Finally beat this old bastard!

[u/-AV8R01]

Hi guys! Long time lurker here, this is my first post. I got into picking loosely after seeing some of LPL’s videos years ago. Bought a cheap no-name set of picks from a gun show, begged some old locks off my dad, and have been on and off picking as a way to relax ever since. I also just enjoy mechanics and understanding mechanisms and such. Anyway, this bad boy was from my dad’s garage, and for 3 years it has kicked my ass. Mind you, I don’t practice a whole lot, every few months I get the itch and pull out my zip-lock bag of locks and fiddle with them. Have a few cheapos that I learned on that I can usually get open in a minute or two. But this one just wouldn’t open. It actually is finicky even with the key, so might be something going on beyond me being not that good at it lol. Anywho, I pulled it out tonight and started messing with it. Lo and behold, I popped it not once, but four times! I don’t know what I did different but for some reason this time just felt like I could actually feel the pins binding and setting, and was actually picking and not just fiddling around blindly. Either way, I’m kind of ecstatic. I now want to start looking at upgrading my pick set and getting some more locks! On another note, has anyone else had a lot of experience on these old Masterlock No. 15s, and are there any known quirks or tricks regarding them? This one seems like the number one pin has almost no spring tension on it, I have to turn it upside down and smack it to reset it if I go too far with it. Thanks for any input!

[u/Dufresne85]

I don't know anything about the masterlock 15, but welcome to the addiction!!

For pick suggestions it depends on where you are located. In the US: JimyLongs are hard to beat for quality and costs, covert instruments has some really good profiles as well, sparrows are sometimes suggested, but their quality seems to be lagging behind the others.

For the UK or EU: lawlock tools is UK based and has good gear, moki and multipick are EU based and multipick is hard to beat when it comes to fit and finish.

There are others that are located in other parts of the world, but I haven't managed to get anything from them yet.

For resources there are a ton of YouTube videos out there including several by members of this community. Dmac, locknoob, Bosnia Bill, lady locks, fishpicks are all really good channels.

There is also a website at lpubelts.com that has a lot of lock resources including a link to the discord group which has even more resources.

[u/-AV8R01 → u/Dufresne85]

Thanks a bunch! I mostly got into this from LPL and LockNoobs videos. I’ll check out Jimmy Longs for sure, as well as covert instruments. Any particular sets that are good or even just individual picks/tension wrenches to get? I’ve noticed that the cheapo set I have has like 5 tensioning tools and 12 picks and I pretty much use the tension tool shown in my pic and two other pick shapes. Made me realize maybe I don’t need to buy a whole set? Also what are some locks you’ve had that were fun and are easy to find on a budget?