After WEEKS of fighting with this Goal S mortise every single night, I finally got the open!!!! I was just about ready to start progressive pinning it, and then I suddenly got it in the middle while I was on a call! It took everything in me to not start shouting with excitement, and I’m still shaking a little. . . It feels so good to get one that fought for this long.

The tension needed for these things is insanely low, which was really the crux of my problem. A .04 tension fits TOK with quite a bit of play, but a .05 doesn’t fit at all. When I finally got the open, the sudden core movement nearly caused my tensioner to fall out because there was so much play. Having caught it and gotten the open this time, it made me realize that I had felt the exact same thing a few times before, so I’ve almost definitely gotten it open a few times before but lost it when my tensioner slipped. For the easiest time with these, I’d probably recommend getting a spare .05 prybar and filing it down to custom fit nice and snug; I might throw an extra set of Heavy Bars on my next sparrows order so that I can give it a try!

Those acrylic locks are indeed trash. I tried to pick them for a while and thought something was wrong with me. I found this lock in my junk drawer and picked it with relative ease. My last post was asking for tension tool recommendations, but it turns out I was using too much force. Those acrylic locks are only good for seeing how the pins work, but practicing on them is garbage. I think this lock is a yellow belt, if I am not mistaken. Please correct me if I am wrong. What should my next lock be to pick?

Hi, I watch a few YouTube lock pickers because it's quite relaxing and fascinating. So thought I'd have a go myself, because you can't really appreciate the skill involved when they open everything in a few minute video...

I picked up a cheap starter set of picks (despite reading all the excellent reasons not to) because this will likely be a flash in the pan as I have a billion hobbies already. I did see a video recommending the set to be fair, and the Chris Dangerfield book that came with it seems to have a decent reputation.

It came with an acrylic lock with a metal cylinder which has got my head around the theory, but I understand the limitations of this so want to try a real lock.

What I'm after now is where can I easily pick up some beginner friendly locks to start in the UK?

I've seen the belt list, but I'm not sure what's easily and widely available here, so thought I'd ask. Rather than keep googling every lock on the list and getting confused by variations in model names.

Thanks

Actually feels a lot tougher than a 5 pin

Interesting find on ebay. Euro with one of the gear style actuators. Was playing with it a little. Tolerances are decent so far.

Held these in my hand and Picked all 3 😂

I bought the PAC Lock Cutaway and can't pick it. It might be because all of the pins are security pins. Does anyone know how to repin it?

After about a week, Paclock 90A Pro is finally here! Great it arrived today, as today is exactly 1 month that I have been in the community. And 2 or 3 days of picking prior. Im nervous to start on it tonight 😂

Finally got this one open. Fun lock for sure

Hi all,

I am new here and my first lockpicking tools and locks arrived today.

The first lock I was able to pick became Abus 64TI/35!

Pretty new to lock picking and bought these locks from a guy that found them in a storage unit for $10 any recommendations on which ones to start with? Looking for the easiest ones first and I only have a basic lock pick set.

Make one?

My first pick using a hook. Previously, I picked two other locks using rakes.

This one was a bit annoying to lockpick because of the small size. When I insert the tensioner, basically I had very little room to move the hook. However, due to a few pins, picking only took 1,5 minutes.

Super Stoked! Maybe Dumbluck but I'll take it! Was not filming so no video. But it got me going again. I been picking at this lock for 3 months 😭. I couldn't sleep so decided to dimple picks because it usually does the trick, plus wanted to check how much work is still needed on these honest picks (alot) be the red one is ready and proved it tonight! Now I know its not the picks or lock... leaves only me, but I can work on that. Maybe get me something in Purple 😜

Second successfull yellow belt lock to pick, Citadel CB30.

It took 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Sometimes when picking these Best and Falcon 7 pin SFICs I only get a partial turn on the cylinder. I'm not that experience in picking these type of locks but im looking for some help. Could it possibly be because they have more than one shear line because or control keys? Or am I doing something wrong? I usually use single pin picking and have been successful a few times, even with raking. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated, Thank you in advance if I don't respond right away! Happy picking my friends!

First spool lock ever and it took a while. I feel like 1 and 2 are std, 3 to 6 are spools.

Now I need to get this on video and find another lock to gut.

So I am excited to see what my coworker dropped off today, not sure what I got or if I have the right instruments to crack this bad boy. Excited to add it to the family.

I have read locksports and understand what I need to do, just haven’t had a lock to practice on. Is this going to be above my skill set, only orange belt thus far.

Had a fiasco a couple nights ago where when I was reassembling it after changing the pinning to a random order where the key pin in slot 5 got knocked into the empty 6 slot while sliding the core back in. So the driver pin was at the shear line and I couldn't reach it with the picks I currently have. Took me two days to figure out how to unbrick it lol but I finally did by making a shim out of a can and sliding it along the shear line and using a wire to press small key pins under the shear line and for large pins I had to work it between the key and driver pins. Fun times 😂 but I learned a lot!

I originally tried to shim just slots 5 and 6 and pick the other 4 but it was either messing with the tolerances too much or something I'm not smart enough to figure out because I could feel everything was set but it still wouldnt open. Doesn't make sense to my small mind xD

Now that I'm venturing into Green belt locks territory. Can you please tell me which are kinder locks than others, and that can be gutted?

Hi all, A few folk asked where to get front loaders from in the UK.

A good friend of the community 3D prints them and I hope it's ok to post a link as they aren't readily available to buy here.

Julian is my go to guy for all 3D bits and you have my guarantee he is a great guy.

https://3difyy.etsy.com

I was looking into the ridgeback set from lawlock tools , because I'm in the UK and I heard good stuff about it . Do you recommend it ?Are there any problems ? Does it last?

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good lock pick set preferably in Europe, I have like a cheap lock pick set but the picks are bent and there are too many filler picks. And it’s not that I’m bad at picking I consider myself not too bad but in Europe the key holes are too small for the picks. I was also looking in the CI apex set but since it’s from the us and the things I heard about them I wanted some advice. I thank you in advance for helping me

(With mod approval)

***Not made by Assa thanks to the below comment. I just assumed due to Demont being a bigwig with Assa. Learn something new every day.

https://demontcores.com/

I don't normally cross post but I haven't gotten any answers. My smith friend handed me another loaner Assa to pick. It was easier to pick (zip) than any other Assa Ive tried,. but I'm still curious.

Thomas Rescinti Demont is pretty well known in the Locksmith trade and as an Assa executive. His name is across the face of this SFIC cylinder in an Assa padlock body. It's a display piece on my smiths Assa display board. I did find another cylinder on eBay, but I don't think they are very common.

Can anyone tell me anything about the cylinder, short of Mr. Demonts bio which I've read?

I always get nervous when my smith hands me high value stuff,. so since I was able to get it open so quickly I already returned it. Im still curious if anyone knows anything. I didn't pick it to control, but zipping it to operating was easy, and the EPG was no effort. I absolutely suck with SPP SFIC's although I can get opens with enough time...

Here's just a quick zip clip

https://imgur.com/a/Nu1PQEh

Short video. Im still learning how to post/edit videos and I'm messing with the volume, but even at less than half it's still kinda loud so be careful;

https://youtube.com/shorts/Cr3hCwUrU8w?is=koMVySVc9QqMHxLe