ruining it. Often, the real trick is in lessening the torque from the turning tool while increasing the force used to set a pin in order to set the pin without resetting previously picked pins. With a precision lock, that takes a lot of skill, derived from a lot of practice and experience.
@@Liberty4Ever Thank you for the insight. I've personally seen very few people who claim that new locksporters are too delicate, it seems much more common on my end of the pond that people will do as I stated above and just try to make magic happen instead of feeling for it. It is in that statement that I believe most new pickers are not able to properly gauge the strength of their tools and therefore deform/bend them because of too much tension *and* too much force. We all hear plenty about how important tension is, and it really is, but there's little said about being slow and smooth with lifting pins as opposed to trying to just get to the next click. I do not disagree that tension control is perhaps the most important technique in picking, but it is not the only thing and you can greatly increase the length of life of lockpicks if you both have a cerebral tensioning hand as well as picking hand.
I'm still a relatively new picker. I watch all manner of YT vids, but lots of LPL. He notoriously uses heavy tension. I have also bent picks. This is clearly a contentious subject. I now experiment with both approaches. Interested to see what others think on this?
I think that tensioning is a very big point of concern for a lot of people. Obviously, LPL is quite a skilled picker, but I think what's important is that he picks with "as much tension as is permissible on a lock." Which essentially boils down to however much tension he can get whilst not forcing anything and still getting good feedback. I also subscribe to this notion, though I am evidently less skilled than him.
Great explanation but your audio is very quiet! Only been picking for 3 years too! Doing well! I have coordination issues and find it amazing when people can use their hands so well! Feel so messy in comparison!
Oooh, dont bend that fancy ratyoke pick! I always use absolute minimum tension, because I almost always use 0.015 - 0.020in (~0.3-0.5mm) picks, i enjoy the feedback from them more i guess u could say. Thanks for speaking so clearly too, tbh I have a heck of a time trying to understand Australians speak, but didnt this time! Thanks for the informative video;)
Haha I am very, very conscious of what I do to that pick. If it bent I would cry my eyes out. Thank you for your kind words, and I'm happy to hear that you enjoy using thinner picks. I do as well, most of my picks are about 0.019in or 0.5mm as well.
I agree to an extent. You should never need to crank tension terribly high, but on some locks it gives necessary feedback. For example, on the Miwa U9, you won't feel anything without turning it up to 11 when you're testing pin states. As for experience and knowing from the feel of the first pin, I don't think it's such a bad thing to test pins with heavier tension and then loosen as you raise the pins. But your mileage may vary, and what works for you may not work for others.
I don't believe I ever claimed to be an expert, however I am an experienced picker. I wouldn't be so sure that any drunk person with no clue would be able to get into a stock 334b45 with no experience, but you're entirely within your right to go to your local pub and find some drunk guy who's willing to try.
![[86] How To Rake Your First Lock](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QrEizJNRNlo/mqdefault.jpg)
![[86] How To Rake Your First Lock](/img/tr.png)
![[1428] Inside Perspective: Picking Spool Pins](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cqd9DPrgi3g/mqdefault.jpg)
I've watched dozens of videos on lockpicking yet this one is the first to talk about pick pressure. Brilliant, thanks!!!😀
Here's a tip you will find very helpful, spray motorcycle chain lube in the lock before starting to pick, I have opened many with the wrong key in seconds, what the chain lube does is slow down the movement of the pins, after picking, simply spray carb cleaner in the lock and put a little 3 in 1 oil,works well
@Warren Floyd, What a cool idea, i’ll have to try that.
underrated stealth genius level idea there bro
I am a pretty hard handed picker. I never thought much about pick pressure, but I haven't broken any picks yet either (except for one Chinese city rake). I guess I'll have to put a bit of thought into it when picking locks. Great video, mate. cheers
I just started picking with a plastic lock. So, I did open it, but plastic responds bad to tension. I have to focus on what pin first. I think.
I usually tension at the top of the keyway and a j hook.
That’s interesting. I am very light on my picks. Rarely break picks. I use one pick for most of my picking, like 80%. It’s just a Sparrows medium euro hook. I have around 4 and a half years on the current one. Every once in a while I file the tip a little to make it flat again. I don’t pick like most people using a finger on the pick and the contact point of the lock. My fingers are all on the handle of the pick. It works for me 😃 thanks for this interesting topic 👍🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾
Great to hear!! Yeah, lots of people I feel use an overly hard amount of force on their picks when they don't have to, resulting in bends and breaks, so getting in early with low pick pressure is a real gem of knowledge to have.
@@alpama37 👍
I just use a Bobby pin and a bent section of an old wiper blade, cost me fuck all and don't care even if it does break.
You give it too much tension, it's almost impossible for the pins to get up in the holes.
Regarding this, considering that the pins are tapered in the TE5, heavier tension has anecdotally made it easier to pick locks like this due to the clearer feedback and sharper tolerances.
Lock picking is a mechanical skill. A professional mechanic won't hammer on a ratchet because it's not an impact rated tool. If you need that much force, you'd use a breaker bar or a pneumatic impact tool. Those practiced in any mechanical art will have an intuitive feel for the force a tool can apply and will always remain below that level. A screwdriver isn't a pry bar and a .015" thick pick is not the tool for ham fisted brute force lock picking.
And that's the issue for a lot of beginners. Many are hamfisted or bend picks because they don't know the feel for how much force is too much force, or if they're even picking a pin and not warding. The entire point was to dial it back instead of just trying to poke harder if you're a newbie because they often try to bully instead of finesse.
@@alpama37 - Many experienced pickers have publicly commented that most new locksport enthusiasts are too delicate and suggest that more torque is usually needed to induce binding with proportionally more pick force needed to set pins. Some have gone so far as to recommend buying .020" thick medium hooks five at a time because they're consumable items.
My point wasn't that more or less force should be used, but rather that there should be a feel for the amount of force a tool can endure before the metal experiences plastic deformation. Regardless of technique, there is no benefit in bending a pick and ruining it.
Often, the real trick is in lessening the torque from the turning tool while increasing the force used to set a pin in order to set the pin without resetting previously picked pins. With a precision lock, that takes a lot of skill, derived from a lot of practice and experience.
@@Liberty4Ever Thank you for the insight. I've personally seen very few people who claim that new locksporters are too delicate, it seems much more common on my end of the pond that people will do as I stated above and just try to make magic happen instead of feeling for it.
It is in that statement that I believe most new pickers are not able to properly gauge the strength of their tools and therefore deform/bend them because of too much tension *and* too much force. We all hear plenty about how important tension is, and it really is, but there's little said about being slow and smooth with lifting pins as opposed to trying to just get to the next click.
I do not disagree that tension control is perhaps the most important technique in picking, but it is not the only thing and you can greatly increase the length of life of lockpicks if you both have a cerebral tensioning hand as well as picking hand.
I'm still a relatively new picker. I watch all manner of YT vids, but lots of LPL. He notoriously uses heavy tension. I have also bent picks. This is clearly a contentious subject. I now experiment with both approaches. Interested to see what others think on this?
I think that tensioning is a very big point of concern for a lot of people. Obviously, LPL is quite a skilled picker, but I think what's important is that he picks with "as much tension as is permissible on a lock." Which essentially boils down to however much tension he can get whilst not forcing anything and still getting good feedback. I also subscribe to this notion, though I am evidently less skilled than him.
"quite skilled picker"
record breaking understatement of the decade there ! 😂
Thanks Alpama, great explanation. It is great to hear these little tips and tricks.
No worries! I just want to make information more accessible for what I was never told.
Great explanation but your audio is very quiet! Only been picking for 3 years too! Doing well! I have coordination issues and find it amazing when people can use their hands so well! Feel so messy in comparison!
Also, how long should your pick last?
A bit long-winded, but an excellent piece of advice. Thank you for making this.
Oooh, dont bend that fancy ratyoke pick! I always use absolute minimum tension, because I almost always use 0.015 - 0.020in (~0.3-0.5mm) picks, i enjoy the feedback from them more i guess u could say.
Thanks for speaking so clearly too, tbh I have a heck of a time trying to understand Australians speak, but didnt this time! Thanks for the informative video;)
Haha I am very, very conscious of what I do to that pick. If it bent I would cry my eyes out. Thank you for your kind words, and I'm happy to hear that you enjoy using thinner picks. I do as well, most of my picks are about 0.019in or 0.5mm as well.
Why are you whispering we can't hardly hear you?
Also the mic on the camera is probably pointing the wrong way
Really loved this video! Thanks! 🩷🩶🤍🥰😊
Can't hear anything.
I love you
It is extremely difficult to listen your mouth splashing
Lock picking lawyer will save 10 mins on this 9 min vid. Sorry not Sorry
Ask LPL 'wen Emhart?'
How to help crooks.
And you dont need that much tension. If your experienced you should no just by feel of your first pin
I agree to an extent. You should never need to crank tension terribly high, but on some locks it gives necessary feedback. For example, on the Miwa U9, you won't feel anything without turning it up to 11 when you're testing pin states. As for experience and knowing from the feel of the first pin, I don't think it's such a bad thing to test pins with heavier tension and then loosen as you raise the pins. But your mileage may vary, and what works for you may not work for others.
😂 are you a expert because all the locks you said a drunk person with no clue about picking locks can get into them.
I don't believe I ever claimed to be an expert, however I am an experienced picker. I wouldn't be so sure that any drunk person with no clue would be able to get into a stock 334b45 with no experience, but you're entirely within your right to go to your local pub and find some drunk guy who's willing to try.