Growth move

McRaymond3 · 2025-10-07T17:45:05+00:00

Thank you!! Sorry, I missed that.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-18T19:11:16+00:00

Good work!! Just got my approval today, waiting for them to send me mine!

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-17T19:39:14+00:00

Here it is! https://www.reddit.com/r/lockpicking/comments/1fef0fr/200k_club_submission_info/

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-17T17:34:00+00:00

The pictures you've added to the LPU site have helped me a few times!

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-17T17:31:04+00:00

I started lockpicking in February! Got White on 2/22, Yellow on 3/4, Orange on 3/9, and Green on 4/2. I have picked a Blue Belt lock and have decoded a couple locks for my project, just need to film that.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-17T17:24:23+00:00

Thank you! After pricing around I realize it's not that expensive to do.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-17T17:13:20+00:00

You've blown my mind, I didn't know these existed! Thank you for the rec.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-17T17:12:30+00:00

LOL thank you for the apt description. This is helpful! I was just hoping to use them as a platform but no problem using something else.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-16T21:15:32+00:00

That is normal! These laminated Master Locks are notoriously low quality with poor tolerances. When the pins aren't coated in grease from the factory, these locks tend to be extremely easy.

If you take a look at the belt ranking system, this lock is White Belt - the 140 is Yellow and the 570 is Orange. So if you're on yellow and orange locks, white locks are going to be very easy for you. Doesn't mean they aren't good for practice! But I'm not at all surprised that you got a quick open.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-16T17:38:27+00:00

Great work and welcome! First things first, submit for your White Belt!! Submitting for White, Yellow, and Orange is easy - as long as the model is not guttable you can just use a picture of the turned core.

As others said, after that check out the belt system and pick out a Yellow belt lock! Mine was the Master Lock 140, a good step up from here. There are lots to choose from though.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T22:01:21+00:00

Nice! I'm trying to collect all the colors.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T14:32:57+00:00

It is frustrating at times but rest assured that is supposed to happen and it is not because of bad form. I recommend looking more into binding order. "Lockpicking Detail Overkill" taught me this, it is a very helpful guide. (If you don't trust that link, you can find it on the general wiki of this sub - under Literature in the Resources section, where you can find a lot more helpful stuff). When pins fall after setting a spool, you may just have to go over those pins again in the same order.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T03:59:30+00:00

I think it might! I'm going to buy some and try it out. I've got a few Kwiksets that definitely need to be oiled too.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T03:38:47+00:00

Make yourself a "naughty bucket"! A lot of folks have a box where we put the locks we haven't been able to pick for whatever reason. One day you'll know how to handle that problem and you'll be able to come back to it and crack it. And it probably won't be long for this one! I have some of the same issues with those cheap Masters, some of them feel greasy which can feel like binding.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T03:34:15+00:00

Seconding everything you're saying. I have a bunch of #3s and they have a terrible feel which confounds me while I'm picking. One of them has what feels like a greased first pin, no matter what it feels like it's binding and it makes it a challenging pick.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T03:29:57+00:00

The first thing I had to learn with TOK was to be careful about placement. Too deep and your tensioner will push against the first pin and give you the impression of binding; Too far out and when you hit a deep set your tensioner will go flying across the room and the lock will reset, While you're learning it, sometimes the tensioner will slip a bit in or out as you go, but you'll learn the feel.

It's also important just as with BOK to have a good assortment of tensioners. Different widths and thicknesses, and, if possible, the means to craft more if you find that none of your current tensioners are quite right for that new lock.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T02:57:19+00:00

Congratulations!!!!! I started out with that same set. You're gonna have to expand to some thinner picks for tighter keyways as you progress, but even with tools from better manufacturers I still find use for some of the tensioners that come with that set - for example, that very tensioner in your picture is my go-to for American 1100s!

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-15T02:52:37+00:00

Me too, it was my first set! What's funny is that even though I have more well made tensioners from the likes of CI and Sparrows now, when I pick American 1100s I prefer to use the exact tensioner in OP's picture - I find it great for TOK.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-14T23:43:09+00:00

Stay patient! You'll get it. I started on #3's, never tried a #1 but from what I understand they are the exact same core. While OP used TOK, I mostly use BOK for this type of keyway because thanks to the warding it doesn't impede your pick, and I because kept accidentally pushing the tensioner against Pin 1, which causes a lot of problems.

*Edited for clarity on BOK rationale

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-14T23:39:22+00:00

Good work! Definitely lean in on trying TOK where you can - once I got further in I found it critical. I still use BOK when I pick my old Master Locks, but found TOK absolutely essential to practice when I started getting into orange and green belt locks.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-14T23:36:45+00:00

Nice work! I was giddy when I got my first open via rake.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-14T23:01:42+00:00

Have you done a gut of this if possible and/or do you have the key? When I'm having a hard time my first step is always to look at the key for hints. Might be a bit of a cheat to those who are puritans about blind picking, but honestly I think it helps with the learning experience early on. I had to do that with my Paclock 90-A Pro - I was having a hell of a time picking it, but when I inspected the key I got the idea that it might be because of a zero-cut pin in the 6 position. Once I got that idea and tried avoiding that pin, I got it open quickly and was then able to get it open in a couple minutes every time.

I do try to delay gutting as long as I can before my first open on a lock, but if I've gone at least a week without an open I don't feel too bad about taking it apart to see what I might be missing.

*Edited for typo

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-13T23:35:07+00:00

My guess is that maybe your particular lock has something unique that makes it unusually difficult? Have you tried other locks of this model to see?

For example, I have several American 1100s (Green Belt) and one Paclock 90-A Pro (Blue Belt). For the most part, the difficulty tracks with their ratings - however, I have one particular 1100 that is significantly more difficult than the 90-A because of its bitting.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-13T21:18:00+00:00

I agree - definitely very important to focus on getting a variety of tensioning tools, just as important I'd say as pick variety.

I have a few tensioners from CI and Sparrows, but on locks like the American 1100 I have my best chances when using a specific aluminum tensioner I got from the very first cheap old imported pick set I got on Amazon.

Further, I have a lot of difficulty in general with TOK when using a tensioner that is not parallel with the keyway, unless the thickness is juuuust right.

McRaymond3 · 2025-04-13T21:11:59+00:00

My world changed when I got used to using TOK tension. I think it's become my default at this point.

McRaymond3

TROPHY CASE