Clear Practice Padlock for Lock Picking Training

Starter padlock

It was a present to a newbie, I found it a useful tool to explain visually

Avoid

As a new comer to lock picking, I thought I'd get this beginner practice lock. It arrived with 2 keys, in a nice little case, I set to work with a tension tool and shallow pick to start looking and feeling for the pins, I popped the lock, yay, tried again just with the pick at the back pins, pop. I then tried without the tension tool and just pushed the pick in and turned it, pop. This is not teaching me a thing, other then a look inside a lock. Annoyingly this is now a £13 paperweight

Nice training padlock, but too easy...even for beginners.

I had read some of the other reviews which said that this lock is too easy, but decided to take the plunge anyway, since at the time I had only one lock to practice with. It's a nice looking lock, and it's interesting to see the internals, but I must agree that it is way too easy...even for a beginner. Within the first five minutes of taking out of the box, I was able to 'rake' it open more quickly than using the key - about one second! Single pin picking took me about four to five seconds. I had been reading about pin tumbler locks for several weeks before I began picking, so I had a rough idea as to what was going on inside regarding the key pins/driver pins etc, therefore the ability to see the pins 'in action' was not as great of a benefit as I had thought. If it were a 're-pinnable' lock, then this would most certainly extend the usability, but would of course cost more. I would only recommend this lock to those who have never picked a lock, and have no knowledge of the internal workings of pin tumbler locks, otherwise it is simply far too easy! Cannot fault UKBumpkeys however - they're service is excellent! Many thanks.