What locks to use to teach beginners

[abroxis]

After picking for a long time I have a hard time backing it up dealing with beginning pickers.

I am looking for suggestions for good locks for beginners to learn on.

I will be giving several sets of Kwiksets as Xmas presents and I plan on having them pinned with 1 pin , 2 pins , 3 pins etc.

What pin combinations would be most helpful in teaching dealing with the high low combinations and other combinations .

[LockManipulator]

The way i teach people with my limited materials is have high low bitting in a 4 or 5 pin cutaway kwikset. I use a 4 pin cutaway kwikset and then after they can do that without looking, i have a masterlock #1 and #3 for them. After that, 5 pin kwikset and 5 pin schlage. Then i teach security pins with a 6 pin schlage cutaway and then repin the 5 pin schlage with security pins. The harder the lock they learn on, the easier it will be for them to advance to harder locks later.

[Josh66]

I never had any cutaways or locks pinned with less than the normal amount of pins - mostly I guess because I taught myself and did a lot of reading. I think it probably slowed my learning a little, but at the same time it made what I did learn stay with me...

I've only tried to teach one other person to pick locks, and that was very successful. He picked it up faster than I did, which I guess was to be expected, since he had my experience to learn from.

I think I started him out on some low security mortises and SFIC's (Corbin, Falcon, Yale, etc) , fully pinned (no security pins though). Once he was comfortable with that, I moved on to a Brinks lock with a few spools, then once he had that down, a Yale with 5 spools (6 pin lock).

After it was clear that he understood the principles and was able to pick low security locks consistently, we moved on to restrictive keyways and security pins. I think now, he's at the same level as I am - which means there isn't a whole lot left for me to teach him. I'm confident that if I can pick it, he can too. He picked it up a lot faster than I did, but I like to think that the knowledge I gave him was a factor in that. His pick making skills are not quite on par with mine - haha - but he can certainly make a usable pick.

I feel like I brought him up to speed very quickly, but now he's more or less on his own, as I am... I taught him everything I know, and now we're both stuck at the same plateau.
What took me a year to learn, I taught him in a few months. I'm not sure how much credit I can really take though - he just needed a little guidance to pick it up.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not sure if cylinders with only a few pins in them really help. Once they know what is happening inside the lock, I see no reason to use fewer pins than the lock would normally have in it.


But, like I said, that option wasn't available to me, so I don't really know how much it helps.

[GWiens2001]

In my humble opinion, the advantage beyond 2 pins in progressive pinning of locks is that while it is not that much harder to do each additional pin, it is a huge morale boost. And morale helps keep someone interested. Only have used progressive pinning with two people I have taught. The first, whom I only taught the basics to, quickly progressed, and can do intermediate locks. The other person I am teaching with progressive pinning so I can SLOW DOWN his learning! It is my son, and Mommy does not want him learning too fast. But it is a Sargent mortice lock, so at least Jeff is smiling. Arn't you, Jeff?

Gordon

[Oldfast]

I think it's absolutely wonderful any time I see someone giving their time to try n' help somone learn this stuff!

Just some quick, random thoughts on my part really.

If they are 'truly' beginners (like very first time), I would consider taking high-low bittings (or much of ANY variations for that matter) out of the equation entirely. No variation at all are really needed to begin grasping the first couple concepts, and could in fact even hinder progress. When you're brand new, learning to identify binding pins, and learning to lift them to the shearline... is enough of a task as it is. No need to complicate matters more than they already are. Let them become familiar with binding order, the feel of hitting the shearline, the feel of overlifting, etc. Once there's an understanding of these things, you could mix in some high-low bittings. After that it might be time to introduce some sec-pins?

In regards to a progressive pinning scenario: Seems to me it would be beneficial in the long run to start them in the back of the lock and progressively work their way out to the front as more pins are added. Initially, a lock with a pin in chamber 1 would certainly help someone grasp the concept visually. (Being able to SEE the pin, the pick placement underneath it, the pin being lifted, feel as it hits the shearline, and so on). But after that, start in the back. I think it would help force my mind to develop and rely upon my touch. It'll also be easier to start in uncharted terrritory while there's only one pin there, rather than all five. It would also give them time to get themselves acclimated to the keyway & their pick movement while it's that deep in the lock.

[Josh66]

Let them become familiar with binding order, the feel of hitting the shearline, the feel of overlifting, etc.

Overlifting was the hardest thing for me to describe to someone that doesn't already know what it is... I guess that is one case where a cutaway would help a lot.

I think a lot of people starting out assume that each 'click' they hear when they release tension was a set pin. It took me a while to get the idea across that some of those clicks were probably overlifted pins.

[GWiens2001]

Or driver pins that were bound and lifted, but not yet up to the shear line.

@Oldfast - I like your idea of pinning from the back to force the person to get used to maneuvering in the keyway. I will remember that.

Gordon

[Volunteer]

Speaking from the perspective of someone who is self-taught, a 30mm Brinks High Secuirty padlock, the brass ones, smaller, but not luggage lock size, is what I learned on first. I found that it was very beneficial to rapidly improving my skills in a short period of time. After learning to SPP on that Brinks, deadbolts and door knob locks seemed absolutely easy. I cant overstate this enough though, the thing that really developed my feel was learning on homemade tools (paperclips, bobby pins, etc). After picking one of those brass Brinks with a bobby pin and a paperclip, your hands will feel magical with a set of professional tools.