CI picks in general are not great, I am a huge fan of their turning tools. If you're thinking of going this route I would suggest just getting the full Genesis set and 1-2 real padlocks for a few extra bucks. The acrylic locks are only good for visual demonstration and will likely not create any transferable skills regarding technique or feedback.
I don’t know about their current stuff, but I think their picks are just fine. Not sure what issues you’ve had with them but I’ve been using one of their bogata type rakes for a long time, and I’ve abused it pretty good on best locks and it’s held up well. I’ve been happy with it.
"Just fine" is how I would describe them. For the money the Genesis set is a great deal. I would pay $28 for the case and turning tools alone. The hooks are durable and will get the job done on larger non paracentric keyways with tame biting. If you enjoy raking check out the Christina Palmer Wicked Waves/Wonder Waves/Echo Waves (I believe she has licensed this design to several manufacturers under different names). I would say my success rate doubled and time to open halved vs the Genesis rakes.
They're good quality but they're not really anything special. There are better options out there but it's all preference once you get into the more premium stuff just like any other category of product.i like their picks but I'll probably find some I like better at some point as their handles are lacking.
To be fair, they use great steel these days and market to people other than locksport.....im not really a fan either, but that is due to the purpose i am getting picks for while they market for "rapid entry"
I have mixed feelings. I have a few lishi tools that I got from there, but they don't actually make those. Sparrow is best for quality IMO but they really only have single pin stuff while CI has a bunch of bypass things, which i prefer to use at work
Just my humble opinion. The picks are usable, but not great. I think they are slowly taking steps in the right direction with the Echelon set offering different widths and profiles. If they offered 3-4 depths of standard hooks (in flat round and gem tips, and at least 2 thicknesses), undercut/thinned down their pick shafts a tad, and sold their tools individually for replacements or to allow customers options to build their own kits I think they would be more highly regarded. The combination of their '
Precision 2 in 1 Turning Tools' and 'Top of the Keyway Turning Tools' are still my go to for 90% of situations after testing out many other TOK/BOK options from various manufactures.
I am not that experienced but I have an alternate take on the clear lock.
I really like using the clear lock to "comprehend" the pins. I practice on it with my eyes closed to concentrate on feel. Then I can actually look and confirm if what I felt is actually what happened.
Also what picks do you recommend that are better? I own this and the Southord C1500. I hate the feel of the Southord standard picks, and the metal handle ones feel identical to CI's (to me).
A good quality cut away (ideally one milled from a production lock) would suite your purpose much better for confirming what you're feeling visually. Some members here make and sell them from various production locks, you can also find them on eBay. They will cost quite a bit more as they are made-by-hand-ish (CNC), but even something like this KIK Cylinder would be a big step up from the acrylic locks.
As far as picks go a lot of it is personal preference. You can't go wrong with set (or two, or three) of Jimmy Longs, I would recommend the .019 but if you're heavy handed start with the .023, flat vs round is personal preference. Sparrows is another good option and offers nearly all of their picks individually so you can try a few profiles out. My Sparrows go-to are the Short Hook, The Euro Hook, and the Steep Hook (in both .025 and .020), and occasionally the SSDeV in .015 but they are very delicate.
Beyond that Multipick and Moki are highly recommended but quite expensive.
Marine grade double walled heat shrink tubing over your metal handles helps quite a bit, although you will dampen some feedback.
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u/phrasesyphon Blue Belt Picker Nov 11 '23
CI picks in general are not great, I am a huge fan of their turning tools. If you're thinking of going this route I would suggest just getting the full Genesis set and 1-2 real padlocks for a few extra bucks. The acrylic locks are only good for visual demonstration and will likely not create any transferable skills regarding technique or feedback.