020 Does polishing your lockpicks improve their performance?
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2021
- Many pickers spend the time and effort to bring their picks to a mirror finish, but
does polishing your lockpicks improve their performance?
In this episode, I take a rough blank and test it both before and after the polishing process to see if it makes any difference to my ability to open a lock. I'll also take you step by step through the way I polished my first pick in case you'd like to try it yourself.
#locksport
#lockpicking
Having been picking for around 60 years, (retired locksmith) and for many years have used mainly Peterson picks, I do like my picks polished. However, only in a certain way. I polish the sides to a mirror finish, and also the top edge to a fine finish, and both inner and outer curves of the hook. I don't polish the tip, or round it off, as it tends to slip off the pins. Also I put a fine finish on the bottom edge of the pick, but do not round it off, rather leave it "squarish" as it will grip or sit on a tapered part of the warding, rather than tending to slip off. Your test lock I believe has a Schlage cylinder. On the left side is a piece of tapered warding that you will almost surely pick from. A pick rounded off on the bottom will tend to slip off this piece of warding. All this is not critical, I know, but because we lever the pick from the bottom, whether the pins are at the top or bottom, it's best if the pick does not become too "slippery". Just my two cents worth ...
They are two cents of hard won experience and therefore priceless! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this detailed comment. Very helpful info 🙌
Thank you for this!
This community rocks! Can't wait to get started. Got two sparrows orders coming. A pick set, and a practice lock :)
Eventually I'll collect different locks but wanted something reliable to get started with.
I appreciate you very scientific approach to this. I also appreciate you making note of possible issues with the data. All around an excellent video, thank you for making it.
Another very well polished video Fish. Have a fantastic weekend.
Haha see what you did there - ‘polished video’ - very nice! Cheers Daz 🙏
I use pretty much the same exact polishing routine as you. I believe I picked this up from BosnianBill. I do believe it makes a difference however I also think that there is some placebo effect at play as well. My experience with Peterson picks is that most come shipped in the same condition or worse. I use both Multipick and Law Lock Tools now and have given away all my Peterson’s after a poor customer support experience. I’ll leave it at that. Excellent video as always, your production quality is top level and your topics are spot on. Take care and stay safe!
Cheers Jim. Interesting that you had that negative experience - not great, given how small our community is, the word will get around. Hopefully they’ll sort themselves out! I agree that the placebo effect may well be in play too!
Had a very poor customer experience as well. And, I will add, Peterson picks are very good but I won't be purchasing any more. It's important to provide both a good product and customer experience. One or the other isn't enough. Great video Fish.
Bosnian Bill in episode (1522) Review: Peterson Mayor GSP Pick Kit: czcams.com/video/JYoBmxA12WM/video.html put out just about the most damning review I have ever seen. Gave away ALL of his Peterson picks. Every damned one in the Lock Lab. So I don't think he's real happy with Peterson either.
I've been enjoying your channel quite thoroughly since discovering it on my lunch break today and I've been hooked since. Excellent topics not found on other channels.
As a silversmith, I use a felt pad and jeweler's rouge for fine metal polishing. Another slightly coarser abrasive is called Tripoli. Both work well on a Dremel felt pad, and will cut slower and finer than sandpaper. Cutting slower is faster if you factor in the ruined pieces that necessitate repeat builds
i havent gotten mine ,mirror polish, but from what i gathered is the rough finishing vs a good smoothing down of the pick does help, you have less drag and you can have less drag with the pick fitting better in the keyway without it being clunky. this is because the rounded ends having more addle than one that has not been smoothed out and could get caught with the sharp corners of the key warding or whatever that may present a hurdle. im a savage so i kinda either let it go as is or try to take down the edge with some 600 or 800 grain. i'm so new to it and got so much to learn, the videos out there and discussion can be mind boggling, i agree its all to what feels better to you and which gives you more comfort on being successful. great video sir once again!! stay safe and stay well!!!
Thanks mate - really great comment 🙏
@@fishpicks4531 im an old tower hand, an old dog willing to learn new tricks and yet make it work with what i have in front of me/or with me. my blessings to you sir and you are quite welcome
Thanks mate - sorry Inmissed this comment at the time when you first posted it 🙌
Hi mate. Another great video.👍 As an Engineer I know polishing can make a big difference. The removal and polishing of any sharp edges will improve the longevity of the tool. Nicks, pits and sharp edges are where cracks and stress fractures will originate causing early failure. It will also improve feedback as you wont feel so much friction between the pick and the warding. I would definitely recommend making it a habit. Not just on new picks but maintain that sheen on your favs too. 👍
That’s a great point Jeff - longevity as well as utility. Another good reason to get polishing I guess! 🙌
I have received a few tools from _Peterson_ over the years that clearly got past quality control and should not have been sold. Some were as you received, not tumbled to a usable finish, while others were not placed in the handle correctly, being quite crooked. Benita at _Peterson_ always sends me replacements, no questions asked, but I do feel that their quality control is somewhat lacking for products I consider more costly than they ought to be.
Regarding polishing picks - Yes, this is required for most tools. Feedback is more pronounced and the pick glides easier across pins and slides by warding smoothly. This is not only true with hooks, but rakes are also more effective when polished.
Have a good day!
Cheers... :)
Thanks Jeff - great feedback 🙌
@@fishpicks4531
You are very welcome, Sir.
Excellent! Thank you for such a detailed, informative video. I'd never considered polishing my picks but its something i'm going to try for sure. I'm very new to picking, but anything that will help me along the way is really appreciated.
Thanks again buddy, All the best, Jay
Good info. I will now have to polish my picks. Thanks!
Cheers John - nothing quite like shiny picks 😉
Great video, and one of the better ones out there for how to do this. Agree with some other user’s feedback, I do no like stock video/images, and think the video would be better without them. Regardless I am grateful for the content and will definitely be checking out your other videos
Thanks Justin. I appreciate that the stock footage is not for everyone but I also get feedback from those who enjoy them - guess it’s just a style issue. There are times when a piece of stock video can fill a gap or convey something I don’t have footage for so it can be of practical use. Anyway - guess I will keep making the content that I enjoy and hope that you can tolerate the odd clip! 😉
great test and explanation, only the overuse of stock-videos annoys me a little, but thats personal preference.. keep up the good work!
It’s a tricky balance Thomas - there are some topics where stock footage gives me a chance to use a metaphor or illustrate a concept not easily shown otherwise. As you say, it’s personal preference really and so I tend to make the kind of content I enjoy watching. Hope I get the balance right most of the time - appreciate the feedback 🙌
I had the exact same problem with my Peterson .018 picks. They were brand new, and looked and felt quite un-finished (if that's a word). You can do a little test by by taking 2 picks from a high quality set, each in one hand, and then rub the thin ends of both picks against each other in a rotating motion. Properly finished picks will feel smooth and hardly make a sound. Now do the same with 2 Peterson picks, and not only will you feel the imperfections in your fingertips, but you can also hear the two picks grind against each other as if there's dust or sand in between the two. And yes, a bit of sanding and polishing will dramatically improve the feedback you will get when picking.
Ah that’s interesting - so a more common issue than I thought. Thanks for that tip 🙌
Fish delivers another excellent video! Thanks for sharing your research on this topic!
My pleasure - thank YOU for your continued support 🙌
This is awesome
I've always wondered how people hand-finish their picks, I'll definitely be trying these techniques on some of my older and rougher examples. Great video as always, thanks for sharing 👍
My pleasure mate - glad it was helpful 😉
Great idea as always bud
Thanks mate 🙏
Always good stuff. Cheers.
Thanks mate - appreciate that 🙌
Great video as usual fish !
Thanks mate 🙌
Yet another polished video from Fish Picks!!! Thanks for the tips and information.
Haha much appreciated! 😂
I have a set of Lawlock picks and yes Fish, they are top quality that don’t need to be polished on receipt.
Yep they are great quality tools - love mine 🙌
Interesting results and a great presentation, as always I thoroughly enjoyed that- thank you.
As I'm starting to play about and adapt tools myself, I shall be reading the comments, to 'pick' up any useful tips.😁👍
Thanks Pete - yes, I'll be watching the comments carefully for missed gems too!
I was recently thinking about trying to polish my first Amazon kit to see if that could improve thing (and also thinning them to be able to use them outside of the acrylic padlock that was with them), I had some ideas on how the polishing was done, but your video completed them perfectly! Thank you for it and for your feedback about polishing!
My pleasure Kane - let me know how you get on 😉
I'm a fan of using a 1000 grit sandpaper on all new picks. I'm not interested in a shiny pick but do like getting any little burrs off the pick.
Yes, I think it’s just a question of degree isn’t it? 😉
Brilliant test mate.
Well done.
Sharp edges can definitely hinder the picking process and the amount of feedback
Further I firmly believe it can cause difficulties as the pick can snag inside the lock.
Thanks for sharing you did a great job polishing that "Gem"
Stay well
Thanks - I need to set the time aside to polish some of the other picks now - they’re getting jealous!
Another good vid, you will have a great library if you keep at it!🎉🔑
No intention of quitting any time soon 😉
Very awesome, I’ll have to see if it help, never polished my picks before
Let me know if you notice any difference 🙏
This should be an obligatory video to watch for newcomers, who often start with cheap Chinese picks which even more benefit from getting a good finish.
Cheers Erich - glad you liked it 🙌
😀 great video!!!
First I would say that that Peterson’s pick looks like it may have passed the quality control unnoticed. Have not seen Peterson’s picks that rough.
The process you used worked wonders!!
The feedback and tension are the most important part of picking for me.
I would say the improved picking is well worth the time spent polishing picks!!!
Great information and results!!!!
Stay safe my friend
🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾😷🇬🇧
I thought that might be the case Chris because they have such a good reputation normally. Well, it allowed me to carry out this experiment so I’m rather glad 😃 Take care mate and love to Suki 🙏😻
@@fishpicks4531 yes it did give a good opportunity to learn how to fine Finnish a pick!! Will serve you well when you go to make your own custom pick!!!!👍
🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾😷
Another interesting video. I did some attempts to sand the picks ( got a pack with variety of sandpaper online) as it was recommended by the giants. I haven’t gotten to the ultra shine level, but after this video I will give it another session. It makes total sense to get improved feedback, although I am still way to new to pick up on it I am sure.
With those tools it really is easy Rob and pretty quick too. Give it a crack mate 🙌
Kerpeesh suggests going up to 3000 and 5000 grit paper for that shiny, shiny mirror surface.
I typically don't polish the surface of the part of the pick I engage the pins with. It's my impression that a little traction on the slightly flattened tip helps keep me from slipping off pins, while polishing the sides, top & bottom, and rounding off the square edges elsewhere improves my ability to guide the pick through tight warding as well as reducing the friction that damps feedback.
Ah that’s an interesting approach and makes good sense. Thanks for sharing this tip 🙌
Nice look at picking results b4 and after.
Cheers - hopefully the results will be more consistent over time 😉
Great video my friend, I only polish the picks I make but if they are rough I sand them smooth
I hope to make my own picks one day - thanks for taking the time to watch and for commenting 🙌
Interesting video as always. I like where you're going with these videos with different topics, which haven't been covered. On a side note could there be a psychological aspect here as well maybe? If you believe a polished pick works better, maybe it will! Placebo effect.
Absolutely that could be a factor. Expectation can be huge in affecting outcome. Thanks for the observation 🙌
Another great video I will be trying this out for myself I just received a new batch of picks from sparrows it will be the perfect time for this
Good stuff Mike - let me know how you get on 🙌🏻
Nice video! I polish all my picks. I’m not sure if it makes a difference. But when you pick like I do... You need every advantage you can get. Even if it’s just a 1% increase in improvement.
Haha absolutely - me too. Capitalise on every edge you can - that's a sound approach!
Glad you mention that book trick, lol i managed to stab myself once on a half diamond that took forever to heal lol
As a side note to earlier comment, I will adopt the idea of timed picking sessions. I know B Bill does 10 minute sessions. I think that structure can help with progress.
For me it gave me a clear focus and allowed me to clock volume which can be helpful when learning core competencies.
I have found that the felt-like sanding wheels for the dremel work very well for the inner nooks and crannies, especially rakes and deep hooks. I'm also not a metallurologist but I'm pretty sure that the danger heat range is accompanied by a colour change.
Yes I think you’re right Allyn - a good friend of mine is a blacksmith and when I’ve helped out in the forge he has shown me that process.
I'm still waiting for my set to arrive, however I already bought the wet sandpaper and polishing paste. I just don't have a buffing wheel so I am reduced to what I can do with a cloth and my hand.
Thanks
I've never used picks that I haven't at least sanded the edges smooth.
Sounds like a smart approach 🙌
I just got the Vegas 4 pack on 5_1-24. I had same problem
I think most Peterson picks get missed at the qc stage.... this being said I always gravitate towards my Peterson picks 🤷♂️
Yeah they feel nice in hand and the profiles seems solid - the finish is disappointing but nothing I can’t work around as I think this video shows 😉
Very thorough test mate. I have Peterson picks, about 3yrs old and none look like that. I have heard their quality control is random. Mine are not polished. 🍺👍😎🇦🇺
Well, it gave me a chance to learn a new skill so it’s all good 😉
It's nuts how hit or miss Peterson's picks can be.
Yeah I’m starting to get that impression - had 3 arrive today and all are fine!
@@fishpicks4531 If you bought the picks from Think oeterson or Peterson international then I would recommend contacting them. I've had to call them a few times and they're always very nice.
Awesome vid! What microscope did you use to look at the pick?
It was a pretty cheap USB microscope I picked up on Amazon - I like it because it films Bluetooth to my phone in 1080 so the quality is decent enough for these kinds of projects;.
Interesring! How does the peterson fair against a LLT bijou?
Intresting test. I have smoothed out picks before. Never with that atension to detail. And never with a good quality pick. I have only ever noticed a difference with cheap nasty picks. My petersons picks came well finished out the box.
This might just be me. Im not picky haha👍
Well, as I said on the video, I ‘think’ this helped but will need to try with more picks to really know 😉
@@fishpicks4531 id be intrested to know your future findings. I know smoothing out my chinese picks made a massive difference. Id imagine the poorer quality the pick, the bigger the difference. Just a guess tho
Yes that would make sense I think. I’m sure I’ll come back to this topic on the channel at some point.
@@fishpicks4531 il keep an eye out👍
Teach me ❤
In my experience, most picks (except Multipick and Law Lock picks) need to be touched up a little before they slide smoothly in the keyway. However, I usually only take some 600 grit sandpaper and try to knock off burs and excessive roughness. I’m not sure how much benefit I’d get out of a finer polish. That said, I think the more your pick has to slide against warding, the more benefit you’ll get out of the smooth surface. So perhaps I should polish a couple of picks and try them in the tight warding situations where I know feedback is dulled by that friction. I can certainly say that in one Yale keyway in particular, I had a very hard time picking using my normal every-day picks, but was able to pick it open several times once I had switched to my Multipicks even though I was using essentially the same profiles.
With the right tools, I really don’t think it’s that onerous a process - can be done while listening to an audio book 😉
Going to try this on some of my Petersons this week! What would you suggest as a non-Dremel alternative to applying the polish?
Well I will be reviewing a mini-lathe that I have started using in a few weeks but if you have no power tools then just use finer and finer grain wet and dry papers and you can achieve the same outcome.
@@fishpicks4531 Ah OK! Thanks Fish!!
I would be shocked if the original condition of that pick wasn't a qc mess up. But I'd be even more surprised to hear any picker of any experience level say that the finish of the pick doesn't play a role in it's effectiveness. Your results are correct, it makes a difference 😉
Thanks for the confirmation Charles 🙌
It can't reasonably hurt, since there are fewer sharp edges to catch the warding, and since it is so simple and qyick I don't see why not. Even if the increase in performance is miniscule.
I have only finished mine to the point where they feel silky smooth to the touch, though. And my Multipick set was already tumbled to that level which was nice!
I’m sure that there are diminishing gains from that point onwards anyway 🙌
I made myself a polishing video some time ago, a little more "amateur" style in comparison to your one. Polishing definitely helps !
That’s a useful confirmation - thanks. Listen, never feel shy about promoting a link to one of your own videos - I want us to link and make connections between channels 😉
@@fishpicks4531 i wasn't trying to promote my video as i have a very small channel and also can't make video like yours, very well made and a great attention to presentation amd detail. Also speaking english for me is a nightmare and a struggle and i think that my accent really makes you english people laugh a lot !you have a very good microscope, what about a video on magnifiers and microscopes (and little details that make the difference ) ?
@@paolafrege7766 sure - happy to do that Paola - and you should know I love accents - I think you’d find the community is far more receptive than you might think. 😉🙏
I wouldn’t overthink this. For a minimal amount of time investment, there is no reason to NOT do this. Except maybe....
I hesitate to point this out, but as the requisite pedantic arse around here, I feel I must. Also, I just watched an older video from Lock Noob (whom I love, BTW; learned more from him than all other channels combined) where he spent many minutes discussing two hooks, which were identical except for 0.002” of thickness.
Yes, these are the things I think about.
If you sand the hooks as you’ve shown, there is a potential to create a “distal taper” in the shaft. Meaning the tip will be thinner than the base of the shaft near the handle. This is because you are inserting it from the outside, towards the spine of the (small) book so pressure is going to be higher near the tip. Also, as you pull it in and out, the tip is in continuous contact with the wet/dry while the back part of the shaft is only in contact for a short period of the sanding stroke. How much thinner? Not sure. Does it matter? Not sure.
You’ve got a couple things going for you. First, I think you started out with 600 grit, which is already pretty fine. So your material removal should be minimal. Also, I think that Gem is 0.018” so you’ve got some room until you get to 0.015” where most of the other Euro picks are!
Some other things you could do. Get a bigger book! Or find some way to equally distribute the down-force on the shaft. And move the shaft perpendicular to how you’re doing it now (side to side instead of in and out). You could ditch the sandpaper in favor of a whetstone, ceramic stone, or diamond stone and do one side at a time. This would be an absurd move unless you already have these stones for knife sharpening. But they do give you other physical configurations to work with, and will make quick work of either carbon steel or stainless steel picks.
Regardless, REGARDLESS, there are huge advantages to polishing, including some that weren’t mentioned like saving wear and tear on locks (Yes, I’m looking at you, bogota rake) so the rest of it is just a mental exercise.
Lastly, you don’t need to worry about blowing the temper on the steel. Not that it costs you huge amounts of time and resources to dunk it in water. Just saying that annealing, hardening, and tempering temperatures for both high carbon “spring steel” like Multipick uses, and stainless steel are several hundred degrees C. And in the case of tempering (making softer) you need to sustain them at those temperatures for long periods of time. Bottom line: if you can touch it with bare fingers, you are fine. Conceivably, because that is 300-series stainless, I guess you could work harden the steel and make it brittle, but I don’t believe buffing, polishing or hand sanding is going to create enough deformation to work harden it either.
That was your pedantic arse moment for the day. Thank you. I’ll be here through Wednesday; two shows on Friday and Saturday. Don’t forget to tip your server.
Haha I have all the time in the world for pedants provided they are also well informed which you clearly are so thanks for another great comment. As it happens I do have blade sharpening equipment (4 years training as a wilderness survival instructor) but wanted to make the video for what most people would likely have in their garage so my Japanese whetstone kit stayed under wraps! As for your other points - well made and duly noted 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 Well, as I once heard Lock Noob say, cor blimey! Next your going to tell me you carry around a Jacklore Classic. (Please tell me you carry around a Jacklore Classic)
Although your experiment wasn't a n=1 type, it wasn't perfect either. However very interesting. I guess you would have to have a random set of people to pick the same locks with or without the polished tool to be definitive. When I saw the note book cover with the bicycle I thought you were an aficionado of the cult 1960's series The Prisoner, only to later realise that I had myself misremembered the symbology of the series, it should have been a penny farthing, not a normal common and garden bicycle. BTW watch The Prisoner if you can and haven't or have already.
A classic series Philip - so you guessed my interest, even if the symbology wasn’t quite what you assumed!
@@fishpicks4531 awesome
I want that pic, that art, on my wall. 7:05
It can be arranged! But I’m sure we can come up with something better 😉
1:06
I'd be pretty appalled if the 8$ USD lock pick I bought came to me looking like that. Sadly, this is far from an isolated incident.
czcams.com/video/OLsOAK9Dg34/video.html
Tighten it up, Kenny!
Finishing a pick to a mirror shine may very well help in the picking process, how ever I shine my picks for an even more important reason! What that is you may ask? Well, you see I'm just an OK picker and not sure I'll ever be ready for the "big leagues" however I do have 2 major things going for me, my modesty and my good looks! When I hit those picking "walls" as we all do sometimes, I just angle the pick to reflect back at me. It's then that I remind myself that I may not be the best picker but I'm sure as hell one good looking guy. And you know what? Life is good....
Haha - in my case that wouldn’t quite achieve the same results but I like your thinking! 😂
you can start at 1000 grit . anything lower is just unneccesary and takes off too much material
How did you get so many subscribers so quickly?
No magic formula mate - just trying to put out consistent content which is decent quality and hoping the community likes what it sees. I post on Facebook forums so people know the vids are up and the rest is out of my hands 😉
@@fishpicks4531 I really do need to make a point of posting more consistently especially now that I've got better lighting. Once I can get a better camera setup I'll look into promoting my videos more off of youtube. Thank you for the advice.
@@lockhak33 pleasure mate - if you ever want any advice on CZcams stuff, just email me and we’ll set up a video call 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 thank you I'll keep that in mind
@@fishpicks4531 I'm going to try to record a new video today. It's actually video 100 for me. It would be great if you could watch it and give me feedback. I'm normally looking for constructive/useful feedback.
I have a set of Peterson picks And they are horrible
Interesting - many people swear by them so I wonder what’s going on?
Paterson got lazy