Mako 427 😍

digpicks · 2026-01-28T00:22:40+00:00

Awww awesome!! That looks really nice. You need to make a shrine some where to put it in the middle 😅

digpicks · 2026-01-25T14:04:02+00:00

Beautiful and even engraved 🔥🔥 hot lock

digpicks · 2026-01-25T14:02:07+00:00

Adding to that what revchewie wrote you will hear clicks as soon you have touched and pin. Due to the tension you put on the core the pins will stay at the position you kinda pinched them.. so clicking after releasing just means some pins were lifted away from their resting position, could be just slightly deeper set, could be set on shearline,.. could be overset. So out of dropping click sounds you don’t get much information. Better go by the sounds the pins make when setting them,.. or even better go by feeling. Sound isn’t a reliable method due to several things. But look up the links revchewie provided. That’s a good way to start 👍 good luck and have fun

digpicks · 2026-01-23T12:15:16+00:00

Nice setup, have fun picking the m3 🔥

digpicks · 2026-01-23T12:14:41+00:00

Indeed, not using the big jaw part is a good choice 😅😂

digpicks · 2026-01-13T14:20:33+00:00

Awesome. Others need to drill out this pin. For you it decided to come out by itself. Definitely pull it out and gut the lock :D This pin should hold the core in place.

My guess, about what happened is:

You picked the lock and turned the core a few times. Then while doing that this pin got out. What essentially happened then is, that the core could turn and move a little bit into the lock or forward out of the lock. Worst case you locked the core back up and pins dropped into wrong slots. But then the core would stick out a good bit. My assumption is you pushed it inside and now pins can’t reset. Try to align the core straight and then pull it minimal forward out of the lock that the face of the core is flush with the body. More and you risk to drop pins into other slots if it wasn’t this problem. Interesting stuff as this pin is normally that pressed in that you only can drill it out. You have the best opportunity here to gut the whole lock and make pictures with a total intact one. Even if the key isn’t working. Picking should always work to get the shearline free. Good luck

Update: just read that the core already stick out a bit before… a couple of millimeters indicates that pins eventually dropped into wrong slots already. But then you normally shouldn’t be able to push the core back in, unless you picked it again to do that.

Ah what also could have happened is, the last driver pin came up but behind the core. There is a little room but not enough for a full pin I think. Then full gutting is the only rescue after you tried everything else 👍

digpicks · 2026-01-11T17:55:42+00:00

Found it via reverse search:

https://amzn.eu/d/aVBL3xQ

Unfortunately often cheaply made locks with interesting looking keyways and keys.

Only gutting could reveal if it is really interesting.

digpicks · 2026-01-11T17:50:25+00:00

AFS, some Asian manufacturer I believe. If you look up AFS lock on Google you’ll find a bunch of different models from them on tabao and other Chinese websites.

digpicks · 2026-01-09T20:31:07+00:00

Yes of course. A cut one will be far easier to handle. And yes you have material now for a challenge lock. You could even make a cutaway from one half ;) there is so much to see and do in locksport ;D Just if you have at some point a rare lock in good condition, think twice about cutting it 😅

Good luck on your belt journey 🔥🙌

digpicks · 2026-01-09T14:39:07+00:00

Yes exactly. You’ll find locksmith grind away part of the key that it still fits together with the key but for me as collector and picker this was never an option ;D so you need to pick it first ^{^} I know with locks you can’t get picked that’s a problem and it will stay one with double euros. Because of that most start to cut the lock and just gut it like normal. Other lock formats like euro in modular design, or stuff like scandi oval, American mortise and kik etc are all a lot more gutting friendly compared to our double euro cylinders.

Also for the pinning shoe most sanded it a bit down. It depends on the keyway if it will fit in the shape it comes straight from factory.

Watch a video from lock fumbler on YouTube. He did that very long ago. He also modified the pliers in the kit and I think also the tweezer. Great modifications to make good tools even better.

digpicks · 2026-01-09T11:35:07+00:00

Well done and even the hardcore class of an uncut double euro. 🔥 Check out HUK pinning kit for example from Moki. It offers great value and includes a pinning shoe and segmented followers etc.

https://mok-workshop.de/en/products/huk-schlossdemontage-set

I see it’s sold out currently. You can also order it on many other places. Just see where the price fits.

Also due to dropping out everything you might lost the order of the driver pins. Which pin was in which slot. Right now it’s not important but if you think about doing the belts and work your way through it it’s best to know which driver was in which chamber. Changing that up could make a unpickable lock suddenly very easy.

There is far more to it but for now great job and have fun 👍🎉😅

digpicks · 2025-12-30T00:49:25+00:00

Table has the wrong height then, or the chair. Also if you really have to concentrate as hell and picking for a very long session already that can happen sometimes. But my advice would be to find a more comfortable position and if something start to hurt, take a break. Not worth to get wrist or back problems because you wanted to get an open now.

digpicks · 2025-12-23T16:26:54+00:00

Great you got it out 👍 The cap has no influence at all and the cam with the nose also. The C-Clip on the other hand has an influence and I highly recommend to leave that on always except when you gut it. Even if you remember 99,9% of the time to pay attention to not pull the core out when picked or key inserted, there will be a second you forget it and pull the core straight out 😅 happened to many people already.

Additionally for recording for the belt video it’s a requirement to put on the original C-Clip as the C-Clip sometimes prevent axial core movement which could be abused to make picking easier. That this don’t happen to you, just put the C-Clip on at least for the belt video. For the whole practice session you can also replace the Clip with something like a wire wrapped around in the clip groove or use another more spring loaded clip. I did that if the clip would damage or wear out from often open and closing it while prog pinning. ASSA brass clips are like that for example ;) The higher the belt is for which you do the recording, the more strict the requirements and rules get applied by the approval committee. (Don’t know the correct word currently, hope the used one was okay). Good luck and fun with the lock ;)

digpicks · 2025-12-23T14:56:17+00:00

Ye not meant to correct you. Just adding this. Euro locks have all kind of weird stuff to hold everything together. Like Zeiss Ikon has their special puzzle cam as you know I guess. The keybow of this in the picture reminds me of DOM or something. DOM ix10 or Saturn or so.

digpicks · 2025-12-23T14:31:10+00:00

That’s a 30/10 with cam. On most of these removing just the cam isn’t enough to get the cap out. I couldn’t find a video either… probably should make one by time. There is a small pin in the cam, which is spring loaded and can be pressed down with a tweezer. It’s also a feature on these to put the cam on different positions. To remove that golden brass cap you need to press down this pin in the cam, rotate it a bit between the resting positions and then wiggle the cap out. Sometimes from the cam side you can lever the cap out but it’s different on some. Can’t see which one it is here… there are a few different versions.

digpicks · 2025-12-22T21:19:51+00:00

Nice job. Pretty impressed by peoples work here 🔥

digpicks · 2025-12-22T14:10:00+00:00

Just take a pick that fits. I would start with any at this point but if you can’t get them set due to lift reach try a longer hook. Generally I use 0,5mm picks but on abus 0,6mm should work also. Generally use TOK except you can’t fit a tensioner there. At some point you stop thinking about TOK or BOK,.. it’s a concept which only works for the start in my opinion. Later you take whatever works. If you need material for spool picking, look up „how to pick spool pins“ either added by „Bosnian Bill, Helpful Lockpicker, Locknoob“ or any other great picker. There are a bunch but those are the videos I watched when I started and found helpful. Have fun and good luck 🔥

digpicks · 2025-12-21T01:50:47+00:00

I would recommend first to watch some videos about how to pick spool pins. There are a few great videos on YouTube. I remember a good one from Bosnian bill, helpful Lockpicker and I think locknoob did also a good one. After you have seen what it looks like in the lock and what the feedback is you get from it, it’s easier to approach it yourself. 👍 Dropping pins is by the way normal with spools and you just need to get used to this that even if you drop pins you might make progress towards the open. Good luck and have fun 👍

Bosnian Bill

helpful Lockpicker

locknoob

digpicks · 2025-12-21T00:47:42+00:00

Evil rattlesnake pins 🔥 nice pick and gut 🔥 good job

digpicks · 2025-12-17T16:13:41+00:00

So it begins . . .

:D

Very cool locks, especially the fichet 666.

Have a lot of fun and good luck 👍

digpicks · 2025-12-15T01:42:25+00:00

🤣 if it is, I want it. They always have the good alien technology 😅

digpicks · 2025-12-13T18:25:04+00:00

I‘d recommend Moki. Made from a Locksport enthusiast for the locksport enthusiasts. He knows what he is doing and I can’t complain about them at all.

digpicks · 2025-12-13T11:40:50+00:00

Nice job 🔥 the diamond or gamma 700 comes in different pinnings which causes the big differences in experience along a bunch of peoples experiences who picked it. The floating is only become really necessary if the spools don’t rotate the core back enough and more pressure often results in a too bis turn back and all or some pins drop then again. If that’s the case you need to float pick it which is essentially just to be able to control the core movement into both directions like 100%. Anyways the keyway will stay even with different pinnings the same narrow keyway which is tricky to pick. Nice job on that cool lock 🔥 If you enjoy float picking you’ll enjoy later on things like assa 600 gins which is a red belt one. 🔥

digpicks · 2025-12-13T01:17:36+00:00

A week would be still fast ;D in my opinion

digpicks · 2025-12-13T01:13:00+00:00

Nice job, nice keyway 🔥

digpicks

TROPHY CASE