'CHOOSING PICKS'

"YOU DONT NEED 100 PICKS"
When looking for lockpicks try and buy individual picks from the company you choose first if possible,because if you do like me and many other's you will wind up spending a bunch of money for 5 picks that you will actually use and like 20 other filler picks that you'll never use.

The first set of picks i bought was a southord set MPXS-14 its a metal handle pickset nice quality but the one problem i have with all southord picks are the handles they are too thin and just to skinny i just like a thicker fatter handle .but they are quality picks at a reasonable price.
Then i went through a few more sets some off brand and also some name brand and i just never found one that i was totally comfortable with until i broke down and gave in and finally bought me a few PETERSON picks .and then in 3 days from ordering i recieved my picks and found out these are the greatest picks ever .They are the best feeling ,best constructed there made from the best and hardest steel, they come in 2 diff. options

1ST is the GOVERNMENT STEELthe gov. steel picks are kind of expencive but they are deff. worth it the gov. steel only comes in 1 handle type and thats a
rubberized plastic .

2ND IS CARBON STEEL
carbon steel is a high quality high carbon steel its the cheapest type of metal PETERSONsells but they are super strong they are very well made picks this is the type i buy when i buy from them .They come in 2 diff. handle types 1st hard plastic, hard plastic by far is the better of the two but everyone is diff.

2ND DIPPED
dipped handles are just the pick blade dipped into a textured or non textured product like plasti dip .its very uncomfortable and very bendy and too thin and skinny (in my opinion)

STARTING OUT

GETTING STARTED..

When getting started you want to choose a lock that is the right type and not that hard .Lots of people say start out with luggage locks (the smaller ones).Me i say start with master locks that are a good size like a #1,#3 just so you can get a bettr feel for how the lock works and also its alot easier to hold than the smaller ones ..and most master locks are 4 or 5 pin locks and are some of the best training locks ..

MAKING A MEDECO CLASSIC CUTAWAY!..by james504

first thing you have to do is grinding a grove down the side of the bible where you want your  pins to be visible

then with a hand file, file evenly until  you can start seeing the pin chambers opening up(its very important not to go to deep)

then go a little further until they open up just enough so you can see everything but not to much where the pins are falling out..and you want every slot to be even as possible .

then its time to cut your slots so you can see all the workings i usually cut 3 slots each one should be the width of the center of the two pin chambers that its under.

then its time to fit everything back together just to be sure everything fits and looks good and even ..

now take everything back apart if everything fits good ..and now its time to work on the plug now depending on what kind of lock your doing it will be a lil diffrent but with this one its a medeco classic ...you have to cut a slot a tiny bit smaller than the pin width all the way around till you get to the bottom of the plug where the bottom of the key sits.

so now that you have all that done its time for the hard part ...you will have to sand and polish ..i wont tell you the exact polish i use ..lol ...but you will have to sand i usually start from 800 and go all the way to 2000 grit then wash it all with bar soap and a toothbrush ...then get to polishing ...then fit it all back together and no you have one awesome piece...

This is a picture of the first medeco i ever picked ..once you finally get one of these locks picked you feel so awesome they are so tuff and when you finally get it done its a big change in your lockpicking hobby ..i dont think after that day i picked this lock i ever bought another low security lock i was trying to get harder and harder locks and challange myself more and more and still do to this day ..but this was a big turning point in my lockpicking life ....

These are very helpful PDF's..

This is on the DOM  IX  
http://toool.nl/images/c/c0/Dom-ix.pdf 

This is on MUL-T-LOCKS
http://www.lockpickingforensics.com/articles/mul_t_lock.pdf 

This is a small one on all the BEST brand keyway's
http://www.jmcsecurity.net/pdf/BestKwy.pdf 

these are all links to places for all your lockpicking needs..

http://www.peterson-international.com/

http://www.sparrowslockpicks.com/
  These next few links are some good places to get all of your lockpicking needs..
http://www.lockpickshop.com/
http://www.lockpickersmall.com/
  This next link is for the BEST lockpicking  forum ever ..please stop in and say hi .My name there is james504 .
http://keypicking.com
            

me picking a mul t lock classic

sorry it took so long it was my first one but now i can pick it in less than 5 mins...