SerePick Bogota Entry Toolset Review

SerePick continues to impress with their new offering of custom Bogota Entry Toolsets, which now include the use of Stainless Steel and Titanium.

These hand-crafted tools have been used by many locksmiths and covert entry specialists worldwide, for numerous reasons we’ll cover here.

We’ve been dirt diving a set of Bogota’s for a few months, and with the addition of the Stainless and Titanium we decided it was time to give them a proper review.

History

While distributed by SerePick, the Bogota Entry Tools are the brainchild and creation of Raimundo, a frequent contributor to a great forum called Lockpicking 101. The name of the tools is derived from his time in Bogota, Columbia where he first developed the idea.

The three peaks and two valley’s in the rake-like pick represent the Andes mountains as they split into three mountain cordillera through Colombia.

We were fairly familiar with these tools prior to Matt from SerePick sending over a set, but had not been hands-on with them. Raimundo has had instructions for making these yourself available since around 2004, but the ability to purchase them from SerePick is fantastic, especially in the new stainless and titanium versions.

They’re a labor intensive process to create, to say the least. Not to mention having to source the thin metal bristles from a street sweeper, or windshield wiper blades to create them. Obviously the Stainless and Titanium aren’t from a street sweeper.

Features

Much has gone into the design of these lock picks, from ergonomics to tensile strength and beyond. They’re truly works of art, and a set worthy of becoming your go-to picks.

With traditional lock picks, the weak points have always been at the tip, coupled with being so damn thin. Yes, thin is important when space is at a premium inside a keyway, but most cheap picks you can obtain will break sooner or later.  The Bogota Entry Tools eliminate the traditional weak point, by one, using strong steel (and now Stainless and Titanium) and two, the undercutting creates a continuous thickness throughout the each pick.

This continuous thickness eliminates the possibility of a weak point building up to cause bending or breakage. With less material it also lightens and increases the agility of the picks in the keyway.

The most notable feature of these picks is the ergonomic design and their ability to pull double duty as a tension wrench using the handle side.  With two bends in the body of each pick, they form a pistol grip, which is a welcome departure from the traditional popsicle-stick like picks you’re used to seeing.

This allows you to work with the picks in their natural state without requiring any additional padding to avoid blisters from an all-day picking session, and the ability to hold a lock pick as you would naturally hold an object that contoured to your hand. The feedback from these picks is amazing as well, which we believe is largely due to more surface area on your fingers as opposed to traditional picks

The overall length of the Bogota tools are not all exactly the same, due to their handcrafted nature, but from what we have they range from 3 1/4″ to 3 1/2″. Remember this is overall length, from the tip of the pick to the end of the handle.

Versions

As previously mentioned, the Bogota Entry Toolset not only comes in the traditional steel design, but also in Stainless Steel and Titanium. Why is this important? For starters, the steel picks do rust and corrode. This can be seen with our original set for testing, from being carried in a back pocket within a wallet (see photo to right).

The Stainless version provides a corrosion-resistant option to counter butt sweat and those in a maritime environment. Not to mention the hygienic properties, long term durability and inherent strength of Stainless Steel.

While we didn’t notice a weight savings between the traditional steel and Stainless, both weighing in at a tenth of an ounce, the Titanium set is noticeably lighter and we’d go as far as calling them featherweight.  Their weight didn’t register on our scale, but it only measures tenths of an ounce  (photo from top to bottom, Steel, Stainless, Titanium).

The largest benefit of the aircraft-grade Titanium set is their inherent lack of a magnetic signature. All these sets are lightweight though, and while you’re not going to feel the difference between a tenth of an ounce in a pocket, but there are those that need non-magnetic tools, specifically EOD and those that know who they are.

Aircraft-grade Titanium is as strong as it gets, there’s a reason it’s used in the aerospace industry. Titanium is extremely corrosion resistant, more so than the Stainless, but they’ll still bend just like the other versions if man handled.

Raimundo has made other variations on the design of these tools, including the Monserrate, Arch and Sabana.

Use

The Bogota Entry Toolset is handmade as a matched pair, and should be used as such. Their design, as noted previously, lends them to double as tension wrenches, so no matter which you’re using to pick with, the other can be used as the tension wrench.

If you’re unfamiliar with lock picking as a skill-set, please take some time to review the past information we’ve released on the subject. We don’t ever advocate anything illegal, and believe that everyone should know how to pick locks. To not only be able to get back in the house after you lock yourself out, but to understand the illusion of security that locks represent and to learn how to properly protect you and your family.

Using the Bogota tools is best done in one of two fashions, either as a jiggler or in a raking/scrubbing motion. As demonstrated in our video below, we’ve found the raking/scrubbing motion to be superior on both pin-tumbler locks and wafer locks.

There is very little tension needed with these picks, and are not for the heavy-handed user. We’ve found that the tension needed is similar to that of a featherweight tension wrench.

With the proper development of lock picking as a skill-set, the Bogota tools are all you’ll need to carry in most cases (be sure to check with your local laws first before carrying lock picks around).  While simply owning these picks isn’t going to make you a superstar lock picker, they are definitely some of the best picks we’ve ever used.

Storage

As noted, these are a matched pair, and have a unique twist to their design that allows them to overlap nicely on each other. Using a standard spring from a pen, these can be secured together and safety pinned to any location desired.

Of course they can also be carried in a wallet, or wherever you’d like, just beware of butt sweat and moisture if you have the standard steel set.

Notes

We’d like to thank SerePick for providing these Bogota Entry toolsets for testing, and you can believe these sets will be put through the ringer. Thus far with the standard set we’ve had for a few months, there hasn’t been a lock we’ve been unable to pick, including the tough-as-nails American 5200 Security Padlock.

We encourage everyone reading this article to get involved with lock picking as a skill set through various lock sport groups such as Toool and Lock Sport International. There’s a large community out there of people who understand the value of this skill-set and also like to have fun picking locks.

Here’s the Lock Sport code of ethics, which sums things up nicely:

“You may only pick locks you own or those you have been given explicit permission to pick.”

Lock sport is an honest, ethical, and legitimate hobby. Unfortunately, the whole world hasn’t figured that out yet (though we’re working on it!). Because the lay person has a tendency to perceive what we do as somehow nefarious, it is extra important that we commit to following a strict code of ethics. For this reason, the above credo is non-negotiable in the locksport community. Lockpicking should never, ever be used for illegal or even questionable purposes. Please do not misuse this information. We assume no responsibility for your actions, and in no way condone immoral activity. Help keep locksport fun for all by following strictly the one rule.