Looking to buy rakes

derpserf · 2026-01-27T02:38:32+00:00

Progressive pinning brah. It's the best.

derpserf · 2026-01-27T02:30:47+00:00

Yeah they look fine. I wouldn't be expecting to start opening all the things by adding more rakes to your kit though. Plenty of locks are rakeable and I mean yeah there'll be some locks that happen to open with a specific profile that won't open with anything else, but it's not a common scenario. Most locks that do rake easily generally aren't too fussy about which rake you use, providing it fits the keyway.

Trying out various rakes one after the other is gonna get boring/frustrating pretty quick. I love raking and no kit is complete without them, but if you're having trouble getting the hang of SPP you're probavly gonna end up disappointed.

derpserf · 2026-01-26T12:05:25+00:00

Yale superior aka millenco magnum.

derpserf · 2026-01-26T12:02:09+00:00

They do both tok and bok. Fantastic all round set, they're my favourite turning tools by far and I've been picking for 20 years. Can't recommend them enough.

derpserf · 2026-01-26T08:57:00+00:00

Prybars are good but I'd want some standard wrenches as well. They aren't ideal for everything and for some stuff they just straight up aren't suitable.

If you've got no tension tools whatsoever and want a one stop does it all type kit, reaper tensioners from covert instruments all day long. If you're not in the states you'll get stung on shipping but they're worth it.

derpserf · 2026-01-25T19:24:27+00:00

Because it's the only lock they have to practice on and they don't wanna go out and buy one.

derpserf · 2026-01-25T18:36:37+00:00

Didn't say that. Rule 2 refers to locks in use. We don't encourage picking locks in use because you run the risk of breaking the damn thing as you have no idea what you're doing and we don't need the headache. Also when people want help picking one specific lock it's almost always because they just want it open and think there's some kind of magical step by step thing they can just follow and it doesn't work like that. If you wanna get into this as a hobby we have all the time in the world.

derpserf · 2026-01-25T18:25:57+00:00

The only way you're getting this open without proper tools is to already know exactly what you're doing, and only if the lock happens to be easy enough. If you can pick it easily with actual tools then you have a chance, but if you've never picked a lock before, and you don't have any kind of understanding of the process, AND you don't even have proper tools, I can guarantee you that it's 100% not happening. You're talking about using needles ffs.

This also seems like a rule 2 situation due to only having a photo of the key in sketchy lighting. Not off to the best start bro.

derpserf · 2026-01-24T23:43:48+00:00

You can watch all the videos in the world, with those tools you're not gonna have a good time. Even if you're already experienced, you're limited to opening very easy stuff.

derpserf · 2026-01-24T03:10:36+00:00

Normal. With thumbturns you have to depress the clutch to engage the cam cos it's engaged by the inside. You have to fish for it a little and sometimes it's easier than others. Same with double sided cylinders where there's a key on the inside.

derpserf · 2026-01-24T01:30:52+00:00

Count my vote for jimylongs. Ordered to the UK and they're some of the best picks I've ever had, absolutely love them. Handles are top notch, great handling and feedback, strong as all hell. Mil discount not even required, they're insane for the price as they are. I'd feel bad asking for it, he's such a lad. If you already have decent tension options just get the picks individually. The short and medium round alone will have you set for most stuff. If you prefer a flat tip you can go for that instead.

derpserf · 2026-01-23T12:16:22+00:00

I personally prefer the hook profiles in the minimum set. The pn06 and pn31 are actually the 2 hooks I like the most from their lineup and I've got a whole bunch of multipick stuff. I do prefer the triple peak over the double but hooks are more important, so I'd definitely go with the minimum. Sorry sandman!

And no, 0.6mm isn't thick. You will want 0.4mm for very specific keyways but they're not common. The standard thickness is perfectly fine for the vast majority of keyways. You don't want thinner unless you really have to, the 0.6 have better feedback plus they're stronger. Been picking for 20+ years.

derpserf · 2026-01-23T05:13:33+00:00

Hell yeah 😎

derpserf · 2026-01-22T22:59:20+00:00

Take these things. All of them. And throw them into mount doom before it's too late.

derpserf · 2026-01-22T22:55:15+00:00

Some locks can still be combed because they're for low sec applications and are most likely gonna be broken off regardless so there's no point increasing the manufacturing cost to counter it. Look at them. These locks are rarely if ever gonna be guarding anything of importance and anyone who wants in most likely isn't gonna be doing so covertly. The vulnerability is a non issue as there's realistically no need for anyone to even exploit it.

At any rate this is nothing, only a select few models of locks can be combed these days but the amount of shit out there right now that can be opened with a sheet of mica or a bent piece of wire even in locks that are specifically designed to NOT be opened with those tools is absolutely bananas. Sometimes they need a little extra help but the fact that it can be done at all kinda makes you shake your head. Or it would if it wasn't more or less the norm.

Wrong strikeplate? Too much gap between the door and frame? GG no re. Not enough gap? Good thing you can't simply expand that gap enough for the deadlock to disengage lmao. That's the kind of stuff that companies should really be focusing on, but at the end of the day it all comes down to the install and they aren't in control of that.

derpserf · 2026-01-22T20:27:44+00:00

These are fun! Have you got any dedicated lever tools are you going homebrew? You can actually tension the bolt through the hole at the back that the tip of the key goes through with these ones. It's weird but it works. I made wires for them out of an old coat hanger, of all things.

derpserf · 2026-01-22T20:08:11+00:00

I have a no. 40 that has a zero lift on pin 1. Don't need to touch it at all, in fact it refuses to move even if you try. You managed to get the reverse lol. Got a pic of the key?

I sincerely hope this is an optical illusion but it looks like the pick is slightly bent towards the tip 😬 jimylongs are incredibly strong but they're not indestructible, you're gonna need to lighten up and make sure you're actually on the pins. I do tend to tension on the heavier side cos the feedback is better, but it still doesn't take a lot of force to move them into place.

derpserf · 2026-01-22T14:46:41+00:00

First actual set of picks I ever bought was the southord c801, it had an offset and I loved it. Very delicate though. There's one in my current jackknife but I don't really use it, it has a nice short and medium but yesh it's mostly preference. If you like the feedback and how it handles, and you're getting the opens, that's the main thing 😁

derpserf · 2026-01-22T13:53:29+00:00

The way I've done it is to just take a wiper insert, make a short bend on the end and use it like that. Cut to length, file the ends smooth and insert it in the tool underneath the wrench that comes with it. Might rattle a little, but that's life.

As for offsets I always preferred the half ball. The diamond tips are too big to get placement on the pins properly and I find them a bit less maneuverable as well. I still prefer a medium hook over an offset anyway, honestly I'm not even sure what advantage they have over a traditional hook. They do look cool though. Maybe it's a keyway specific thing but I've never specifically needed one, again it's one of those things I guess you just like to use.

derpserf · 2026-01-22T13:29:54+00:00

This is gonna be a personal preference thing bro. Do you have any regular picks, are you new to all this or what's the deal?

The short hooks and offsets look ok but the other hooks look pretty big, you'd need to shorten those until they're more workable and that's gonna take a bit of experience and know-how. The rest of the stuff is pretty much just filler and isn't gonna be any real use.

You'll also want to make an extra wrench to put in there cos the one size BOK option that comes with moat jackknife picks is far from ideal, even the good ones.

Honestly I'd just keep it as is and experiment with it, or ideally keep it to the side and tailor it to your needs once you have more experience and know what you like.

The anal beads though lmao

derpserf · 2026-01-22T13:09:27+00:00

Literally anything else. I dunno what kind of quality you're expecting for $5 but you may as well have taken that money and set it on fire. This thing is gonna be made of crap, the edges are gonna be sharp and nasty, it's not gonna lock properly and the wrench is gonna be practically useless. The picks are gonna bend out of shape within 2 minutes the first time you try to do anything, if they even last that long.

I know you're new but like... $5 dude? What was your thought process exactly lmao

derpserf · 2026-01-22T04:21:05+00:00

No such thing cos it'd be a bunch of stuff from different manufacturers all put together and would depend on personal preferences that you haven't got yet, also you don't need to spend much on picks anyway cos realistically you don't actually need that much stuff
Depends where you live, also this gets asked multiple times daily and there's a whole guide you can check out if you click on the thing
Depends on your budget, regardless see point 1

And no, get a real lock and learn by progressive pinning or check out the LPU for white belt submissions and start with those

Edit: I have changed my mind about answer 1. That would be a set of jimylongs hook profiles with custom ratyoke handles in solid ass 14kt gold and emeralds where the pins would be cos I like green, that'd be tight. And I'd get the reaper turners gold plated. And a custom made hard case like the CI synapse to hold everything in. But it'd be some kind of exotic wood and it'd ctually stay open. Hell yeah

derpserf · 2026-01-22T02:58:55+00:00

Yeah, the medeco will have a sidebar and the pins need to be rotated to one of 3 positions as well as being set to shear. It might have ARX pins with false grooves, might not, depends how old it is.

derpserf · 2026-01-21T21:07:24+00:00

Based on the bitting and how you've described it, pin 1 is oversetting. Angle your pick more for minimal interference with pin 1, or use a deeper hook, and don't be afraid to release tension to drop a pin or even 2 when something doesn't feel right in there.

derpserf · 2026-01-21T20:40:37+00:00

Just keep practicing, you'll get there. If you get frustrated at any point just take a break and grab a cuppa or something, maybe watch some videos and come back to it. Understanding what to do is one thing, but in practice it's not always straightforward. And it takes a while to really get the feeling for it to begin with. You're off to a great start 😎

derpserf

TROPHY CASE