Many of us entering the world of Lock picking are looking to buy their first set of lock picks, however, the mass number of products flooding the market can sometimes seem daunting. On top of that do we really need all these picks? Do we really need to throw down $100 on a “quality” set of picks or can we obtain a functional lock pick set cheap? If you have read my last post “What Are All These Picks For,” you will know to successfully pick most locks, we only need a few primary picks. So what is the ideal budget lock pick set? Let’s take a look! Let’s Talk Locks A lock pick set should be designed around the type of lock you want to compromise. There is a total of 11 different types of locks you could possibly encounter in North American. They are: Combination Locks Disc Detainer Locks Electromagnetic Locks Electronic Locks Lever Locks Magnetic Locks Pin Tumbler Locks (Pin Tumbler Locks Have Many Sub-Categories) Side-Bar Locks Wafer Locks Warded Locks Car Locks (Car Locks Have Many Sub-Categories) Note: Paracentric locks are not on this list because there is no such thing. There are only paracentric keyways. A pin tumbler can have a paracentric keyway and still be a pin tumbler lock. However, the fact is 90% of all North American residential and commercial locks are pin tumbler locks. So when you are being offered a $150 pick set with 50 different lock picks inside it, chances are it’s just 50 lock picks designed to open one type of lock… the pin tumbler lock. So that’s potentially 48 lock picks that are not needed and are just added fluff to your set! There are very few pick sets that actually offer tools that open multiple styles of locks, and the ones that do cost in excess of $200-$500, and rightfully so as they implement special tools for certain high-security features. But even taking a closer look, those sets just include tools used for bypassing or for destructive entry only. They rarely include any tools for actual surreptitious entry or anything that can manipulate the key pins covertly beyond what the basic pin tumbler lock pick can do. Before I can go further, we must establish what a high-security lock is and isn’t. A lock with special pins, such as spool pins or mushroom pins, is not a high-security lock. It is just a lock with added security pins. The lock is no different by design or function. An actual high-security lock will have added security features such as a slider or finger pins, a side bar, rotating pins, and so on. These are actual physical changes in the design and function of a traditional pin tumbler lock, thus qualifying it as high security and even giving it a UL rating in some cases. Some of these locks do require special tools to manipulate those features, but those tools are not lock picks. They are usually special tension wrenches, probes, small “jack knives,” or special dimple picks called “Flags”. These tools do not look like a lock pick, nor function as one. So once again, 90% of all residential and commercial locks do not need these special tools to be compromised. However, then again 10% do. With that being said, there are only 2 methods of attack when utilizing lock picks on non-high security pin tumbler locks; single pin picking and raking. Therefore, there is no need for 50 lock picks. There is only a need for a pick and a rake. However not all pin tumblers have the same size keyway or the same shape of keyway. Some are downright nasty looking and can require thinner tools for the job. But those thinner tools require a thinner touch. When you’ve found the two picks you like the best and have used them for a period of three months, consider investing in another 2 picks with a thinner gauge metal than your previous pair. This will help with those pesky devil locks. The average North American Pin Tumbler Lock Pick will be 0.025 thick. However steel manufacturers have up to 0.002 tolerances, so you could get picks that are considered “standard” sized at 0.023-0.027 thick. That is fine. North American key ways are HUGE by comparison with European or Japanese locks. So your first set should be in that range. Your second set should be in the 0.015 to 0.020 size range. Common ‘Slim’ or ‘Slender’ lock picks are sold in 0.015 and 0.018 sizes. There was once a 0.014 thick line of picks offered by Peterson, but everyone complained so they didn’t last a full year to my knowledge. Now onto to our choices for a budget lock pick set. Budget Lock Pick Set First I will just come out and just say what I think you should get as a beginner on a budget. Buy these 3 items, and you’re pretty much set for life! Short Hook Pick with Metal Handle Bogota Style Rake Pick with Metal Handle Tension Wrench with Short Twist Where to Buy? Both SouthOrd and HPC are the primary lock pick manufacturers trusted and used by locksmiths in North America. I stand by that statement. The most common short hook used in North America is SouthOrd’s MP-07 Short Hook ($4.29) The most common rake used in Locksport is SouthOrd’s Pagoda Pick ($5.39) The most common tension wrench in North America is SouthOrd’s TW-02 Short Wrench ($1.50) Note: Locksmiths today still use a rake pick style that is more than 50 years old. However, this Bogota Style aka “Pagoda” was developed 10 years ago and is now the favorite among locksport enthusiasts and locksmiths alike. Buy all three of these tools, and you will spend a grand total of $11.13 before shipping! Shipping to Texas is $4.95 for a grand total of $16.18! All the best lock pickers come from Texas, not even kidding, the North American Lock Picking Champion lives in Austin!I have 100% confidence that [...]

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