What’s the best and fastest method to really master lock picking? The conventional wisdom is that it’s best to start simple – with only one or two pins – and slowly add pins one at a time as you are able to consistently pick the lock at each step.
When you lift a pin with your pick, the goal is to have that pin catch at the shear line. For more information on how to pick locks, visit our How to Pick Locks guide here. The slight “click” felt when this happens is very slight. This happens with a movement of a few ten-thousandths of an inch. It’s barely perceivable and even seasoned lock pickers often miss it.
This tiny bit of feedback from the lock is easier to feel with only two pins in the lock. The amount of movement possible by the plug is more – not a lot more; but when we’re talking about a few ten-thousandth’s of an inch every little bit counts.
The other value in starting a lock with only a few pins and adding pins slowly is that you get some early wins.
We’ve heard back from our customers on several occasions that our lock is difficult to pick with 6 pin stacks. The lock we use has close tolerances. Starting with 6 pins can be frustrating and can take a long time to learn. It’s hard to have a good time learning something new when it’s frustrating.