Most guides tell you to buy the biggest kit possible. That's wrong. A beginner with 8 tools learns slower than a beginner with 3. This page covers everything you need to get started — picks, practice locks, and key gear — at each stage of the hobby. What to buy, why, and in what order.
New to locksport? Start with our Lock Picking 101 guide first. Understanding single pin picking (SPP) vs raking before you buy will save you money and frustration. Then come back here.
You need a short hook, a medium hook, a rake, and two tension wrenches (top of keyway and bottom of keyway). That's it. Don't buy a 32-piece set yet — you won't know what half of it does and you'll learn nothing from raking your way through every lock. Start here, pick 20 locks, then upgrade.
Three picks made from the same steel as their premium Genesis set: short hook, wave rake, and .040" double-ended turner. Unlike every other $12 kit, these won't bend on your first session. Comes with a clear acrylic demo lock — not a practice lock, but a visualization tool so you can actually see the pins set. The most honest beginner product in the hobby.
The classic starting padlock. Four pins, no security pins, predictable feedback — exactly what you need when you're still building muscle memory. Standard brass, widely available, and a recognized white-belt target on the community ranking list. Pick it open 20 times without thinking about it. Then buy another lock.
Free. The community-maintained list of locks ranked white through red belt. Use it to know what to buy next as you progress. Your Master Lock No. 3 is a white belt lock — it's the first entry. Work your way up.
Your goal at this stage: Single pin pick (SPP) the Master Lock No. 3 open consistently — 20 times minimum. When SPP feels predictable and raking feels easy, you're ready for Tier 2.
Now you understand SPP and have some muscle memory. Time to add tools that handle security pins (serrated, spool, mushroom) and develop real tactile feedback. The cutaway lock here is the key investment — most people skip it and spend months confused about what a false set actually feels like. Don't skip it. And when you're ready to build your lock collection: eBay lock lots are the move. Search "padlock lot" — you can get 10–20 mixed locks for $20–40, which gives you variety that no single purchase can match.
A proper step-up from a starter kit — offset hooks, a Pry Bar, and an expanded rake selection, all folded into a slim booklet. Gives you the reach and geometry to deal with tighter keyways and locks that shrug off basic hooks. The Creeper Set is the alternative if you want a more minimal profile; both are solid choices at this stage.
Your first real lock with security pins. Spool pins counter rotation when you apply too much tension — so it actively fights your technique. This is where you actually learn to read feedback and manage a false set. Challenging enough to be satisfying, fair enough that you will eventually crack it.
A real lock with its shell cut away, loaded with spool driver pins. You can see the false set, feel the counter-rotation, and watch your pick work in real time. Re-pinable so you can dial difficulty up or down. Worth more than a stack of cheap padlocks for building your sense of feedback. This is how you understand what SPP on security pins actually feels like.
Your goal at this stage: Consistently pick spool pin locks. Feel the false set, manage counter-rotation, set each pin clean. Grab a mixed lot from eBay and work through different locks — variety here matters more than any single purchase.
At this point you know what you need. This tier is more of a reference for what the serious pickers are running. Tools get more specialized, more expensive, and increasingly purpose-built for specific lock families. If you're here, you already have opinions about which picks you like — these are the ones that come up most in the community.
FEA-optimized 0.019" stainless steel picks — 30% more resistance to bending than standard designs, with glass fiber-reinforced handles shaped after surgeon scalpels. Real feedback from tip to hand. The v5 includes four hooks (low flat, low round, short round, medium flat), an aggressive triple peak cycloid rake, and varied TOK tension tools. At $30, this is where your picks stop being the weak link.
Tighter tolerances, better build quality, and security pins that actually make you work for every pick. A consistent orange belt target and a genuine skill check — it picks slowly enough to demand real technique but rewards you with a very satisfying click when you get it right. A staple in serious lock collections for a reason.
Two directions from here. Dimple locks (Mul-T-Lock style) need dedicated dimple picks — Sparrows makes a solid entry-level dimple set and a compatible practice cylinder. Disc detainer (Abloy and others) requires a completely different tool and a completely different technique — standard picks do nothing. Pick one direction and go deep. Both are legitimate rabbit holes.
At this level: check the LPU belt ranking list and the TOOOL and Locksport International communities for gear discussion. What works for one person's hands and style might not work for yours — community advice matters here.
Every hat, shirt, hoodie, patch, and functional wearable we could track down — from tool companies and community clubs to concealment belts and lockpick earrings.
Scratch marks, drilled bores, impact craters — every lock tells a story. Here's how forensic locksmiths decode exactly how a breach happened, and prove it in court.
A blank key, a $15 file, and marks invisible to the naked eye. Impressioning turns a piece of brass into a working key in minutes — and most locks can't stop it.
Bump keys can open most standard pin tumbler locks in seconds and leave zero evidence. Here's exactly how the attack works — and what actually stops it.