So, it's not really a spoiler, but I guess I'll stick it in the spoiler tag just in case. Found some advice for my fellow lockpickers:
[spoiler] I just picked up a book, entitled "Advances in Lockpicking." It gave me a point of lockpicking, which was well enough, but I also read through the short text in which the author mentions the materials locks are made with. Another book, "Proper Lock Design" is the opposing companion - there's a lot of these "paired books" in Skyrim, if you look hard enough.
Anywho, the author of the second book mentions never using copper in locks, because it easily deforms to heat and pressure. He advises to use a different metal for each pin to thwart lockpickers. The author of Advances, in response, advises the reader that heat sources will negate the differences in metal by making the metal expand, and I presume making the lock a little more pliant.
Well, being the curious young buck I am, I tried it out. I equipped a torch the next time I ran into an adept lock and, wouldn't you know it, the "sweet spot" where the lock will actually turn was of wider degrees than usual. I've since kept up the habit.
There are some obvious disadvantages. Torches, being a light source, might defeat a sneaky lockpicking attempt. I'm also uncertain if a spell like Flames would accomplish the same thing. But, it was fun to discover something like that, so I thought I'd share it with my fellow sneakthieves.
[/spoiler]
