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All,

I posted something on this on the buy/sell board, but I'm also posting here as it seems more appropriate on this board. So apologies for the double post.

After spending a week on two Americans 1100's and a 1205, I finally got them figured out. In the end, it's what the pros here have been saying all along - very light tension from the top of the keyway.

Because these are Americans, there are a lot of serrated pins, and it took me a while to get used to them. I know (only because I took it apart) that the 1205 also has a few spool pins. But here's what I found interesting - when I pick the locks, it's not always clear which pin is a spool and which is serrated. I thought they would feel completely different.

Of course, when I get a false set with the 1205, it's pretty easy then to figure out which pins are spool pins. But sometimes it picks without a false set, and to be honest, lifting a serrated pin doesn't always feel different than lifting a spool pin. So, in the three locks, there are some pins I know are spool, a few more I know are serrated, and the rest I really can't tell. For the 1100's I never got a false set, so I think all the pins are serrated, but you never know.

Finally, I have to say what a great site this is - on my own I don't think I would have opened the locks nearly as quickly as I did. I followed Hallis and Awol's advice, watched some of the videos, and read LockyLew's security pin guide. And with a little practice, that did the trick.

Now I gotta get more locks.

good job,man..well done! =)
sounds like you learned a lot in a very short time.

Bloody great advice there Hallis!

Thanks Hallis , those pics really spell it out !

Thanks Hallis - those pictures and the accompanying text give me something to think about. Getting the visualization down is taking it the next level and is going to take some effort.

And Wiz - thanks for the compliment, but I was just working the same three locks over and over. I don't know how I'll do when I get my next American right out of the box. I like to think it will only take a minute or two to open it, but who knows - I've learned not be surprised if it only takes a minute and not to be surprised even if it takes a couple of hours.

For the next month or two, it's back to basics for me. I've got a bunch of cylinders that I want to get through: schlage, yale, sargent, and a brand called Alarm Lock. The only ones that have security pins are the schlage with their spool pins, and they're not particularly tough. The ones that I'm having a hard time with though are the Alarm Lock cylinders. This suprises me because as there's nothing special about them. I think they have an are all 6 pin and have an Arrow keyway. Something about them just makes them tough. But it gives me something to focus on.

Hey guys, I'm recently back into the hobby, new member, can kill a Kwikset, but never knew what a security pin was, until recently reading about them. I've felt false sets but my style is that of very light tension. I never knew what was inside a lock before... Thank you key picking.com. Anyway, I digress. Now that I've seen these things I want some. But it's 6:30 sun eve, so I just made these, please tell me what you think.I'm not sure if they'll even work. PS, I don't own a lathe, so excuse the crudeness, of my design.

They should work well, and they look great!

Gordon

Those are some nightmarish looking security pins. How do they pick?

Not bad, really just added false set to the old Kwikset knock off, and a little crunchiness. Very light tension, n they added maybe 2, 3 mins to my typical 1, min pick time. I'm really an amateur, but watching, n reading on here, I guess I've developed pretty decent technique, although still untraditional according to you pros.. I'll try to get a better pic of these on here, almost sa.wed all the way through one of em... Just noticed all you can see is their profile