This was one of my frist sets. I have used it for over 5 years. I have added more picks to the set but its is my everyday carry. I love sparrows. For the price sparrows is the best!!
Interestingly, you can buy the Sparrows Kickstart kit plus 3 individual picks for the same price as the Tuxedo. The only difference is the case which is about 2/3 of the size. So, if you’re willing to accept the smaller case (both of which will probably be too small as your collection grows) you can have the same number of picks but be able to choose 3 of them. This allows you to add the “Steep Hook” (which solves the lack of a medium hook in the Tuxedo set) and get any other two picks. Or you could even substitute the “Heavy Bars” TOK pry bars for one of the picks for the same price. By going with the Kickstart add-on route you can put together a nicer, semi-customized kit for the same price.
I recon this is one of the best starter kits out there. Great steel, great selection of profiles and easily expanded if you get the picking bug :-) Do you agree? Is there a better starter kit Sparrows sell? Let me know in the comments :-) www.sparrowslockpicks.com/product_p/tux1.htm
I love this kit. I own the Tuxedo Royale (E.U. version). 👍 The only thing I woud like to see in the kit is a handle to insert them into, as they kinda hurt my hands after some time of (ab)use.
Hi Lock noob my name is Tim i am new to lock picking i really dont have the money to start up because i am on Social Security income and disability income so i wanted to know if you could help me out with maybe a tension and a pick if you could help me and i hope you can that would be great please let me know thank you
Bought this set and wrapped them up in some quarter inch heat shrink tubing. They’re perfect. You can even go a step further and add on some of Sparrows’ top of the keyway tension bars and maybe a deep hook once you start venturing into more and more difficult locks.
I think the selection in the Tuxedo set is really good for someone getting their first set of quality picks. I would swap the bogey for a worm rake and include a lunatic for high lifts.
Found your page after stumbling upon locksport from LPL. While i enjoyed watching his bypass techniques i found i liked your videos and reviews so much more. Just bought this kit with the worm rake and a set of deep hooks and thick tension bars. Also picked up their progressive locks and other kits i saw you reviewed. Used to make hook picks out of bobby pins with wiper blade springs as tensioners as a kid to get into my house. Excited to try real tools and learn to pin locks! Thanks for all the informative content!
My first and only pro lockpick set is The Ranger from Sparrows. Excellent kit in a really nice pouch. If I was to make the purchase all over I would probably choose a different set such as The Vorax. Having said that though the Ranger is an excellent kit and I will absolutely buy from Sparrows again. I added the Heavy Bars and the Ultimate Decoder to complete the Ranger kit. Love it.
@@LockNoob The choice is made even better when I see professional reviews such as yours. I believe you and some other content creators who shall remain nameless (cough...bill....cough cough lpl) are a strong influence when it comes to purchasing such specialized tools. Thanks!
Most of my picks are Sparrows and I have some Peterson’s too. My personal opinion is that Sparrows is hands down the best kit vs price full stop. I agree too, the city rake is one of my all time favourites and great if you’re starting out and losing heart because you can’t open a lock, fantastic for low security beginner locks. Great review of a very nice kit.
Great EDC kit. I bought a second Tuxedo case and maxed them both out with a surprisingly complete kit, including some bypass and rapid entry tools, that's very easy to carry in my pocket. I have the Sparrows Wizwazzle (again, with additions) as my desk set because the dipped handles are more comfortable for hours of picking, but I'm going to order a set of Sparrows picks with no handles and 3D print rectangular handles that don't roll in my fingers like the dipped handles do. The Tuxedo picks without handles are great for the smallest full size picks for pocket carry.
This is a good set, covers most beginning needs. I definitely would add the worm rake. For those looking to get into locksport(primarily spp), I'm with Starrylock on the Spirit set. Same price range but with an emphasis on hooks. Sparrows makes great quality picks at a fair price-really hard to beat them👍
I was between the Tuxedo and Spirit set. People online seemed to think the Spirit was a bit better since there were less rakes. But I wanted that Coyote Tuxedo case. I buy too many black colored things, wanted to switch it up for once lol. I contacted Sparrow and asked if they could swap out the case on the Spirit set for the Coyote Tux case and put handles on the picks. They were happy to do so for a fair price. Gonna take a little bit longer, but they were great to deal with. Excellent response times too. Pumped to finally get into this hobby. Seems like such a great thing to do say, at work while you have a little downtime. Just work on trying to get the next lock figured out. Plus one day, it may come in extremely handy.
great kit, got it on your recommendation of starter kits. the 1500s hook actually got me into more difficult keyways I could otherwise not pick, its great!
I have 2 of these, one altered, one stock. The stock one lives in my go - get home bag (I live in shaky southern Califirnia, and yes, I always have a go bag). The altered one is my standard go to pick set, I have also augmented it with a set of modified heavy bars, and 5 more custom wiper inserts. These "stack" to form "binding" top of keyway wrenches. All of the .025 picks have been polished to mirror, and reduced to .022 in the process. I added a dupe set of picks in .015, polished to .014+/-.
I'm a noob, but I've been watching some of Bosnian's and many of your videos and I'm learning a lot. I've avoided ordering anything until I got through videos like this one, and since I'm in Canada I'm now ordering this pick set, with a cut away lock . I think that should be enough to get me started. I'll look into other picks and core disassembly once I gain some experience. I need to buy more locks. 🙂
I got this a while ago. its the tuxedo kit royale in a coyote case and I added two prybars and nothing else yet. it is really a great kit and for a beginner which I am . this kit with a set of prybars and a cut away lock and reload kit I imagine would be a really cheap way to get into lockpicking . they also do have a option for a cut away lock when you buy it and since I already own the sparrows reload kit and the night shcool tuxedo edition its a no brainer to own this kit as a EDC carry as well :)
This was my first proper set - in black - I think it looked great - added worm and top of the keyway set along with the progressive lock set along with other goodies As my package was heavy customs checked it and charged me extra into the UK
I like the eod kit. I grabbed the bomba royale so it’s a bit thinner. It sacrifices the offset hybrid, the thin short hook and city rake for a bypass knife, some jiggler bits for wafer locks and an octo rake. I bolstered it with a worm in 15 but that octo rake works a treat in wider key ways. I do think you miss the city rake though and I’d rather have that than the wafer lock bits, which aren’t really up to much in my experience.
I just ordered this set, received it yesterday. I am a complete beginner, so I can't really offer any in-depth opinions on how it compares to other kits, but I can say that all of the tools feel very nice. The steel feels strong and seems to be of good quality. The pouch is actually better than I expected. I was assuming it was going to be a cheaply made, "throw-away" component, but it actually seems quite well made. It has two pockets inside, the stitching seems strong, and the back half has some kind of stiffener sewn into it, to keep things laying flat. I also ordered the 3 pack of transparent practice locks and am looking forward to learning more about lockpicking (enjoying your videos). I can confirm that as of the time of my purchase (March 17, 2022), the purchase price is sitting at $32 USD. They also shipped my order the same day I placed it, which was a really nice surprise. 😃
@@user1hdud62htus5 I'm trying to remember, but it's been long enough I can't recall 100% for certain (I order a lot of things online). I do know that I got a shipment confirmation the same day I ordered it, so it was out the door and on the road within hours of me placing my order. I can't remember off the top of my head what method of shipping they used, though. I don't think it was overnight, but I do remember being really surprised at how fast I received it after placing my order. Also... in hind sight I would probably order just one of the transparent practice locks. I've found I have more fun picking Master locks than fiddling with those clear ones, although they are very good at giving you a visual of what's happening inside when you pick. I've gotten to where I can usually pick a standard laminated Master lock in under a minute. Sometimes there's still a bit of luck involved, I'm no pro... but after using this kit for half a year, I would still recommend it. It's sturdy and seems to have a great selection of picks and tensioners for the price.
I recently purchased the Tuxedo set.. my initial thoughts are they seem like good steel, I'm not a fan of the case it seems rather flimsy with the nylon internal compared to another I have. The picks are nice but very thin on the handles being single layer (order it with the factory rubber grips!) I did a dip on mine to make handles and now I struggle with them in the case, it is very tight. The tension wrenches are nice, I like the twist handles as they give great feedback. The odd part to me here is that rather than various thicknesses for different keyways they are all the same with various widths and the short end is not notched out for top of keyway.. I will be modifying this. The other thing on those is the edges are not finished at all so are quite sharp (Not really a good thing for a nylon case!) I will be tweaking them a bit... but overall a great set for the money. I have a "generic" set that I picked up at Blackhat.. (anyone know what brand they sold?) they came in a blue tube, but are sandwiched handles and the tension wrenches are very well finished! I'm very new so take my thought with a large grain of salt.. lol Happy picking people!!
It's nice to see a case that isn't black. I could live with a kit like that after adding some TOK prybars. I really like my S rake, city rake, Bogota, and my hooks. I initially liked the half diamonds but I got over that pretty quick and I'm not sure why I liked them so much in the first place. I'm going to have to try some type of offset diamond. I hear good things about those.
Sick!! I ordered mine a few days ago, along with the flatbar knurls for top of the keyway tension. Can’t wait. Wish I had it the other day as my kids locked themselves in a room at their grandma’s. I was about to break the door down to get in but their aunt showed up with a key just in time.
Started off with the tuxedo, but have modified it so much it's unrecognisable. It's at least double in price for whats been added. But it goes with me, everywhere i go.
@Carin Hall I added a worm rake and a double peek for a start, then went on to add a knife shank, warded picks, then added the medusa sandman and octo rake. Then added the mini jim. After that I added up the cost to approx $120.00ish Obviously you cant carry everything in the tuxedo, but I wanted to be able to take a crack at most things I ran across in the field. Oh and almost forgot added top of the keyway heavy bars too.
Twists are good. I make twists on every tensioner I make myself. I find picking spools being much easier if you have some flex in the BOK tensioner. However, it's not a big deal really. The big deal is if they grab the body and prevents turning the core or not. Perhaps a video about customizing tips (tapering etc) for bottom of the keyway tensioners so you don't have to go to the top of keyway tensioners (pry bars) with is MUCH harder for newbies on free hand. Nice review by they way.
I live in Aus and this helps alot because not many kits are made here so they are always expensive in shipping but this is still cheaper then the knock offs
I do not yet have any picks, but I think this would be a good place to start, except, I would also like to have the "top of the keyway" tension wrench.
I started myself with a tuxedo kit but I started my girlfriend with the Gotham kit and I think the Gotham is a better kit if you're going to expand and The tuxedo is better for an everyday carry typekit I still have my tuxedo in my pocket today just with way more stuff in it
I don't think there's a kit on the market that has everything a starter/intermediate picker needs at that price point, but that kit comes very close, really good starter base or even an EDC.
I agree, great starter kit. But if you want something with a bit more style and comfort go for the Dark Shift or if you are specifically into raking the Creeper set would be good. This is just a few choices from the Sparrows lineup, there are other manufacturers making comparable products.
That’s an awesome little starter kit, Sparrows small kits are some of the best for beginners I think. Or a few picks from Law Lock Tools 😁 My first Sparrows kit was the Dark Shift, and I still love it. It has some of those profiles in the tuxedo, but also has the sandman, a twin peak bogie and a worm. And rather than BOK tensioners, it has TOK. I love the handle profiles too, as you’ve maybe seen in my own picks. It also comes in a grey case which I think looks best 😉😁🥚
Lock Noob I completely agree, the Sandman hasn’t actually done anything for me, they could’ve put a deeper hook in its place and that would’ve pretty much sorted the kit 😁🥚
I like straight tension wrenches, personal preference. Nice kit no thrown in stuff you don’t need. Can always get the picks you don’t need later right?
I have bought from Sparrows and I find the price of their picks affordable, good value and decent quality. The postage bumps up the cost a bit so take that into account. Oh and watch out for (if you are outside Canada) IR assault on your wallet. Although most times it passes through without issue. I don't have this kit but it looks well thought out. Sure we can all suggest what we prefer and would add. But let's face it, as it stands it will get you into a lot of locks. Great review by the way Lock Noob.
Nice video. I almost got a bad lock pick set but your videos saved me. I almost got those trash gosu 24 lock pick set. Thanks for the help 🙏 just subbed
i think city rake, tripple rake, , the two short hooks and 1 of each tension wrench is all that is really needed in a basic set the extra stuffs nice. the problem with this set is they are bare and don't have the dipped handles. the spirit set same price $32usd is better no?
I have the tuxedo case don't care for there picks so I have 2 standard Peterson hooks one in 0.25 and one in 0.18 and two Peterson gems in the same measurements. And a bogie and one sparrows worm.
This was my very first kit and I carry it everyday along with every other non handle pick sparrows has in all three thicknesses. I added a few top of key tools as well but, they all fit nicely.
I really love these lock picks but after over 10 minutes my hands start to really hurt from the thin metal as handles any recommendations do make it more comfortable?
I've got the Tuxedo Royale. It's the heart of my lockpick set. I just like using .20 picks whenever possible. I have not grinded down the Z wrenches, but I do bend all free ends of my L wrenches in a same way (it has no use otherwise). It gives me more feedback then the regular TOK tensioners. Btw do you know why we don't call them Center (or 'Middle' to avoid people being offended by the abbreviation) of the Keyway, and Rim of the Keyway? This would resolve the whole orientation matter imho.
That is exactly the kind of top of the keyway tensioners I have made out of hairpins. On another note, I think it's time for me to start using profesional tools like this kit instead of using improvised tools.
Why don't I want to use the 15 thousands pick until I'm more experienced? I was thinking of getting the tuxedo royal where (almost) all are 15 thousands because I'm in Europe. Is that a bad idea?
For most beginners, yes. Definitely for me when I started. Most (but not all) new and beginner pickers tend to use a lot of forever on the lock picks and at that thinness, they would be very prone to deforming. That’s why I recommend 0.025 to begin with.
I’m getting ready to order the Tuxedo Nightschool set. Adding core trainer, reload kit, and master key pinning kit. Is there any additional lock picks or tools you’d recommend for someone that works in a US based commercial building with Yale, Schlage, Best commercial locks and some Kwikset and other residential interior locks? Like the mentioned worm, medium or deep hook? In what application would I need something like the tiller or lunatic? Hoping to use these as training tools for my engineers and pull locksmithing in house vs vendor. Thanks!!
Being new to all of this. I find the Sparrow kit uncomfortable. Because I'm new, it takes me longer to pick most locks and I try to practice every day for an hour or two two. The handles are so thin they hurt my fingers and ehen jands get tired (with arthritis) they get harder to manipulate.
I’m trying to convince myself I didn’t make a mistake by ordering the euro version which is .015 except the short hook which is .020, so far I haven’t been able to open anything
@@LockNoob after a few more days of getting to grips with them I’ve managed to open the majority of my locks with ease, some of which were a real pain originally with my other pick sets so they’ve earned a place in my collection. I think I was just a little too scared to break them.
i love my Tuxedo set and it was the first set I ever bought. However, that was, to my mind, a mistake. The Tuxedo is great and makes up the backbone of my EDC even years later but, if you're looking for a true beginner pick set, I'd look at the DCAPower.com one. It's $10 cheaper, has more comfortable handles, offers both bottom and top of the keyway tensioners and the picks are, well, good enough. If I'm trying to get someone into picking, this is the kit I recommend with the advice to get the Tuxedo when they get to the point of wanting an EDC. Great additions for the Tuxedo are the top of the keyway tensioners and the TOOOL rakes, which even have the same type of handle compared to the Tuxedo. Super handy!
If you see this, in my opinion they make you pay more by putting too many tension tools in .they should only have three, either twisted or not. So U don’t have to pay for three more of the same tool just for it to be twisted 🤣
Hi Lock Noob ;) like the style you do reviews and you got me intrested in picking locks! the Tuxedo is my choice for a starting kit. i dont want to buy some cheap stuff, and the pocket is very neat. U said that you are going to give it away. Do you like send it to me ? I live in Germany and i´ll pay shipping. Have a great Day !
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![[1591] The Replicant: Pocket Key Casting Perfected!](/img/1.gif)
This was one of my frist sets. I have used it for over 5 years. I have added more picks to the set but its is my everyday carry. I love sparrows. For the price sparrows is the best!!
I agree :-)
Interestingly, you can buy the Sparrows Kickstart kit plus 3 individual picks for the same price as the Tuxedo. The only difference is the case which is about 2/3 of the size. So, if you’re willing to accept the smaller case (both of which will probably be too small as your collection grows) you can have the same number of picks but be able to choose 3 of them. This allows you to add the “Steep Hook” (which solves the lack of a medium hook in the Tuxedo set) and get any other two picks. Or you could even substitute the “Heavy Bars” TOK pry bars for one of the picks for the same price. By going with the Kickstart add-on route you can put together a nicer, semi-customized kit for the same price.
That’s a good idea :-)
Except a newbie won’t know how to make such customizations. That’s the point of a starter kit.
@@k5sss
Exactly, that would be me...a newbie.
I recon this is one of the best starter kits out there. Great steel, great selection of profiles and easily expanded if you get the picking bug :-) Do you agree? Is there a better starter kit Sparrows sell? Let me know in the comments :-) www.sparrowslockpicks.com/product_p/tux1.htm
Lock Noob you haven’t linked the set lol.
I love this kit. I own the Tuxedo Royale (E.U. version). 👍 The only thing I woud like to see in the kit is a handle to insert them into, as they kinda hurt my hands after some time of (ab)use.
Hi Lock noob my name is Tim i am new to lock picking i really dont have the money to start up because i am on Social Security income and disability income so i wanted to know if you could help me out with maybe a tension and a pick if you could help me and i hope you can that would be great please let me know thank you
browntg16 get a job. It’s obvious you can type
@Lorn John, fixed :-)
Bought this set and wrapped them up in some quarter inch heat shrink tubing. They’re perfect. You can even go a step further and add on some of Sparrows’ top of the keyway tension bars and maybe a deep hook once you start venturing into more and more difficult locks.
TOK bars are a great addition :-)
I think the selection in the Tuxedo set is really good for someone getting their first set of quality picks. I would swap the bogey for a worm rake and include a lunatic for high lifts.
I love the Lunatic :-)
@@LockNoob I love the worm ! polished up my sparrows picks including the handle which then smoothly fits southords VG9 grips - good vid. :)
Found your page after stumbling upon locksport from LPL. While i enjoyed watching his bypass techniques i found i liked your videos and reviews so much more.
Just bought this kit with the worm rake and a set of deep hooks and thick tension bars. Also picked up their progressive locks and other kits i saw you reviewed. Used to make hook picks out of bobby pins with wiper blade springs as tensioners as a kid to get into my house. Excited to try real tools and learn to pin locks! Thanks for all the informative content!
Happy picking!!
My first and only pro lockpick set is The Ranger from Sparrows. Excellent kit in a really nice pouch.
If I was to make the purchase all over I would probably choose a different set such as The Vorax.
Having said that though the Ranger is an excellent kit and I will absolutely buy from Sparrows again.
I added the Heavy Bars and the Ultimate Decoder to complete the Ranger kit. Love it.
Great choice :-)
@@LockNoob The choice is made even better when I see professional reviews such as yours. I believe you and some other content creators who shall remain nameless (cough...bill....cough cough lpl) are a strong influence when it comes to purchasing such specialized tools. Thanks!
Most of my picks are Sparrows and I have some Peterson’s too. My personal opinion is that Sparrows is hands down the best kit vs price full stop. I agree too, the city rake is one of my all time favourites and great if you’re starting out and losing heart because you can’t open a lock, fantastic for low security beginner locks. Great review of a very nice kit.
Thank you :-)
I would put marine shrink wrap in the handles, making it more comfy but not too bulky.
Nice touch adding some thrill to the draw...
Yup, good choice for the handles :-)
Great EDC kit. I bought a second Tuxedo case and maxed them both out with a surprisingly complete kit, including some bypass and rapid entry tools, that's very easy to carry in my pocket. I have the Sparrows Wizwazzle (again, with additions) as my desk set because the dipped handles are more comfortable for hours of picking, but I'm going to order a set of Sparrows picks with no handles and 3D print rectangular handles that don't roll in my fingers like the dipped handles do. The Tuxedo picks without handles are great for the smallest full size picks for pocket carry.
All good kits!
I love my Tuxedo. I added a few things, most important a steep hook.
I rarely use my steep hook now I have the Lunatic :-)
This is a good set, covers most beginning needs. I definitely would add the worm rake. For those looking to get into locksport(primarily spp), I'm with Starrylock on the Spirit set. Same price range but with an emphasis on hooks. Sparrows makes great quality picks at a fair price-really hard to beat them👍
I will. Have to check out that Spirit set then! :-)
I was between the Tuxedo and Spirit set. People online seemed to think the Spirit was a bit better since there were less rakes. But I wanted that Coyote Tuxedo case. I buy too many black colored things, wanted to switch it up for once lol. I contacted Sparrow and asked if they could swap out the case on the Spirit set for the Coyote Tux case and put handles on the picks. They were happy to do so for a fair price. Gonna take a little bit longer, but they were great to deal with. Excellent response times too.
Pumped to finally get into this hobby. Seems like such a great thing to do say, at work while you have a little downtime. Just work on trying to get the next lock figured out. Plus one day, it may come in extremely handy.
great kit, got it on your recommendation of starter kits. the 1500s hook actually got me into more difficult keyways I could otherwise not pick, its great!
I do really like this kit. Glad you do too!
I started with the Southord C2010 which is a beautiful set. I wrapped the handles in insulation tape to save blisters. Thanks LockNoob!
That’s a great kit, I still have mine :-)
I have 2 of these, one altered, one stock. The stock one lives in my go - get home bag (I live in shaky southern Califirnia, and yes, I always have a go bag). The altered one is my standard go to pick set,
I have also augmented it with a set of modified heavy bars, and 5 more custom wiper inserts. These "stack" to form "binding" top of keyway wrenches.
All of the .025 picks have been polished to mirror, and reduced to .022 in the process.
I added a dupe set of picks in .015, polished to .014+/-.
Very nice indeed! :-)
I'm a noob, but I've been watching some of Bosnian's and many of your videos and I'm learning a lot. I've avoided ordering anything until I got through videos like this one, and since I'm in Canada I'm now ordering this pick set, with a cut away lock . I think that should be enough to get me started. I'll look into other picks and core disassembly once I gain some experience. I need to buy more locks. 🙂
Good luck!
I got this a while ago. its the tuxedo kit royale in a coyote case and I added two prybars and nothing else yet. it is really a great kit and for a beginner which I am . this kit with a set of prybars and a cut away lock and reload kit I imagine would be a really cheap way to get into lockpicking . they also do have a option for a cut away lock when you buy it and since I already own the sparrows reload kit and the night shcool tuxedo edition its a no brainer to own this kit as a EDC carry as well :)
This was my first proper set - in black - I think it looked great - added worm and top of the keyway set along with the progressive lock set along with other goodies
As my package was heavy customs checked it and charged me extra into the UK
Sounds good! :-)
I like the eod kit. I grabbed the bomba royale so it’s a bit thinner. It sacrifices the offset hybrid, the thin short hook and city rake for a bypass knife, some jiggler bits for wafer locks and an octo rake. I bolstered it with a worm in 15 but that octo rake works a treat in wider key ways. I do think you miss the city rake though and I’d rather have that than the wafer lock bits, which aren’t really up to much in my experience.
I have the EOD as my travel kit :-)
Hi Ash.
I have personally not really looked into this kit.
So thanks for doing this video.
The Orion kit is an add on to this one.
Thanks Pete :-)
I just ordered this set, received it yesterday. I am a complete beginner, so I can't really offer any in-depth opinions on how it compares to other kits, but I can say that all of the tools feel very nice. The steel feels strong and seems to be of good quality. The pouch is actually better than I expected. I was assuming it was going to be a cheaply made, "throw-away" component, but it actually seems quite well made. It has two pockets inside, the stitching seems strong, and the back half has some kind of stiffener sewn into it, to keep things laying flat. I also ordered the 3 pack of transparent practice locks and am looking forward to learning more about lockpicking (enjoying your videos). I can confirm that as of the time of my purchase (March 17, 2022), the purchase price is sitting at $32 USD. They also shipped my order the same day I placed it, which was a really nice surprise. 😃
How long did it take to arrive? It can't be a day can it?
@@user1hdud62htus5 I'm trying to remember, but it's been long enough I can't recall 100% for certain (I order a lot of things online). I do know that I got a shipment confirmation the same day I ordered it, so it was out the door and on the road within hours of me placing my order. I can't remember off the top of my head what method of shipping they used, though. I don't think it was overnight, but I do remember being really surprised at how fast I received it after placing my order. Also... in hind sight I would probably order just one of the transparent practice locks. I've found I have more fun picking Master locks than fiddling with those clear ones, although they are very good at giving you a visual of what's happening inside when you pick. I've gotten to where I can usually pick a standard laminated Master lock in under a minute. Sometimes there's still a bit of luck involved, I'm no pro... but after using this kit for half a year, I would still recommend it. It's sturdy and seems to have a great selection of picks and tensioners for the price.
I recently purchased the Tuxedo set.. my initial thoughts are they seem like good steel, I'm not a fan of the case it seems rather flimsy with the nylon internal compared to another I have. The picks are nice but very thin on the handles being single layer (order it with the factory rubber grips!) I did a dip on mine to make handles and now I struggle with them in the case, it is very tight. The tension wrenches are nice, I like the twist handles as they give great feedback. The odd part to me here is that rather than various thicknesses for different keyways they are all the same with various widths and the short end is not notched out for top of keyway.. I will be modifying this. The other thing on those is the edges are not finished at all so are quite sharp (Not really a good thing for a nylon case!) I will be tweaking them a bit... but overall a great set for the money. I have a "generic" set that I picked up at Blackhat.. (anyone know what brand they sold?) they came in a blue tube, but are sandwiched handles and the tension wrenches are very well finished! I'm very new so take my thought with a large grain of salt.. lol Happy picking people!!
It's nice to see a case that isn't black. I could live with a kit like that after adding some TOK prybars. I really like my S rake, city rake, Bogota, and my hooks. I initially liked the half diamonds but I got over that pretty quick and I'm not sure why I liked them so much in the first place. I'm going to have to try some type of offset diamond. I hear good things about those.
Some people swear by the offset diamond :-)
Sick!! I ordered mine a few days ago, along with the flatbar knurls for top of the keyway tension. Can’t wait. Wish I had it the other day as my kids locked themselves in a room at their grandma’s. I was about to break the door down to get in but their aunt showed up with a key just in time.
That’s was lucky :-)
Really liked your idea about the top of the keyway modification for the "zed" wrench.
won mine from Bill, been in my lunch bag for a couple of years now, great for bike locks.
Lucky!
Great review! I never finish my sparrows picks, don't think they need it.
Me neither :-)
It’s a great kit to start.
Then as you say, you can add picks or top of the keyway wrenches in the future.
Indeed :-)
Started off with the tuxedo, but have modified it so much it's unrecognisable. It's at least double in price for whats been added. But it goes with me, everywhere i go.
Cool :-)
@Carin Hall I added a worm rake and a double peek for a start, then went on to add a knife shank, warded picks, then added the medusa sandman and octo rake. Then added the mini jim. After that I added up the cost to approx $120.00ish Obviously you cant carry everything in the tuxedo, but I wanted to be able to take a crack at most things I ran across in the field. Oh and almost forgot added top of the keyway heavy bars too.
Bosnianbill has a awesome video recently called a preppers kit, try to find that vid, its pretty good.
@Carin Hall get the Octo rake too I love mine.
looks nice, myself i went for the ghost pro by madbob to start with after my homemade stuff
That’s a good kit :-)
Just bought this kit. Enjoying your channel. This looks like a fun relaxing hobby
It is!
Twists are good. I make twists on every tensioner I make myself. I find picking spools being much easier if you have some flex in the BOK tensioner. However, it's not a big deal really. The big deal is if they grab the body and prevents turning the core or not. Perhaps a video about customizing tips (tapering etc) for bottom of the keyway tensioners so you don't have to go to the top of keyway tensioners (pry bars) with is MUCH harder for newbies on free hand. Nice review by they way.
Thanks! And good idea :-)
I live in Aus and this helps alot because not many kits are made here so they are always expensive in shipping but this is still cheaper then the knock offs
I do not yet have any picks, but I think this would be a good place to start, except, I would also like to have the "top of the keyway" tension wrench.
I started myself with a tuxedo kit but I started my girlfriend with the Gotham kit and I think the Gotham is a better kit if you're going to expand and The tuxedo is better for an everyday carry typekit I still have my tuxedo in my pocket today just with way more stuff in it
Tha Gotham is a good choice too :-)
I don't think there's a kit on the market that has everything a starter/intermediate picker needs at that price point, but that kit comes very close, really good starter base or even an EDC.
I agree :-)
I agree, great starter kit. But if you want something with a bit more style and comfort go for the Dark Shift or if you are specifically into raking the Creeper set would be good. This is just a few choices from the Sparrows lineup, there are other manufacturers making comparable products.
The dark shift is very good :-)
Great review I've thought about buying one but I think I want a little bigger set, I still want one just to have it
We are lucky to have so many great choices :-)
Very nice review, i usually say the best starter kit is the dangerfield praxis kit but this is deffently also a great set
Agreed
That’s a good kit too :-)
Awesome video mate. The tuxedo is great for big key way American locks. I like the tuxedo royale for a slightly narrower key way.
Thanks :-)
That’s an awesome little starter kit, Sparrows small kits are some of the best for beginners I think. Or a few picks from Law Lock Tools 😁
My first Sparrows kit was the Dark Shift, and I still love it. It has some of those profiles in the tuxedo, but also has the sandman, a twin peak bogie and a worm. And rather than BOK tensioners, it has TOK. I love the handle profiles too, as you’ve maybe seen in my own picks. It also comes in a grey case which I think looks best 😉😁🥚
Dark shift is a good choice too - not to sold on the Sandman though :-)
Lock Noob I completely agree, the Sandman hasn’t actually done anything for me, they could’ve put a deeper hook in its place and that would’ve pretty much sorted the kit 😁🥚
I am thinking about getting this kit and adding a worm rake. Thanks for the video
Worm rake it ps a great profile :-)
the offset hybrid became probably my favourite pick from sparrows !
I don’t really use it but I know a lot of people that love it :-)
I like straight tension wrenches, personal preference. Nice kit no thrown in stuff you don’t need. Can always get the picks you don’t need later right?
Yup, can expand as your interest deepens :-)
I have bought from Sparrows and I find the price of their picks affordable, good value and decent quality. The postage bumps up the cost a bit so take that into account. Oh and watch out for (if you are outside Canada) IR assault on your wallet. Although most times it passes through without issue.
I don't have this kit but it looks well thought out. Sure we can all suggest what we prefer and would add. But let's face it, as it stands it will get you into a lot of locks.
Great review by the way Lock Noob.
Thanks Roy! Don’t get me started on customs changes, lol :-)
Noob here. I have this set and opened my first M5 with it. However, I wish the handles were a tad thicker like Covert instruments.
A little shrink tube really helps
Great review! 👍 I started out with Southord, got some Dangerfield stuff, but I'd love to get into Sparrows.
Worth trying a pick or two and seeing what you think :-)
So I would have to say my favorite tool in the Half diamond
Some love it!
Looks like a very nice lock pick set. Can't believe your going to MAKE US watch more of you're video's to get in the drawing! LOL Keep them coming....
I know. I’m a bad man, lol :-)
It would be great if they put some kind of marking on the handles rather than leaving them blank, otherwise a neat kit!
A little shrink tube helps :-)
Nice video. I almost got a bad lock pick set but your videos saved me. I almost got those trash gosu 24 lock pick set. Thanks for the help 🙏 just subbed
Great to hear!
i think city rake, tripple rake, , the two short hooks and 1 of each tension wrench is all that is really needed in a basic set the extra stuffs nice. the problem with this set is they are bare and don't have the dipped handles. the spirit set same price $32usd is better no?
The spirit set is great too :-)
This Set looks decent for Beginners 👍
I think so :-)
I have the tuxedo case don't care for there picks so I have 2 standard Peterson hooks one in 0.25 and one in 0.18 and two Peterson gems in the same measurements. And a bogie and one sparrows worm.
The Peterson mayor kit is a really great starter kit.
Peterson make great picks, but they are too bulky for most European keyways :-)
Great review Ash my friend😎👍🇬🇧😊
Thanks Leon :-)
This is actually a great set, I sent one to a friend and he really enjoyed it as well. Thanks again LN, your friend LLP :)
LegalLockPicker
I do like it very much. 🙏🏻🙏🏻😁😁
Lucky friend! :-)
This was my very first kit and I carry it everyday along with every other non handle pick sparrows has in all three thicknesses. I added a few top of key tools as well but, they all fit nicely.
Nice mods :-)
Ofc it adds to the flex. Your now bending on the thickness of the tension tool instead of the whole width.
Yes :-)
I agree with your comments. That's my "go to" set!
(pressed reply too soon) I also added 3 modified rakes, various mods, and one custom reverse City Rake.
Nice additions :-)
You convinced me I just bought mine
I just purchased this because of you! I was wondering, where is this made?
Not sure, but I’d guess Canada for the picks.
I really love these lock picks but after over 10 minutes my hands start to really hurt from the thin metal as handles any recommendations do make it more comfortable?
I like my multipick
Multipick make great sets :-)
I have one of these that I won, nice as a backup!
Wow! That’s awesome, it’s a great kit :-)
I've got the Tuxedo Royale. It's the heart of my lockpick set. I just like using .20 picks whenever possible.
I have not grinded down the Z wrenches, but I do bend all free ends of my L wrenches in a same way (it has no use otherwise). It gives me more feedback then the regular TOK tensioners.
Btw do you know why we don't call them Center (or 'Middle' to avoid people being offended by the abbreviation) of the Keyway, and Rim of the Keyway?
This would resolve the whole orientation matter imho.
We should use ‘pin-side’ is think instead of TOK, what do you recon? :-)
@@LockNoob Indeed! I was overthinking it 😆
This revolution's got to start somewhere, so if you lead the path 👍🏻
I suggest Sparrows DARKSHIFT kit!
Nice kit :-)
It’s got all the rakes and hooks a beginner could need. Plus the Tron. It could use another hook a little steeper though
That is exactly the kind of top of the keyway tensioners I have made out of hairpins.
On another note, I think it's time for me to start using profesional tools like this kit instead of using improvised tools.
If you like the hobby, buying some good tools can go a long way :-)
I’m kinda new to lock picking but doesn’t it feel uncomfortable to pick with a thin piece of metal without any handle/confort?
As a beginner in the UK would you be better off getting this version or the Royale?
Why don't I want to use the 15 thousands pick until I'm more experienced? I was thinking of getting the tuxedo royal where (almost) all are 15 thousands because I'm in Europe. Is that a bad idea?
For most beginners, yes. Definitely for me when I started. Most (but not all) new and beginner pickers tend to use a lot of forever on the lock picks and at that thinness, they would be very prone to deforming. That’s why I recommend 0.025 to begin with.
I heard that the comb pick and the jaby thingy where really useful so do you think I should get those as well?
I’m getting ready to order the Tuxedo Nightschool set. Adding core trainer, reload kit, and master key pinning kit. Is there any additional lock picks or tools you’d recommend for someone that works in a US based commercial building with Yale, Schlage, Best commercial locks and some Kwikset and other residential interior locks? Like the mentioned worm, medium or deep hook? In what application would I need something like the tiller or lunatic? Hoping to use these as training tools for my engineers and pull locksmithing in house vs vendor. Thanks!!
I do like Sparrows kits ;-)
Me too :-)
The handles look painful....but that can be fixed. Unlike my arthritis.
They do benefit from a little shrink tube :-)
Is it normal to get slight bends in the picks
Nice review! :D :D Don't you find the springy tensioners (ones with a twist) dampen feedback?
A little. I don’t tend to use them for that reason :-)
Being new to all of this.
I find the Sparrow kit uncomfortable.
Because I'm new, it takes me longer to pick most locks and I try to practice every day for an hour or two two.
The handles are so thin they hurt my fingers and ehen jands get tired (with arthritis) they get harder to manipulate.
Would love to win, what a great prize.
QUESTION: Does anyone know if there is beginner manual of sort to purchase, or does Sparrow provide one?
Nice starterset, sparrows allways great
Agreed! :-)
This is a great starter kit and also a great emergency set to have stashed away for emergency situations. I have it 👍🤘🖖🍻
I like the idea of an emergency stash kit :-)
I’m trying to convince myself I didn’t make a mistake by ordering the euro version which is .015 except the short hook which is .020, so far I haven’t been able to open anything
Yeah. The 0.015 are great… in some situations only. Most of my main picks are between 0.020” and 0.025”
@@LockNoob after a few more days of getting to grips with them I’ve managed to open the majority of my locks with ease, some of which were a real pain originally with my other pick sets so they’ve earned a place in my collection. I think I was just a little too scared to break them.
I keep looking at this kit, I like the case and it's not heavy on rakes like a lot of beginner kits. Personally I like the gray case.
Choices, choices :-)
i love my Tuxedo set and it was the first set I ever bought. However, that was, to my mind, a mistake. The Tuxedo is great and makes up the backbone of my EDC even years later but, if you're looking for a true beginner pick set, I'd look at the DCAPower.com one. It's $10 cheaper, has more comfortable handles, offers both bottom and top of the keyway tensioners and the picks are, well, good enough. If I'm trying to get someone into picking, this is the kit I recommend with the advice to get the Tuxedo when they get to the point of wanting an EDC.
Great additions for the Tuxedo are the top of the keyway tensioners and the TOOOL rakes, which even have the same type of handle compared to the Tuxedo. Super handy!
They are very nice, but a little bulky. Good handles though as you say :-)
@@LockNoob Exactly, great for a beginner set, less good for EDC. Though I still have some of their hooks in my bigger kit. Those things last!
If you see this, in my opinion they make you pay more by putting too many tension tools in .they should only have three, either twisted or not. So U don’t have to pay for three more of the same tool just for it to be twisted 🤣
lol
Great video!)
nice review nice kit
Thanks :-)
very nice great price
Thanks :-)
Nice review Ash.
Thanks :-)
Mmm, Sparrows. :)
Lol, I love ‘em :-)
LOL Great review bro
Thanks Iggy :-)
Hi Lock Noob ;) like the style you do reviews and you got me intrested in picking locks! the Tuxedo is my choice for a starting kit. i dont want to buy some cheap stuff, and the pocket is very neat. U said that you are going to give it away. Do you like send it to me ? I live in Germany and i´ll pay shipping. Have a great Day !
you can email me ~julianbohme21@gmail.com~ :)
Good tools.
Indeed :-)
Still giving away the set?
Salut can you please send me the web site 👍or how can i by the toxido picks merci sir
link is in the description
Nice pick set maybe wouldn’t be good for me with sausage fingers
Maybe a bit of marine shring wrap would help? :-)
;
Sorry I don't own any Tux Suits