(830) Review: Southern Specialities BD-14 – BosnianBill's LockLab
Lots of you asked for this and, despite not-so-good experiences with Southern Specialty picks in previous reviews, I placed my order. This is from their “Black Diamond” series and are made from 1074 spring steel in 0.021″ thickness. The handles have a kind of zig-zag, or wave but it is purely aesthetic and serves no functional purpose. At the $35 price point I expected quite a bit more from this kit and was more than a little disappointed in a few things:
- The website description says 14 picks and two tension wrenches in a leather case. That was not true. There are only 12 picks and the case is made from cheap plastic. Not a deal killer, but not accurate either.
- At this price point we should expect stainless steel, not spring steel, which is weaker and tends to rust.
- Two “fluff”, or junk picks.
- No Bogota… what else can I say…?
I liked the selection of hooks, it is probably one of the best we’ve seen so far. But that doesn’t outweigh all of the negatives of this kit. Before becoming a diamond, there is black COAL, and that’s a bit more accurate description of the BD-14. There are MUCH better choices out there and I’d advise you to pass this one by.