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MALL STORE:
Tension Wrenches
It always makes me smile when I watch TV or see a movie in which someone is shown picking a lock without a tension wrench. That's quite a trick because it doesn't do a bit of good to get the pins to the shear line if there isn't some turning tension being applied at the same time. The tension wrench accomplishes this handily. Because there are so many keyway sizes and so many lock picking techniques, there has to be a great many different kinds of tension wrenches.
Most pick sets have one or more tension wrenches in them, but some do not. Even if you have a couple in your pick set, you'll probably want to expand your tension wrench assortment to accommodate different situations. Tension wrenches differ in more ways than just length and thickness. They have different degrees of stiffness, too. Some of them have rubber grips, others are one-piece. Some have a twist in the handle to give more flex while others are meant to be rigid.
The right tension wrench for the job is also largely a matter of personal taste. After a while most Locksmiths settle on just a few and become very adept at using them . . . exactly as with their picks.
