I wanted to start this off by giving some info before I attempt to take... http://www.gregmiller.net/locks/
I found the part about disassembling a pin tumbler (deadbolt, house doors) to be really useful. Me being impatient I still broke a few locks though. There is just no feeling like the one you get when five pins and springs fly across the room! I recently started fooling with locks again, and was cocky and ended up breaking all of my locks because I was fuzzy on the details.

This brings me to a question about some products: http://www.lock-picks.com/books.htm

Note the top 3 products, cutaway locks. These are clear locks, so you can see what is going on inside. Are these deal or dud? I notice the pin tumbler only has 4 pins, but a $40 dollar practice lock is better than 5 or 6 broken locks, and having to risk locks trying to add pins. Have any of yall used these?

I learned to pick using a padlock, I think that being able to see the pins is cheating

yeah, seeing the pin is cheating...
you should train with cheap padlocks
(the cheaper, the easier to pick)
then buy more expensive padlocks as your
skill advances...

also, train timed picking, e.g 30 seconds
so that you will not take your own sweet time
...
this is of course u know how to pick the lock
...

also, try making a set of picks using paper
clips with the lock u are going to pick...
it is possible, but hard to pick with the
"lock picks" which are barely functional...

the expensive lock picks are quite dangerous,
you can be caught by police...
so picking locks with paper clips/ hair pins
is also crucial for learning lock picking...

ummm what can u use as a tension wrench? i always have trouble finding one that works