Which Lock Pick Set to Start With? A Beginner's Buying Guide

Search "lock pick set" and you get 40-piece kits, jackknife tools, electric guns and locksmith decoders. A beginner needs none of that. You need three picks, a tension wrench that fits, and — the part most kits skip — a practice lock you can see inside. This guide explains what actually matters, compares the kit types, and lists what we would buy at each budget.

What a beginner lock pick set actually needs

• A short hook. The tool for single pin picking. If you only ever own one pick, this is it.
• A rake (snake or Bogota). For fast first opens and for fun. Not for progress.
• Two tension wrenches of different widths, or one twist-flex wrench. Tension is 80 % of the skill and the wrench is what cheap kits get wrong.
• A transparent practice lock. The single biggest difference between learning in a week and quitting in a month. See transparent padlocks.
• A case, so the picks do not bend in a drawer.

Everything else — half-diamonds, deep hooks, offset picks, wafer rakes, extractors — is nice to have and comes later. Kits with 24 or more pieces are mostly duplicates of these five things.

Lock pick set vs starter kit vs training kit vs bundle

Lock pick set: just the tools (from 29 €)

Picks, wrenches, case. Right if you already own a practice lock or a spare cylinder. Wrong as a first buy — you cannot learn tension on a lock you cannot see. See lock pick sets.

Starter kit: tools + one practice lock (30–45 €)

The picks plus a transparent padlock and the quick-start card. The right first buy for almost everyone, and the most common lock picking gift. See starter kits.

Training kit: tools + several graded locks (50–90 €)

Built for the following month: two or more practice locks, each harder than the last. The most efficient upgrade if you already have picks. See training kits.

Bundle: the whole path in one order (79–139 €)

Pick set, three or four graded locks, guide. Cheaper than buying the parts, and it covers white to blue belt without a second order. Choose it if you know you will stick with the hobby, or as a serious gift. See bundles.

What to avoid in a beginner lock pick set

• Chrome-plated carbon steel picks. They rust and snap. Look for stainless, 0.5–0.6 mm.
• Kits without a tension wrench, or with one flimsy L-wrench. You will blame yourself for what is the tool's fault.
• "Professional" locksmith kits. Decoders, 2-in-1 tools and pick guns are for opening unknown locks fast; none of it teaches picking.
• Jackknife sets as a first set. Compact, but the short folded picks give poor feedback for learning.
• Anything sold with a promise to open "any lock". Security pins stop every beginner tool.

Our picks by budget

Budget	Kit	What you get
Under 25 €	Beginner lock pick kit, Set 2	15 picks, pouch, transparent padlock. Enough to open your first lock tonight.
Around 30 €	Starter lock pick set	15 picks, leather pouch, transparent padlock. The sensible first buy.
Around 60 €	30-piece set with 2 transparent padlocks	Two locks of different tightness, full pick range, zip case.
Around 80 €	Complete kit: 38 picks + 4 practice locks	Our best seller. Padlocks and cylinders, graded, plus e-guides.
The works	Workshop set: 9 locks + 24 picks	Every mechanism — padlock, Euro, rim, tubular, disc detainer, dimple — in one box.

Which practice lock should come with the set?

For a first lock: a fully transparent padlock with standard pins. Loose by design, so you learn the mechanics without frustration. For the second: a cutaway lock with real metal tolerances. For the third: something with spool pins. If you live in Germany, the Nordics, Poland or Czechia, add a transparent Euro cylinder — it is the profile on your own door.

Do I need a pick gun, a jackknife or a dimple set?

Not yet. A pick gun is a fun extra that opens easy locks fast and teaches nothing. A jackknife is a carry set for after you have learned. Dimple, tubular and disc detainer tools are for other mechanisms and make sense from yellow belt up. Buy them when the belt ranking tells you to.

Before you order: is it legal where you live?

In nearly all of Europe, yes, for hobby use on locks you own; the UK restricts carrying picks in public. Check your country on the legality page, then read how to pick a lock for beginners while the kit is on its way.