Well, I spoke too soon. The only thing I didn't try was the OG Bogota rake. I swear those things are blessed with wizard magic or something.

#pickstr
Well, I spoke too soon. The only thing I didn't try was the OG Bogota rake. I swear those things are blessed with wizard magic or something.

#pickstr
are you practicing so you can move quietly? I assume suck locks would be taken out via a bolt cutter
It's just a mechanical puzzle. Not many people actually pick locks to get in anything. Not even locksmiths. It's all bypass tools, bolt cutters, or a drill.
Pure challenge for the sake of challenge with no immediate benefit. Awesome feeling when you get an open. It has intermittent reinforcement, like getting a bite fishing or winning gambling.
For people who struggle with traditional forms of meditation it is a great way to practice focus. I sometimes carry a lock and picks around to use like a fidget toy.
Other than that I kind of like that it has no immediate or measurable benefit. Nice to leave the hustle behind. In a way being useless is what gives it use to me.
I completely came at this from the wrong side. I understand it now, my experience is in building locks, mainly vehicle. Its interesting to see such a skill for its own sake being practiced.
Cheese do you know how many guys you are working against?
*cuts not guys
Hmmmm...all of them? ๐ They're all different. Usually 5 to 7 pins, different depths. Some of mine are pinned to be hard to pick. High next to low, stuff like that. I don't know the exact cut depth most of the time, but a Lishi tool can tell you. You could pick one with that and then cut a key for next time. Then you're getting into the realm of red team pen testing stuff. That machine you have there would make you VERY popular with that crowd.
I was handed a master 5 that has no key the other day. My first thought was to lishi it and make a key. Then I realized I don't have any lishi stuff yet.
$80 for tools and a blank to fix a $10 padlock that I would never use because it a master lock is definitely hobby economics.
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. ๐