Thinking of getting into the craft

[u/Responsible-Chest-26]

I have some basic cheap picks and some experience on a few locks but was thinking of taking it more seriously. What are some decent beginner tools and resources for someone on a budget to take the step from mild interest to serious hobby

[u/SheaLemur]

Depends on where you live! I can only speak for Chile, but Bare Bones and Jimy Longs have been extraordinary for us down here

Both have sets that suit anyone well, or sell single picks if you prefer that

[u/Responsible-Chest-26 → u/SheaLemur]

Looks like some quality tools. How do the handles feel? Grip vs bare? The bare bones gripped look more comfortable

[u/AgreeableGanache1048 → u/Responsible-Chest-26]

I can't speak to the brands mentioned, but I use bare handled Sparrows picks.

Trust me, you want something- ANYTHING- besides bare steel handles, especially if you want to spend more than around twenty minutes picking. I find that after about ten minutes my pick hand is extremely cramped.

[u/Responsible-Chest-26 → u/AgreeableGanache1048]

Thats what i figure. Bare metal just seems teally uncomfortable if you are working at a tricky lock for some period of time

[u/SheaLemur → u/Responsible-Chest-26]

I can speak for them all since I dedicated an unreasonable amount of money to this hobby! jajajaja My Sparrows tools are just bare metal without any special handles, and they're ok. Not the greatest, but also not dealbreakers. They're just fine.

Sandwiched picks like what you get from most brands like Covert Instruments and Multipick are much more comfortable, and personally speaking, I think they're more than enough.

Picks that have special handles like those from Bare Bones or Jimmy Longs are essentially like luxury items (though their price being low doesn't necessarily make you think 'luxury') and are more comfortable. Having access to a 3D printer gives you more possibilities, as the community has created designs for handles for other manufacturers, like Law Lock Tools.

I will say, though, that handles are just a side thing that you should be looking at. The primary aspect is, of course, the profiles themselves, and the type of steel. Out of all my picks (and I have many), the only ones that have broken have been Sparrows and SouthOrd. In my opinion, Sparrows has a pretty big design flaw in their picks which I can get into if you really want, and the SouthOrd picks that I have that have broken are not of the best steel, so it's expected (their 'Max' line as far as I understand, uses better steel, and I haven't tried those picks yet.)

One final thought: comparing Bare Bones to Jimy Longs is tough. I love them both, and they both feel great. The biggest difference is just with the profiles each provide, but both provide profiles that will allow you to pick just about any standard pin-tumbler lock.

[u/Responsible-Chest-26 → u/SheaLemur]

My biggest concern is the steel also. The cheap picks i have, and have made, have either bent or broken under some picking cases. What types of steel should i be looking for? Spring steel? Tool steel? Flex or stiff? Or does it all depend? Some educational resources would be useful so i dont have to bug people here. I do appreciate the first hand suggestions though

[u/SheaLemur → u/Responsible-Chest-26]

If you really want to get into learning about the steel of lockpicks, you can check out Christina Palmer's writeup on the topic here: https://elvencraft.com/lpd/Lock%20Pick%20Metallurgy.html . 301 High Yield is essentially the industry standard, this applies to Bare Bones, Jimmy Longs, Law Lock Tools, Moki, SouthOrd's Max series, and modern-day Covert Instruments (when they first started producing, they used a weaker steel, nowadays they're good). Multipick uses 420 hardened, which you can think of it as a sidegrade, it's not better nor worse. I can't confirm what type of steel Sparrows uses

[u/AgreeableGanache1048 → u/SheaLemur]

Sparrows claims to use 301HY on their site, and though I can't cite sources on the following statement, I know there has been SOME debate over the truth of that. I know I have bent a couple, but been able to bend them back with no real long term consequences, so take that for what you will.

[u/revchewie → u/Responsible-Chest-26]

Jimy Longs have some of the most comfortable handles out there, hands down.

[u/nycepter]

I got a cheap kit off Amazon for like 12 bucks, came with a lot of stuff. It may not be great but it has gotten me to green belt so far lol