Ah, The Sandman does it again with a comprehensive review, good context, and no nonsense. Chordettes theme song, sensible content, organized presentation--what's not to like? Thanks for providing reliably informative videos.
I used plastic card and covered it with glow in the dark tape. It works very well but if you charge it with picks in the case they will leave a shadow where the light doesn't reach. Best to charge the card outside of the case before a physical pen test. If you like the Velcro but kill the noise, just get a piece of female Velcro to cover the male Velcro. You can always remove it later when you want to use the Velcro. BTW Velcro is a legal brand name, not all hook & loop is made by Velcro. But I won't sue you. lol
I wish I'd found this video before I decided to jump in with both feet. Your Tims scale really helped put my wants and needs into perspective. I still wound up spending a grip (and kinda working backwards, maybe), but I feel like my budding collection makes a lot better sense with what I've been learning from you and other established lock pickers. Thanks!
Thanks friend! There are much better pickers out there than me, but ive gone broke more than most buying these fun toys. Sometimes we have to simmer down and just buy what we can afford, and knowing what is worth buying within that price bracket is a great place to start. It keeps us from making mistakes. Thanks for watching!
I use the Creeper case as my edc, but the picks inside are Jimy Longs hooks and gem, a Peterson decoder, and a wicked waves rake. The bottom slot currently holds some Moki Z wrenches, and my treasured Raimundo bogies. I only wish I could fit a hall pass in there somewhere. I wish Sparrows made a Creeper case XL, something just a smidge bigger. I don't find Sparrows pick handles comfortable, Jimy Longs sets the standard imo.
When they first rolled out I sent them an email suggesting it be made of mica so people could use the plastic insert as a latch slip. I’m still bummed they didn’t roll it out lol.
@@sandman_locksport lmbo even a blind squirrel finds a nut every so often lol. But thank YOU for making great content worth watching! I always enjoy your perspective.
Glad to see you not bashing so hard on sparrows but I'm pretty sure on using the caliper your supposed to use the very tip since you have it zeroed out of the tip...
I heard you said you’re going to cabinet school I build these for a living. Maybe if you ever get out to Missouri I might be able to get you a tour at one of our buildings. 🎉
Thanks I did the cabinet building for a year in school and was a luthier as well, but I’m now just focusing on doing this full time. Glad someone is out there doing the woodworking. We need more woodworkers
I agree, and I disagree. The common terminology for that material is Velcro. Therefore, it is acceptable to call it that. Nobody’s getting sued for saying something is Velcro when it doesn’t come from the Velcro factory. It’s been common terminologies for 30 years. Just my two Cents. Thanks for watching!
Hey Sandman, I’m getting anxious while I wait on my set to arrive to Hawaii - curious - you think that this kit would fit in a Genesis (Tradecraft) pick case along with 4 handleless .20 picks? I’m trying to figure out which case I’ll be carrying more… I currently just have the mostly empty carrying case that I’m going to need to fill up
It might fit. They’re the same size case but the problem with the tradecraft case is, it wasn’t designed to hold another brand tools, so a lot of sparrows tools just fall out, and people complain about it not understanding it was never designed to hold their tools.
Good question, probably better to ask a locksmith, I havnt worked as one since 2010. In my most humblest of opinions, the HPC Switch Blitz would be the one I would buy for my home or van if I was a working smith. Not the best for cutting 500 keys a day on, I would go with a different one for that, but the Switch Blitz can not only duplicate most keys (non automotive, unless you also purchase automotive jaws for it) but it will also let you cut keys to code, and that is where the money is. The ability to cut keys to code, for various locks, is something a key duplicator cannot do. You can rekey a lock, and cut it to any code you want, either from a database, or from your imagination. The Switch blitz does both, but its almost $3,000. 10 years ago it was half that. Again, best to ask a modern day locksmith.
Another great video and thanks for sharing. It's all good information about picks and what to look for. I do hope in the future you will consider the Sparrows Dark Shift pick set. I have one and really enjoy it. It's thin and you can stuff all those into the pouch and with the extension sets get a pretty comprehensive lock opening set covering combs and rakes along with wafer picks.
@@sandman_locksport Thanks man! I totally understand about small but I didn't like to stuff a huge pick set into my pocket all the time. Jimy Long picks definately fit my hands better by far.
Another excellent review. I've been going through these all and was wondering your thoughts on Sparrows lockpicks. Unfortunately, the designs that they use are dated from all the way back to old HPC standards which include poor shaft maintenance design where bends can be more prone at the halfway point due to the sharp taper rather than the now common gradual taper (see Jimy or Moki picks). Either way, the 301 FH (and yes, it's full hard, but rolled in a special way to make it stronger than say southord's or southern specialties) that sparrows uses is entirely fine for the strength but I would like them to update their profiles at least to remove the area that is affected, especially considering everything that came out in 2018 and later (see monstrum, custom picks like the medusa and monkey paw, etc) does not have this shaft issue. I don't hate the pick choice, but also four rakes (of which the bogota and worm are basically the same rake) feels a bit sad for 50 dollars US. That's a lot of money and you can get eight hooks from Jimy, or six hooks and a tension set from Moki for that much.
I 100% agree with your assessment. I ended up giving this set away to a friend, and purchasing another creeper case, but with the 4 wave rakes, a bogota, 3 half diamonds, and 2 short hooks in .015", and 6 tension wrenches. its the best I can do with their product line. I'm happy with it, but you definitely need to know what your doing before custom ordering from sparrows like that. I dont care for their sets anymore. And the quality of the new creeper case seems lacking compared to the one reviewed in this video that is 3 years old. Thanks for watching and thank you for your comment.
Just found your channel. Really appreciate the thorough and informative reviews. In this video, you talk a lot about profession. I am a penetration tester and am getting more frequently assigned to physical pentests, so I thought it's about time I get into lockpicking. However, there's so much information and products out there, it's overwhelming. With that said, would you recommend this set to a penetration tester who does physical assessments? Someone "in the field" who may only have a few minutes to pick open a cabinet lock or server room door during an engagement. Further, what other sets or specific tools would you recommend for that purpose? A quick reply here would be appreciated, but perhaps it's an even better video topic? Thanks in advance!
Hey, thanks for subscribing. I would highly recommend covert instruments genesis and the echelon sets, together they make a complete set, come with a case, best turning tools on the market, best steel on the market, and the profiles are best on market. The rakes are the absolute best, I slayed 33 locks on a love lock bridge last night with them. And a benefit of using that brand, they have an entire ecosystem of tools for commercial and residential entry. Lishi tools and commercial bypass tools. Just my 2 cents
@@sandman_locksport Thanks very much. That was a huge help and really cleared things up. I initially was reading through the Lockpicking Reddit, but they all seem like they strangely consider buying CI tools blasphemy. Seemed like a weird, unjustified bias. I decided to go with the Arbiter, Genesis, and Echelon from CI, plus the Entry Specialist bundle since I saw it was on sale for $40, and the Hammerless Hinge Pin Removal Tool. From Sparrows, I'm getting the Mini Jim, DDT, and under door tool. Seems like a solid, practical kit that'll get me through most engagements.
@@Inscyght you will like that under the door tool, and the entry specialist bundle is super practical. 6 years ago that thumb turn tool in that set was restricted to locksmiths only and it cost $100 by itself. It’s crazy what you can get nowadays. There is a specific reason why my videos are 20 to 40 minutes long. I have to spend 20 minutes getting rid of all of the nonsense and rumors about a specific manufacturer or pick maker. Before I can give you 10 or 15 minutes of quality review. Most people just don’t know what they’re talking about so you have to teach them before you can suggest to them. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around the community unfortunately. What people don’t know is it’s probably a competitor of whoever is being talked about. That’s how Reddit is sometimes. Even high level pickers have biases because they have friends in the industry. There’s not a single video on TH-cam, that demonstrates a lack of quality from covert. People are just parroting each other.
@sandman_locksport It's great to know I'm getting useful and effective tools, and that's a cool bit of info, I had no idea. I personally appreciate the extra info, explanations, and insight into the industry in your videos. That's the main reason I subbed! It's clear you're unbiased because you use multiple brands and backup statements with numbers and facts. Keep doing what you're doing!
Amazing how much the opinion of Sparrows has changed in the last few months. With JL and CI on the scene, Sparrows just isn’t that great anymore. Not terrible but not really good either. The “Eh” of lock picks.
Wanting to get into the hobby and was either going to get this or the sf sentry. More expensive than the tuxedo but honestly i like tye look of santitized gear better. Creeper over the sf because of the option to not use velcro but sf of creeper for the option to attach it it my belt or something to make it easier to use while moving and cleaning park locks. Thinking about ot wouldnt knurling the flatbars like the ones in the nightcrawler set make sense if they want this to be usable with slippery hands?
You would think the knurling would be beneficial, but the tool steel is so light, that is doesnt have weight to it, and the knurling isnt that aggressive. i prefer ergo TOK (top of keyway tools) or at the least, TOK that are bent at a 90 degrees, so they sit at the 3 o'clock position in the lock so its more comfortable. these straight TOK wrenches are great for float picking (advanced theory) and for picking at a deck in a table vice, not for padlocks, and especially not for padlocks in use on a fence, because of the uncomfortable angle you will be in. you'll see. sparrows just released some new wavy turning tools, a set of 6. those are a better investment than the knurled ones. the knurled ones feel cheap. i prefer covert instruments and multipick turning tools. they will last you the rest of your life. buy once cry once. also the covert instrument tools are of a better quality steel, so they are more forgiving. the sparrows picks have great profiles, but the handles are small and flex in my hand when i hold them.
It’s a very good set, but sparrows is definitely one of those companies where if you know what you’re looking for, you can build a really great set from custom choices.
Ah, The Sandman does it again with a comprehensive review, good context, and no nonsense. Chordettes theme song, sensible content, organized presentation--what's not to like? Thanks for providing reliably informative videos.
Thanks for watching! I’m doing my best. But I definitely always make mistakes. Lol. Hopefully nobody catches.
I'm appreciating the "Little Timmy" scale for measurement. Helps with the perspective.
Cool Video 😎👍
I appreciate you taking the time to watch my videos.
I used plastic card and covered it with glow in the dark tape. It works very well but if you charge it with picks in the case they will leave a shadow where the light doesn't reach. Best to charge the card outside of the case before a physical pen test. If you like the Velcro but kill the noise, just get a piece of female Velcro to cover the male Velcro. You can always remove it later when you want to use the Velcro. BTW Velcro is a legal brand name, not all hook & loop is made by Velcro. But I won't sue you. lol
Thank you for the leeway!
Love the context and experiences shared while going through the set
Thank you for watching
I wish I'd found this video before I decided to jump in with both feet. Your Tims scale really helped put my wants and needs into perspective. I still wound up spending a grip (and kinda working backwards, maybe), but I feel like my budding collection makes a lot better sense with what I've been learning from you and other established lock pickers. Thanks!
Thanks friend! There are much better pickers out there than me, but ive gone broke more than most buying these fun toys. Sometimes we have to simmer down and just buy what we can afford, and knowing what is worth buying within that price bracket is a great place to start. It keeps us from making mistakes. Thanks for watching!
I use the Creeper case as my edc, but the picks inside are Jimy Longs hooks and gem, a Peterson decoder, and a wicked waves rake. The bottom slot currently holds some Moki Z wrenches, and my treasured Raimundo bogies. I only wish I could fit a hall pass in there somewhere. I wish Sparrows made a Creeper case XL, something just a smidge bigger. I don't find Sparrows pick handles comfortable, Jimy Longs sets the standard imo.
I agree with everything you just said lol. I will definitely give his creeper case a try with my Jimy Longs
When they first rolled out I sent them an email suggesting it be made of mica so people could use the plastic insert as a latch slip. I’m still bummed they didn’t roll it out lol.
That’s a really great idea. People should listen to you more often! Thanks for watching
@@sandman_locksport lmbo even a blind squirrel finds a nut every so often lol. But thank YOU for making great content worth watching! I always enjoy your perspective.
Wonderful video, thank you for taking the time!
Glad to see you not bashing so hard on sparrows but I'm pretty sure on using the caliper your supposed to use the very tip since you have it zeroed out of the tip...
I’m a woodworker, you use the flats of the caliper to measure. And fuck sparrows.
I heard you said you’re going to cabinet school I build these for a living. Maybe if you ever get out to Missouri I might be able to get you a tour at one of our buildings. 🎉
Thanks I did the cabinet building for a year in school and was a luthier as well, but I’m now just focusing on doing this full time. Glad someone is out there doing the woodworking. We need more woodworkers
Velcro is a brand, bit like Hoover. Hook and loop/eye is the term for the technology. Thanks for another good honest review.
I agree, and I disagree. The common terminology for that material is Velcro. Therefore, it is acceptable to call it that. Nobody’s getting sued for saying something is Velcro when it doesn’t come from the Velcro factory. It’s been common terminologies for 30 years. Just my two Cents. Thanks for watching!
@@sandman_locksport I also agree and disagree. Let's face it, everyone calls it Velcro 😀
@@sandman_locksportthe difference between what's practical and what's factually correct. Lol
@@kindredlebel9175 it’s Velcro. Get over it 🤷🏻♂️
Hey Sandman, I’m getting anxious while I wait on my set to arrive to Hawaii - curious - you think that this kit would fit in a Genesis (Tradecraft) pick case along with 4 handleless .20 picks? I’m trying to figure out which case I’ll be carrying more… I currently just have the mostly empty carrying case that I’m going to need to fill up
It might fit. They’re the same size case but the problem with the tradecraft case is, it wasn’t designed to hold another brand tools, so a lot of sparrows tools just fall out, and people complain about it not understanding it was never designed to hold their tools.
What is a good key cutting machine that will cut all keys.
Good question, probably better to ask a locksmith, I havnt worked as one since 2010. In my most humblest of opinions, the HPC Switch Blitz would be the one I would buy for my home or van if I was a working smith. Not the best for cutting 500 keys a day on, I would go with a different one for that, but the Switch Blitz can not only duplicate most keys (non automotive, unless you also purchase automotive jaws for it) but it will also let you cut keys to code, and that is where the money is. The ability to cut keys to code, for various locks, is something a key duplicator cannot do. You can rekey a lock, and cut it to any code you want, either from a database, or from your imagination. The Switch blitz does both, but its almost $3,000. 10 years ago it was half that. Again, best to ask a modern day locksmith.
Another great video and thanks for sharing. It's all good information about picks and what to look for. I do hope in the future you will consider the Sparrows Dark Shift pick set. I have one and really enjoy it. It's thin and you can stuff all those into the pouch and with the extension sets get a pretty comprehensive lock opening set covering combs and rakes along with wafer picks.
I would be happy to review it, but it would never be my go-to, my hands are too big for them.
@@sandman_locksport Thanks man! I totally understand about small but I didn't like to stuff a huge pick set into my pocket all the time. Jimy Long picks definately fit my hands better by far.
Another excellent review. I've been going through these all and was wondering your thoughts on Sparrows lockpicks.
Unfortunately, the designs that they use are dated from all the way back to old HPC standards which include poor shaft maintenance design where bends can be more prone at the halfway point due to the sharp taper rather than the now common gradual taper (see Jimy or Moki picks). Either way, the 301 FH (and yes, it's full hard, but rolled in a special way to make it stronger than say southord's or southern specialties) that sparrows uses is entirely fine for the strength but I would like them to update their profiles at least to remove the area that is affected, especially considering everything that came out in 2018 and later (see monstrum, custom picks like the medusa and monkey paw, etc) does not have this shaft issue.
I don't hate the pick choice, but also four rakes (of which the bogota and worm are basically the same rake) feels a bit sad for 50 dollars US. That's a lot of money and you can get eight hooks from Jimy, or six hooks and a tension set from Moki for that much.
I 100% agree with your assessment. I ended up giving this set away to a friend, and purchasing another creeper case, but with the 4 wave rakes, a bogota, 3 half diamonds, and 2 short hooks in .015", and 6 tension wrenches. its the best I can do with their product line. I'm happy with it, but you definitely need to know what your doing before custom ordering from sparrows like that. I dont care for their sets anymore. And the quality of the new creeper case seems lacking compared to the one reviewed in this video that is 3 years old. Thanks for watching and thank you for your comment.
Just found your channel. Really appreciate the thorough and informative reviews.
In this video, you talk a lot about profession. I am a penetration tester and am getting more frequently assigned to physical pentests, so I thought it's about time I get into lockpicking. However, there's so much information and products out there, it's overwhelming.
With that said, would you recommend this set to a penetration tester who does physical assessments? Someone "in the field" who may only have a few minutes to pick open a cabinet lock or server room door during an engagement. Further, what other sets or specific tools would you recommend for that purpose? A quick reply here would be appreciated, but perhaps it's an even better video topic? Thanks in advance!
Hey, thanks for subscribing. I would highly recommend covert instruments genesis and the echelon sets, together they make a complete set, come with a case, best turning tools on the market, best steel on the market, and the profiles are best on market. The rakes are the absolute best, I slayed 33 locks on a love lock bridge last night with them. And a benefit of using that brand, they have an entire ecosystem of tools for commercial and residential entry. Lishi tools and commercial bypass tools. Just my 2 cents
@@sandman_locksport Thanks very much. That was a huge help and really cleared things up. I initially was reading through the Lockpicking Reddit, but they all seem like they strangely consider buying CI tools blasphemy. Seemed like a weird, unjustified bias.
I decided to go with the Arbiter, Genesis, and Echelon from CI, plus the Entry Specialist bundle since I saw it was on sale for $40, and the Hammerless Hinge Pin Removal Tool.
From Sparrows, I'm getting the Mini Jim, DDT, and under door tool.
Seems like a solid, practical kit that'll get me through most engagements.
@@Inscyght you will like that under the door tool, and the entry specialist bundle is super practical. 6 years ago that thumb turn tool in that set was restricted to locksmiths only and it cost $100 by itself. It’s crazy what you can get nowadays.
There is a specific reason why my videos are 20 to 40 minutes long. I have to spend 20 minutes getting rid of all of the nonsense and rumors about a specific manufacturer or pick maker. Before I can give you 10 or 15 minutes of quality review. Most people just don’t know what they’re talking about so you have to teach them before you can suggest to them. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around the community unfortunately. What people don’t know is it’s probably a competitor of whoever is being talked about. That’s how Reddit is sometimes. Even high level pickers have biases because they have friends in the industry. There’s not a single video on TH-cam, that demonstrates a lack of quality from covert. People are just parroting each other.
@sandman_locksport It's great to know I'm getting useful and effective tools, and that's a cool bit of info, I had no idea.
I personally appreciate the extra info, explanations, and insight into the industry in your videos. That's the main reason I subbed! It's clear you're unbiased because you use multiple brands and backup statements with numbers and facts. Keep doing what you're doing!
@@Inscyght thanks Brother! I’m not perfect, but I’m doing my best! I truly love this hobby and skill set.
Amazing how much the opinion of Sparrows has changed in the last few months. With JL and CI on the scene, Sparrows just isn’t that great anymore. Not terrible but not really good either. The “Eh” of lock picks.
Very well said!
Sparrows shipping sucks
That’s what I’m hearing. Rumor is there are only 3 employees including the owner and the other 2 are an elderly married couple 🤷🏻♂️
Wanting to get into the hobby and was either going to get this or the sf sentry. More expensive than the tuxedo but honestly i like tye look of santitized gear better.
Creeper over the sf because of the option to not use velcro but sf of creeper for the option to attach it it my belt or something to make it easier to use while moving and cleaning park locks.
Thinking about ot wouldnt knurling the flatbars like the ones in the nightcrawler set make sense if they want this to be usable with slippery hands?
You would think the knurling would be beneficial, but the tool steel is so light, that is doesnt have weight to it, and the knurling isnt that aggressive. i prefer ergo TOK (top of keyway tools) or at the least, TOK that are bent at a 90 degrees, so they sit at the 3 o'clock position in the lock so its more comfortable. these straight TOK wrenches are great for float picking (advanced theory) and for picking at a deck in a table vice, not for padlocks, and especially not for padlocks in use on a fence, because of the uncomfortable angle you will be in. you'll see. sparrows just released some new wavy turning tools, a set of 6. those are a better investment than the knurled ones. the knurled ones feel cheap. i prefer covert instruments and multipick turning tools. they will last you the rest of your life. buy once cry once. also the covert instrument tools are of a better quality steel, so they are more forgiving. the sparrows picks have great profiles, but the handles are small and flex in my hand when i hold them.
I normally buy individual picks and make my own set, but I had to buy this pre-made set for obvious reasons
It’s a very good set, but sparrows is definitely one of those companies where if you know what you’re looking for, you can build a really great set from custom choices.
Nice vid as usual. Hope you feel better soon. I sent you a message invite on Instagram about a lock I was hoping you could help me w
Thanks for watching brother!