Picks are all the same, right?
Oh, grasshopper.........
Can you make picks from a hacksaw blade, or use bobby pins? Sure.
Can you get a cheap "working" set online? Sure.
But don't
Quick and easy there are 3 main companies that make the tools you'll need.
Southord, Peterson, and Sparrows
Southord is cheapest of the 3, but still quality.
Peterson is the Cadillac of these tools. The very highest quality and frequently the choice of "known" pickers. But this comes at a cost.
Sparrows are great quality, fairly priced and do Canadian direct sales (they have a warehouse in Ontario) so ordering for us is easiest.
BY FAR the majority of our tools are Sparrows.
Tools
Tension
Bars, wrenches, Z-bars, etc. Tension is the secret to getting locks open, these do the heavy lifting. Many designs, practice to find what works best for you.
Individual style breakdown here
Picks
Hooks, rakes, rockers, etc. These are what moves the pins inside the lock. Different techniques to each and several locks will limit what you can use to attack them.
Individual style breakdown here
Combs, shims, bypass drivers, bump keys, etc
These are tools used to attack a lock without actually picking it. Usually a LOT faster, but they are also a lot less likely to work at all. They are also very specific tools and work in limited situations.
Individual breakdown here
