Where to buy lock picks

There are many places you can purchase lock picks on-line without proving you are a locksmith. In fact many places cater to those who are not locksmiths. I'll list just a few here with their prices.

The sites are listed at the bottom of the page. So if you already know what you want, skip down past all of this information.

Before you go and buy a set, you should probably have some idea of what it is you're looking for. Since you're a beginner, I recommend nothing more than the absolute basic set. They normally run around $15, so if it turns out to be something you don't like, you won't be out that much. But if it does turn out to be a hobby you want to explore more, you can go back and purchase one of the $50-$100 sets and make your basic set an addition to the big one (the bigger sets are normally just multiple picks of the same type anyway). So I encurage you to get the cheapest one you can find.

There are many different types of picks. This image shows some of the common ones:

Click image to view full size

A basic set will come with just about all of these. But odds are, you won't use but two or three. The only ones I currently use are the bypass and diamond picks. The rest just stay in their case, as the two I use work on just about any lock. It's really a matter of preference, and which picks you learn to use well. So don't buy a set just because it has more variety, you'll be wasting your money.

Stay away from pick guns. They are a waste of money unless you're a locksmith that does A LOT of picking. They don't work on most locks and take quite a bit of practice to use at all. As a beginner, you'll fair much better with a basic set.

Stay away from rakes. They are basically the same as pick guns, but aren't as easy to use. Chances are a basic set will come with a rake or two, and that's OK. Just don't buy a set because it has more rakes than another. I almost never use a rake, but they can be useful if you practice with them. But for now, concentrate on pin-by-pin picking. It takes longer, but is much easier.

Stay away from jack-knife sets. These picks are all stuck together and are pretty cumbersome to use. So, again, these require more practice to use well. These types of sets are only good if you do a lot of spur-of-the-moment picking.

Get a carrying case. You'll need something to keep your picks all together. Otherwise you'll end up loosing some of them, and the really bad thing is the ones you loose are normally the ones you use most often. The good thing is that just about all sets (even the basic ones) come with a carrying case.

Here are some sites and prices:

Vendor	Product	Price
Southern Ordinance	Five piece set w/booklet	$14.95
Tech Train Productions	9 piece set (and case)	$14.00
Tech Train Productions	Economy Set (and case)	$17.00
Incite Technology	Delux Lock Pick Set (and case)	$36.95
Spy Outlet	Novice Lock Picks (and case)	$29.00
Also try any of the on-line auction sites (Ebay doesn't allow the sale of lock picks)

Currently, I recommend the Southern Ordinance five piece set. Note that these prices may change, so go to the site and make sure the price is current. Also look around for other products you may be interested it.

I've been notified that Tech-Train now requires you to be a "security professional" before you can purchase anything from them. So you should try one of the others.