[77] How To Decipher Different Pin States and Interpret Key Bitting

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Please Stay Tuned Every Wednesday at 4pm Eastern For More Episodes To Come!

[@philipmason9689]

Your videos are superb. I’ve only just taken up LP & cant tell you how lucky I am to have found someone with such but brilliantly delivered advice. Thank you & well done

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and if you have any questions along the way feel free to ask :-)

[@johndelaney2957]

@@HelpfulLockPicker I'm the same as Philip above,i agree with him about your explanations very helpful. You just appeared on my feed today. Thank you for your videos. Australia.

[@paddlefaster]

One of the most informative videos on basic lockpicking I've seen. Good job.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thank you for the kind words and I'm glad it helps!

[@FrancisRoyCA]

I've recently discovered your channel. I can't help but express how excellent your videos are. They are simple, precise, practical. You take on bite-sized topics, and address them clearly with no extraneous blah-blah. You offer precise, measurable success/failure actions and consequences, and often work-arounds to simple traps. You demonstrate what you speak about, use the camera and your hands well to illustrate the meaning of your words. I've been listening to one of your videos per day and replay the images in my mind. I have to admit that I haven't gotten my first transparent test-lock yet, but you provide excellent theory, and I look forward to taking my first steps in the subject. Thank you, and have a good day.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thank you for the kind words :-)

[@clusumruptor]

Man, you always have some good advice and tips. I can watch one of your Home+ School Series videos several times over as many months and still learn every time.

[@qianweijia1]

I'm learning on Sparrow's Progressive Locks. I'm on the 4 pin lock, and your tips on oversetting has helped me nail it. I was surprisingly not using enough tension, and I kept oversetting 3 while trying to set 4.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Congrats on the success

[@arthouston7361]

Just bought my first Genesis pic set over at covert instruments…and ironically, they just started a sale where they lowered the cost of what I paid a couple weeks ago and added some other stuff to the bundle…..but be that as it may, I’m going to soldier on, and I find that your videos are more instructional than many…..which is a good thing for someone who is just starting out like myself.

[@WiliamBennettwildarbennett]

Watching this I've learned more about picking then I've got from so many others. Are there tips on doing locks that have master pins?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

My biggest tip is they can be a little bit easier because of the multiple shearlines but they are many times more likely to break. Raking them can cause the thin wafers to flip and get stuck

[@Potti314]

Awesome tutorial - you're very skilled in making educational video.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Potti314 Thank you for the kind words :-) I think you do a great job yourself as well!

[@nonconformist9930]

having picked this hobby up from LPL, Noob and Bosnian Bill , these are the best videos to learn from. The explinations are more conscise helping understand the terminology and thus the development of deciphering the pin feedback. My learning cure accelerated after watching these videos, wish I had found them earlier. Now I have 3 locks that have had me stumped (schalge dead bolt and two cut away sparrows trainers, serated and spooled) that i think I have a better chance of opening rather than relying partially on luck. I can open the three by bumping them but i cant single pick them....yet. Ive got an americn I think im just wasting my time on. so four locks now that im lookn in my bucket of shit i cant open

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Congrats on the opens. Schlage keyways can be a tad tough for those starting out sometimes. I usually just use my Lishi

[@nonconformist9930]

@@HelpfulLockPicker lol, when i get frustrated i bump it open

[@jorgecampa57]

Another awesome video. You make it possible for beginners to achieve the skills needed to learn lock picking.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad they help!

[@pauladams5239]

I have been working on my first real lock for almost a year without success. Passively listening to this video it opened for the first time. You are an excellent teacher

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Congrats on the open! That is some dedication

[@alexanderohman1707]

I really wish this would have been the first tutorial I watched. It's awesome!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Congrats on the success!

[@108CAM]

The advice on not trying to force a pin is very important, especially if you are using expensive tools to pick your lock.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad it helped

[@weeze68dt]

Fantastic videos, I really appreciate all the care that you put into your lessons.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thank you for the kind words and I'm glad they help :-)

[@62Cristoforo]

That was the most helpful and best explained video on this topic I’ve seen in months. Methodical and concise. Thank you for that

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad it helps!

[@dirk4926]

Really good tutorial, you covered some stuff I've never understood. I've got a crappy Master lock that I've never been able to open, and now I think the reason is that I keep over-setting one or two of the longer pins. .

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Dirk Stabins Thank you for the kind words. If you buy a cutaway lock those go a long way and then you could transition into a more traditional lock like a Kwikset and progressive pin it.

[@dirk4926]

Thanks, I'll look into one when I get a little extra cash.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Dirk Stabins The one in this video was around $10-15 on eBay

[@dirk4926]

That's pretty reasonable, I'll take a look for one.

[@user-re7po]

I love seeing these kind of interaction between creator and fan.

[@randommadness1021]

Thanks for this. As someone who is VERY new to this (only opened my first "real" lock yesterday). Watched a lot of videos and this has been bu far the most helpful. Cheers.👍

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thank you for the kind words and I am glad it helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the future

[@randommadness1021]

@@HelpfulLockPicker 👍 much appreciated. And you're spot on about the tension being more of a skill than the actual picking. I've found that when I've over set a pin, just letting a bit of tension off seems do do the trick. You can even hear it click like you've picked it correctly but as I said I'm very new to this so you can let me know if I'm wrong about that or not...

[@snigie1]

Hey I'd just like to say a big thank you, I've been beavering away at my front door for days with no luck and this video showed me I needed to angle in ad that first pin was stopping everything working, after I watched it success!! Even did it a few times I'm a row just to be sure it wasn't a fluke! Thank you again!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

snigie1 congrats on the success, I'm glad it helps!

[@SpookyPistolero]

Terrific content and channel, I've been binging while I await my first pick set. Clear, articulate and simplified. Thanks for sharing.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thanks for checking it out

[@khiggins7231]

Excellent video. Great teacher!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad it helps!

[@charlesklein7232]

your a professional! i enjoy your videos, their very relaxing! and it has started me into lock sport. unfortunately! i have opened locks! i do not know how! i can not find pins! you talk about things i understand mentally! but in reality, i have no idea what your talking about. i basically stab at the inside of the lock! however, i am thinking about inventing my own type of pick. everybody in your industry is very professional! and i enjoy your videos. NO DRUG MUSIC!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

charles klein thank you for the kind words!

[@pumper325]

All these videos are incredible and full of knowledge, thank you so much.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thanks for checking it out

[@IVEEEK0203]

Love how you repeat what we learned today :)

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

You're welcome

[@KoolBreeze420]

I think I just had a breakthrough in picking technique and giving me more room to work the pins if I angle the pick ever so slightly then I don't have to try and wiggle right under the pins instead of working in the little space between the warding and the pins a slight angle from left to right allows me to manipulate one pin at a time and allows me more workroom. What videos never really show is a front view of the lock with the pick in it doing its thing, doesn't matter now. What this means for me is that I can probably put pin 5 back in sooner than expected.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thanks for sharing. I could maybe do that angle down the road

[@ndoghouse6853]

Thanks a million man! After your instructions here I just picked my first lock ever (the right way SPP). It was a 60mm Master padlock. It took three days! I aint sure how I did it and havent figured the pin order for sure but pin one does nothing it seems? I think I was over setting pin 2 and it must be a spool or security pin because I cant ever get a good click off of it? The first pin is really deep and Ive been using a deep pick to try to get around it but doesnt seem to matter what I do with it it almost never binds. I didnt notice if it was set or not when I opened it but lets see how long it take to open it a second time? Thanks! Excellent teacher you are!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Congrats on the open

[@ssjktjessica6]

Well done, you’ve made sense of it all , brilliant video 😁👍🏼

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words, I am glad it helped out!

[@justinstuart9109]

This was really helpful! Thanks for your excellent videos

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words

[@MyTube4Utoo]

Every new lock picker should see this video!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I am happy to see how my series has been able to help so many. Thanks for sharing!

[@MyTube4Utoo]

@@HelpfulLockPicker You're welcome. You have a gift for teaching. ;-)

[@austinchen8322]

This video is so helpful! I was wondering if there is a way to tell the difference between oversetting and undersetting a pin by feel? Thanks again!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for checking it out!

[@snorman1951]

All these "beginner" locks seem to come with Schlage key ways. Beginners need to focus on lifting and setting pins and a difficult key way doesn't help. I contacted a seller on Ebay and he agreed to make me one with a Kwikset key way. Much better!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Yes, I agree. I have one with the KW1 keyway and it is much better!

[@Frosty901]

Very nice video. This will help a lot of new pickers. You present these very well! 👍

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Frosty901 thank you for the kind words :-)

[@Liberty4Ever]

Thank you for this excellent educational video.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad the video helps :)

[@lesio333]

Good teaching. Thank you

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@CHP-Pan]

Brilliant video best on youtube for a beginner like me. Thank you.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad it helps!

[@robertclark3258]

Excellent information and very helpful. Thanks!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for checking it out!

[@andreyandreya5144]

excellent content, thank you. for the camera, put it on manual focus, fine tune it and it will stay nice and sharp continuously, as you are not changing the focal distance ;)

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for sharing, however, this was not an option with the setup that was used at the time of filming this video. Thankfully, this is no longer an issue

[@andreyandreya5144]

@@HelpfulLockPicker enjoying the course you've put together very much, thank you! slightly different makes of locks in the uk, hopefully, i'll be able to get the right ones to practice with

[@jimm596ify]

Hi helpful lockpicker so are you saying that you should not buy a lock without a key this is a great video thanks

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I would have to re-watch the video. I personally like having a key to the lock I am working on. It helps me verify it is working and makes servicing the lock easier

[@jimm596ify]

@@HelpfulLockPicker hi helpful lockpicker can I ask your advice can a lock still be picked if any of the springs are broken and would the key still work thanks Jim

[@adammfanning3654]

I find this very practical. Thank you

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thank you for the kind words and I'm glad it helps!

[@bodybuildinggohardorgohome8188]

A very interesting and enriching video. Thanks a lot

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad it helped!

[@Horizonhunter76]

Excellent video and always enjoy your content. This has given me a couple new ideas that hopefully help me overcome my inability to SPP! Lol I’m new to picking and have had pretty good success raking a variety of padlocks I’ve accumulated but of the very few I was able to spp it was purely sheer luck! Any suggestions on how to become better at it? Did you have a mentor or just start off with videos and books? Keep up the great work!!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I was mostly self-taught but I participated a lot on Reddit and learned a lot there. I read the PDF lock picking detail Overkill and that is what got me started. To get better it is mostly about practice, practice, practice. I highly recommend people start off on a Kwikset lock

[@TheBnelsonphoto]

This is excellent insight! Thank you.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@michaelmendillo4614]

Awesome my friend, it helps emencely to see the mechanics and mechanisms,,, TY very much ! 😁🖒🇺🇸

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad it helped!

[@Bostonrain420]

Thank you for your helpful tips...

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thanks for checking it out :-)

[@Roadshome]

Hi, great channel and you have been a fantastic help. working my way through your videos. Ive been picking about 4 months now, making slow improvements with your and locknoobs great videos as a learning source . Here's my question. bought a few cheap euro locks from ebay. one i am having problems with is I get very little feel from any of the pins. I can rake it open fairly easy, but find single pin picking impossible as the springs are so light and the pins are not tight in the holes and dont give much feedback. how would you deal with this. ?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

If there are not security pins I increase tension and you will typically get better feedback. I try to use top of keyway (TOK) when I can. Some of the euro locks have tight keyways and sometimes the pick dampens the feedback if it is scraping the warding

[@sarpgezer6772]

I've been having problems SPP'ing a lock and it feels like there is only one binding pin, but I can't get it to go up without forcing it. So my question is: how do you proceed when ther is only a single pin binding, but you can not get it to set even when (not) going easy on them? I have been able to rake the lock without problem and it is only a simple five pin lock, so I highly doubt there are security pins. PS I love your channel it is more than helpful and simply amazing

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Is it a lock with all standard pins? I might increase tension and see what happens

[@gsloan76]

Really appreciate this video. I recently began learning how to pick, after having a set of picks for well over a year. I purchased a set of practice locks from Sparrow (2, 3, 4, and 5 pins) and have been having moderate luck. The issue is, though I've been able to open all but the 5pin thus far, I haven't truly understood why it works sometimes and doesn't other times. Your breakdown of picky is very helpful. It's surprising how much easier simple changes in technique can help so much. I'm definitely a subscriber and look forward to learning more from you as I go. One question though; I have a Southord pick set (with so many different picks that I can' even comprehend yet) and, though it seems that success has much more to do with technique rather than equipment, I'm curious if you have a beginner-intermediate set that you would recommend over others? Also, if you have a preferred company for tools that you prefer? Thanks! Greg

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I use the Peterson hook 1 in 0.025" 90% of the time and the the Peterson gem in 0.018 for the other 10%. Make sure you get a good assortment of top of keyway tensioner as well

[@gsloan76]

HelpfulLockPicker Thanks man! I’ll check them out and, yeah definitely going to grab some top key way tensioners. Noticed that in your video and it appeared to make things a little easier.

[@AlbertLebel]

Great info. and now I see what you mean about the camera focusing so much.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Albert Lebel yeah, I'm not a big fan of It. That's why I try to make shorter scenes so I can cut it out

[@eagleeyeviewimages]

Nice video

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you

[@E-BikingAdventures]

Good tutorial. Thanks.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@andytap560]

I think ive bent my hook and keep Oversetting the first 2 pins.will invest it better hooks.good demo

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I hope the new set you order will help :-)

[@PickPickBoom]

Very good info! Thanks for sharing!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

thank you for the kind words I'm glad it helps

[@PickPickBoom]

@@HelpfulLockPicker I have learned a lot from your videos since I found your channel, many thanks!

[@frequencydecline5250]

This was excellent

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@jamesbaumfeld6126]

That was a very good video for beginners nice job.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

James Baumfeld Thank you for the kind words. I hope it will be helpful and I am happy to get some positive feedback:)

[@lockmania-locks]

Good info my friend, great video.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@johnanzelone1305]

Can you grind the top of the pick to get more space

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

You could reduce the shank height but it could make it more likely to snap

[@bird718]

yeah front ot back works better for me and i always thought you were suppose to pick back to front.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

It is really a matter of preference.

[@strawberryblaze8693]

17/86 videos watched!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

👍

[@AlexanderSchmidt-vn3te]

Should i use alway the deeper hook ?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

No because warding can make it hard

[@adammfanning3654]

Can you comment on “high-low, high low’s usefulness in challenge locks. Also, died the binding order give special opportunities? Thanks.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

That combination makes it easier to overset pins with the shaft of the pick

[@Leonslockpad]

Very nice my friend great info😎😎👍😊👍😊😊

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Leon's lockpad Thank you for the kind words :-)

[@RevJoe98]

What do I do if the pin just keeps being springy and doesn't ever set?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

You may need to add more tension

[@aldocoin]

which hook is that deeper hook you are using? Thanks

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I believe it is the Peterson Hook 7

[@jaywhoisit4863]

I’m frustrated. Why don’t I hear “clicks”. I hear scratchy scraping and hollow thuds. I’ve tried so many locks and this “click” just never sounds like it does on KZbin.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I do feel like the microphone picks it up a bit better than what you hear in real life. The clicks are a nice thing but you should focus mostly on the tactile feedback. That is where you are going to have the most reliable feedback which will allow you to grow faster.

[@jimm596ify]

So what is the answer if you can't get a deeper hook in the keyway

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

You can try to increase tension to help stop over setting, pick back-to-front, etc.

[@jimm596ify]

@@HelpfulLockPicker OK thanks helpful lockpicker

[@bernard512tr]

How to defeat inner and outer pins?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Maybe someday

[@raygodwin3496]

Starting from the back for added feedback especially if your having trouble going from front to back I think is a brilliant tactic. Do you ever start in the middle? Or hopefully by then your going off the feedback the lock is giving you..? Letting off tention just a really tiny bit at key points is something I just started doing and I think im starting to get what you mean about skillful tentioning..barely but its progress and shit is interesting. A lot of locks are surprisingly simple. The lock im currently trying to pick is the ABUS 83/45 series2. Been 4 days on and havnt got it yet. But ive been distrscted with life so havnt givin it that full attention a task like this deserves. ...lifes a bitch, and then you die. Thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge of the craft and opening doors in my life.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for sharing. I do try to pick from the middle sometimes. Whatever works, works. I am always just happy to get the lock open :)

[@TwistedIntentions79]

have any tools you dont need that can get me started?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

twisted intentions you can get started pretty cheaply but stay tuned for giveaways to come down the road :) banggood.com sells the cheaper supplies

[@bmbullman]

Doesn't a 7-1-5-4-1 bitting violate MACS though?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I believe Schlage has a MACS of 7 but I do not remember off the top of my head.

[@Nienna_Asyare]

I might not have been paying attention enough, but where was the false set? Edit: KZbin must be psychic or have spies or something bc the very next video I watched covered that lol

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

They are very good at that lol

[@evanschultz1439]

Is your cat purring in the background?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

It is possible

[@waylandsmith]

What you're hearing is the motor on the auto-focus on the camera.

[@jesseparent7558]

who ever thumb down don't know how to pick

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words :)