Top 10 Picking Kit New Pickers Should Avoid

Don’t get me wrong, I personally don’t regret buying any of this kit... now, but I did for a while and you might too as a new picker 😀 Do you agree with my choices? Do you disagree? Have I missed something? Let me know in the comments! 👍😃💪

Remember: only pick locks that are yours and that are not in use! Keep locksport legal!

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[Don-uioz]

I’ve been a locksmith for ~35yrs and have picked hundreds of thousands of locks. I use a diamond pick, rake and set the lock then spp the rest.
I’ve recently (6 weeks or so) happened across your channel and begun to develop my spp, using a hook.
I am currently stuck on a Sargent by Assa Abloy 6 pin that I can open in seconds using my established technique but cannot yet open using spp.
Thank you for your content and will continue to watch and learn.

[fishpicks]

A useful public service announcement here which will no doubt save some lockpickers money and buyer’s remorse! The pattern seems to be - ‘don’t buy low skill, situation specific tools’. Instead, invest in a smaller number of good quality rakes and picks which will allow for skill progression over time. 🙌 My purchase regrets are thankfully quite limited so far - perhaps a ring tensioner which I don’t tend to use.

[serenestateofbeing]

I remember almost 9 years ago I wanted those comb picks. You won't stop me now! I've used them before and they work absolute wonders!

[spacejaga]

Absolutely agreed on every single thing. I would even go as far as saying newbies should avoid anything made "portable", like the credit card sized set or the pick sets combined in the "Swiss army knife" style contraption (like LPL has released) cause those might be practical once in a lifetime, but they require much higher base skill level to use because using them is very hard and it sacrifices a lot of feel...
God this came out all Chinese English like :D

[auroran]

I don't regret buying it, but I knew the Sparrows disc pick would be overkill at my limited experience.

[norwegiangadgetman]

I bought a set of 'no name' picks off of Deviant Ollam at a Lockpicking Village he organised at a HackCon in Oslo probably a decade ago. Other than that, I've only bought a pair of tubular picks(the second because I broke the first. Chinesium... ) and I bought the tubulars to recover some PCs and other equipment from an office where someone had thought it a good idea to lock everything down and hide the keys, then went and retired... I could probably have picked those tubulars the oldfashioned way, but I was lazy... Since the first lock broke, I used a bolt cutter on the wire in order to clean out the office. Then removed the locks later when the replacement pick arrived.
HackCon is a small IT security con and the press is normally not welcome, so a lot of 'not entirely white' stuff is often demonstrated live.

[RenneVangr]

My first lockpicks were from a locksmith, he was very interested in lockpicking and made his own picks.
I lost them when I moved country, such a big loss.
This was around 1990, I chose the picks over a mobile phone. It was worth it.

[ivanmoody]

I'm in my forties and I just started lockpicking I get real enjoyment out of picking open a lock do I plan to make a career or money from it absolutely not ..but it is enjoyable thanks to people's videos like this guy

[matthewspenser]

After my locksmith training I was guilty of buying some of these, to this day I’m yet to use some. Also never actually found a tubular lock that any of mine fit. Great video

[j.gabriel]

The cheap picks got me started, got hooked that way. Went a little crazy on buying some sets though, 20 something piece south ord, law lock valerian, Sparrows ssdev .015, sliver .012, dark shift with add on, the disc detainer, Multipick elite 9, Abona and Monolith, among other pics... Safe to say I've lost my marbles but got into an interesting hobby! It's definitely fun if you get bitten by the bug. I may have went a bit overboard, but I don't regret it either! Great information sir! Stay safe and well friend! Hope you have a great weekend 👍

[dictatinghistory]

I was expecting something like "don't get these cheap kits" but this is way more useful. A cheap kit, like goso for example, is a good way to get started with easy locks. Then when you get more experience, invest in better and more basic tools instead of fancy and sometimes expensive specialty tools.

[mumblesjustin]

I personally feel Tubular lock picks and comb picks to be used quite frequently in day to day uses. Such as when coworker forgets keys to toolbox or go to pick up a trailer and no one knows where the key is.

So those two types of picks may not be used regularly in the lock sport. But definitely makes life easier.

[darkmann]

ahh! the hands are in a different position!

[mutasimaldory]

I loved my tubular picks, it was my absolute f**k you to wheel clampers when they were what was on the lock...fun times! 🤪

[The_Doc_Rocks]

@Lock Noob - great video!! I might also add to that list things like Lishi tools. So many people don't realise that they are keyway-specific, and that you need several different Lishi tools, all at about $60-80US each (even more in our Australian dollars).

[David-pbzv]

Sad thing is that I started off with a good few of these sets when I started. It was Raimundo’s Bogotas that set me on a success path

[saschaschneider]

I've bought 3 of those, but I was aware of the shortcomings and bought that stuff regardless. It's all on the cheaper side and might come in handy some day. But thanks for the reminder to finally modify my Chinese disc detainer picks...

[PeregrineBF]

I tend to follow a simple buying strategy: Buy something cheap (but not totally awful) to see if it's something I like and will use. If it is, upgrade to the best I can get.

So I started with a cheap Chinese pick set (Honest brand). I quickly decided I like picking, so I got a Multipick Elite Dual Gauge set, which has been serving me well. Some of the Chinese picks still came in handy, since they're pretty easy to grind down into being probes. So I wouldn't say I regret the purchase, even if I no longer use it in its original configuration.

[MyTubeUtoo]

Very good video. I almost bought nearly all of those items. Thankfully I realized I'd probably never use most of them and passed. I did by a cheap Chinese disc detainer, but I don't regret that, especially after ordering some fantastic tips for it. Thanks.

[EdocDab]

Yeah, same experience here for a number of these. It would have been cheaper to learn from this video than buying them. Thanks for this and hopefully it will reach enough new pickers in time🤞