Tag Archives | Bogota Rake

Bogota π

SerePick is showing off a new product that they may bring to market soon called Bogota π. SerePick has created other Bogota sets in the traditional pick form factor like the Titan Flats set. However, these are around 3.14159265359” (hence the name) which makes them very compact.

bogota pie

The Bogota π set includes a Hook, Double, Triple and Quad Bogota along with a flat double-sided tensioner. Currently, only a few sample sets have been created. They will hopefully go into production soon.

Check out SerePick.com.

SerePick Bogota Nano Entry Tools

Every time SerePick makes the Bogota Entry Sets smaller, I think there is no way that the new smaller version can be as useful as the already compact full-size version and every time I try them, I am amazed at how little they actually give up to the full size set.

Nano Titan Bogota Entry Tools

SerePick is outdoing themselves this time. The new Nano Bogota Entry Tools will be available shortly. These things are TINY. They are made from titanium so they should be very, very discreet. You should be able to stow these just about anywhere.

These should be available at SerePick.com soon.

Bogota Titan-7 Flats from SerePick

We always like to keep track of what SerePick has going on because they may some of the best and most discreet lock bypass tools that I have ever used. Many of their tools are based on the Bogota rake design and the new Bogota Titan-7 Flats are no different.

The new Bogota Titan-7 Flats set has a traditional “popsicle stick” design that makes it a great addition to any pick set or a great stand alone set. The set includes a Bogota Single, Bogota Double, Bogota Triple, Sabana and Monserrate Pair. It also includes a nice long double ended tension wrench that works well for top of keyway tension. Like other SerePick “Titan” tool sets, the Titan-7 Flats are made from titanium which is non-magnetic and therefore more discreet than a steel set would be.

Check out the Bogota Titan-7 Flats on SerePick.com.

ITS Tactical Titanium Entry Card

Here is what I know. Bogota rakes are great at bypassing locks even for inexperienced users, credit cards are easy to carry, and titanium makes everything better. So, I can tell you definitively that the new Titanium Entry Card from ITS Tactical is pretty stinking cool.

The ITS Titanium Entry Card contains 2 complete sets of Entry Tool (2 triple humps, 2 single humps, and 2 tension wrenches) in an easy to carry .032″ thick credit card format. The duplicate sets mean that even after you have used a set, you will still have an additional set stored in the easy to carry credit card shape. The titanium construction means that it has no magnetic signature and resists corrosion.

You can check out the ITS Titanium Entry Card on ITSTactical.com.

Review – Bogota Titan Entry Set

Matt at SerePick.com graciously provided me a set of the Bogota Titan Entry Tools. My recent review of the Stainless Bogota Entry Tools turned into one of the most successful posts we have ever had here on Jerking the Trigger. That is due in large part with how impressive these tools are.

 

This is how your picks look when you remove them from the shipping container. Everything is neatly bagged.

 

 

Lock Bypassing Simplified

How do you know when you have been successful at improving a tool? When you have simplified it without losing any function. Bogota Entry Tools do just that. These two small tools effectively replace an basic pick set and in my experience they are just as functional, if not more. This extreme functionality comes from the innovative design of the Bogota rake.

Purpose Built

The Bogota rake is purpose built to bypass 5 pin locks. These are the type of locks that you typically find in an entry door or a padlock. The shape is reminiscent of the mountains in Bogota, Columbia for which the rake is named. That sounds cutesy but the shape is for good reason.

If you could see inside the lock that you are trying to bypass with the Bogota Entry Tools you would see the the rear most pin is sitting inside the first “peak” of the rake. The next pin would be sitting in the “valley” between the first and second “peak”. The middle pin would be centered on the middle “peak”. The fourth pin would be in the “valley” between the second and third “peak”. And finally, the last pin would be sitting just inside the last “peak”. All of that means that you can quickly move all pins through their full range of travel just by using small movements of the rake. These tools are very efficient.

Effective

The user has two options to bypass a lock using the Bogota Entry Tool Set – you can pick or use the Bogota rake. The Bogota rake is the main attraction to this set. Each of the two pieces of the set is two tools in one. The first piece is a feeler pick and a tension wrench. The second piece is a Bogota rake and a tension wrench. When you are using the rake to bypass the lock, you use the feeler pick as your tension device and vice-versa.

There is no shortage of information about how to use a feeler pick so I will focus on using the rake. The user simply sets the tension on the lock. I find that lighter tension is better though with older, dirty locks you may have to apply more tension. Developing a touch for setting the tension can be one of the most challenging parts of learning to bypass locks. After the tension is set, the Bogota rake is inserted and moved up/down and in/out quickly, almost as if you have had too much coffee. Eventually you will feel the lock core start to turn as the pins are pushed up to the sheer line. It sounds simple but it take practice.

If you already know how to bypass locks, you will be amazed at how simple and effective these tools are. The Bogota Entry Set won’t make you a lock picking wizard. These tools still require a practiced hand to be used most effectively. However, I am always amazed when I put the Bogota Entry Tool Set in the hands of someone who has never bypassed a lock and they are able bypass a 5 pin lock with minimal coaching.

 

 

Note the small size of the Bogota Entry Tool Set. They are shown with a standard business card for scale.

 

Size

These tools must be held if you want to truly understand their size. They are little longer than a house key (see the pictures HERE) yet they offer all of the grip you need in order to bypass a lock. In fact, their handles are very intuitively shaped. They lend themselves well to excellent feel and to the motion that is required to use the rake.

Why Titanium

So far, everything I have written about can be said of both the Stainless and the Titanium (Ti) Entry Tool Set. So why would anyone spend extra for the Ti version? There is one BIG reason. Titanium is non-ferrous, which means that there is no iron content. The lack of iron makes them rust proof. It also makes them non-magnetic which can be useful for certain people.

The rust resistance is excellent news for those who plan to carry these using the safety pin method (shown in the pics). You can carry the Bogota Titan Entry Tool Set all day, close to your body, and sweat all over them. They will not rust. Even “stainless” steels are more accurately stain resistant. They can and do rust. These tools are designed to be discreet and being rust proof makes all the sense in the world for a tool that may be carried close to your skin.

 

 

The Titan set (bottom) has a slightly darker gray finish than the stainless set but still exhibit a high degree of polish which helps them glide inside the lock.

 

Stainless Versus Titanium

The one thing that I really hoped to accomplish in this review was to determine if there was much of a difference in the feel of the steel sets versus the titanium set. I was afraid that the titanium set would lack some of the excellent flex and feel of the stainless steel version. Feel is everything when it comes to bypassing locks and I am happy to report that the Bogota Titans lack nothing in terms of feel. They have just a bit of spring or flex when used as a tension wrench which I like and you can easily feel the pins as you manipulate them. They feel remarkably like the stainless set that I already know and love.

Conclusion

If you start with something that is already excellent, like the stainless Bogota Entry Tool Set, and then add the unique functionality of titanium; you have created something really special. These tools work. Setting aside function for a moment, let’s just admit that anything made from titanium is automatically cool. I do not know of a more compact, easier to carry, or more effective set of lock bypass tools than the Bogota Entry Tool Set.

You can purchase your own Bogota Entry Tool Sets at SerePick.com.

DisclaimerJerking the Trigger does not advocate using these for anything illegal. Never bypass a lock that the owner has not given permission for you to bypass. Check your local laws before carrying these tools.

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