These are the same great quality and finish that we have come to appreciate from Jimy Longs. I was under the assumption that I would be printing my own handles, but they came with several options to try. I started putting them together in the double ended format immediately and started picking. The pros are exactly what he designed them for. Rake to a false set and clean it up with the hook without switching picks. The other nice thing is that they fit nicely in my existing pick case. The drawback is the end of the pick that is not in use resting at the base of my index finger. Over time that becomes uncomfortable, but the goal with these is to get it done quickly not over an hour.

The real temptation here for me is to build a folding tool like the Riv Pick with the quality of Jimy Longs picks. I have not made it that far yet, but it is on the project list. Overall if you are a fabricator or creative type these are great base to print or make your own handles for. They would also be useful in speed picking or for professionals that do nondestructive entries.

Just bought at local flea market brand new for $1 each !!!!

I'm gonna try using a vise, I just don't know which one to get between these 2.

I've just made a superb deal. 50 ABUS Brady 71/40 (green belt) for only $40.

Thinking about doing some lockpicking events in my highschool 😉 The main goal is for my students will be to start from white and go all the way up for the green belt. If so, they will reveice a certificate and can keep the one lock they picked to get there.

What do you think about it? Any advices from the community?

This vice is pretty sweet as far as articulation. Definitely saves my hand from cramping when picking smaller locks.

I was getting sick of having locks scattered all over my desk, so I put up a pegboard I had laying around. I'll have to figure something out once I start getting more non-padlock locks.

Side note: any recommendations for green or blue belt locks to get (I'm in Canada if that helps)? Should I start getting into dimple locks? So far I've picked an 1100 with two more in the mail, a master lock 410, and an abus 72/40.

Am I correct in thinking these tools are ‘lock busters’ that use brute force to actually shear off all the pins? As usual, the Ali Express descriptions are laughable 😂 Not really lock picking, I know - but I’m new to this and kinda fascinated by everything lock related 😎

This one was pretty easy, good feedback from the spools. The first pin to bind dropped me in to a nice false set and the rest of the spools were easy to track down in order. You need to be able to counter rotate manually to clear the deep spools. This would be a good first dimple lock with spools for someone starting their dimple lock journey.

I have this Alpha 1000-50, with Spools. Pin 1 is a zerolift. Pin 5 is clearly a Spool, getting set after a second click. Pin 4 sets pretty easy and every pressure after that, oversets it.

The Problem: After setting Pin 5 and 4, the other Pins(3 and 4) won't set and move freely. Pin 1 still oversets if moved(zerolift)

What's going wrong?

I chose the popular 90A Pro for my Blue Belt submission. I've SPP'ed the half dozen of these I have countless times now, but it took a while before I gained some consistency. I'd pick it in 30s, then the next time would take me 30mins. Finally got to the point where I can pick most bittings in a few minutes or so.

Started out using a Multipick TOK 0.6mm wrench positioned in the small angled part of the keyway not quite at the top and a couple of Multipick 0.6mm hooks. Ended up trying a 0.019" Jimy Long medium hook which seemed to work pretty well. Generally moderate tension, sometimes a bit heavier. When I first attempted the 90A Pro I really didn't care for it, although now that I've spent a bit of time with them they're really starting to grow on me. Definitely one I will go back to now and then. In the attempt below, the picking went ok, but the gutting was not my best effort! Managed to obliterate a spring, but everything went back together ok (minus said spring) and lock is functional again. Standard 90A Pro mix of alternating spools and serrated pins with an extra long standard pin in the back. I decided to re-pin it a bit different, so it's like having a new lock again!

https://emalm.com/?v=5xp2E

I chose the option to decode a combination lock as my "project". Happened to have a Master Lock 176 lying around that I've never opened. Too many other interesting locks, but decided to spend some time on figuring this one out. Once I found the right tool (Sparrows Ultra decoder) and watched some youtube videos (great one here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzozWmdrPt0), I started getting the feel for sensing when the flats were in position. I was a bit surprised when I got the first open and very pleased when I reset the combo and was able to do it repeatedly.

https://emalm.com/?v=6KmmM

Any feedback is welcome as well as recommendations for purple belt (pin-tumbler) locks to start trying out.

#PACLOCK200KCLUB

I'm finally looking at the Medeco I got from LPB.

I've read a few old posts, and have tried a couple videos, but would love links to any past posts or text descriptions on how folks have progressive pinned and learned how to pick the 6 pin Biaxel's.

This is a hobby that I need to practice daily or I'll go backwards, and new models can take me a bit. Any links you've made or read in the past will be greatly appreciated...

Bought on Amazon as a whim / something new to try. Key came without biting and core not configured and holes in the top.

Core just rotates with anything rotating it.

I’ve not seen this before and don’t know what to do to make this interesting to pick ;)

I’m an orange belt picker and don’t yet want to invest in gutting locks and such.

Thanks in advance.

I have pictures of the default position and then after working at it the core begins to turn and binds up. I’ve tried top and bottom tension. I’ve gotten it open once before and now it locks up here. I’ve tried helping it to open with the bottom part. I’ve tried to see if I’m locking up a spool of any kind to no avail, and am at a loss. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

This morning's 2nd coffee pick session, squire LN5, AL1100 &:3 x 72/40's Around 5 mins, black abus gave me a wee fight.

Surprised me, not normally functional til after coffee number 5

Took me several days to get this open, but I finally got it! Had a scary couple of hours last night when I decided to gut it, lost a key pin on the carpet for like 2 hours, finally found it, went to get the driver pins out, mangled three springs, and then launched a driver pins across the room when trying to reassemble it, and spent another 30 minutes looking for that. So definitely glad to finally have gotten it open when I thought for sure this lock was done for last night.

Got this lock while in the service. Lost the key a long time ago. Is there any trick to get it to pop? I put very light tension, then a false set, and I can't get past that point. If I put too much pressure, the keyway turns way past the sheer line and I can't get any pins down. Advice?

Finally got this one after a few weeks of trying it on and off. Struggled for a while to figure out how to reliably get at pins. Settled on BOK and picking off of the warding. First pass used the Reaper #1 to get the pins into a set or with a segment at shear. This gave me room to get a short Jimy flat hook in to set the rest. The Reapers are a little too short to really fully set the last pin. I ended up using medium/heavy tension, but I suspect I was using too much.

Feedback in this was subtle, and I need to see if I can open it with less tension. I did not need to touch pin one to open this, the rest were pretty high lifts. Each little, proper pick resulted in a tiny movement in the tensioner. Once I got some almost imperceptible counterrotation I knew I had it and then just worked very slowly and methodically until it opened.

I got a lock to practice with that lets you set the pins and everything. One of the springs manged to make it to the core and got all twisted up. I reached out to covert instruments and they said it was a "standard Schlage lock parts" I'm not sure which spring to get if anyone can help

I needed a deeper hook and a tubular tension tool so i made them!

Huge thanks to u/SafeAF_orElse for providing tubular tensioner dimensions!

I’ve opened a couple brown belt locks but have hit a wall. HPCs, ASSA, gins and counter milling are kicking my ass.

YouTube videos aren’t bridging the gap so any advice is appreciated. I’m still learning