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+--- Thread: How Lockpicking works. (/showthread.php?tid=3439)
How Lockpicking works. - SpookyZalost - March 6th, 2021
So Lockpicking in concept is simple, in fact the basic design of a standard keylock hasn't changed in centuries, only gotten more complex.
I recently learned to pick basic locks and it does occasionally come in handy when a friend or family member locks themselves out of their house, their shed, or in my case, finding an old box without a key but with a lock.
there's a few things you need to know before you start lockpicking
the first is that locks are very simple, you have the core which rotates to unlock the door.
you have the pins which slide into the core and act similar to a deadbolt on a door preventing it from turning, what lock pickers call binding.
and you have the key which pushes these pins out of the core allowing it to rotate.
![[Image: 47aeeace1b51c2d2b24691e48372dec6.gif]](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/ae/ea/47aeeace1b51c2d2b24691e48372dec6.gif)
now the sharp eyed among you might notice the pins are actually in two pieces.
this is because the pin stays both in the core and the lock mechanism separating at the core's rotation point.
Now that the basics are out of the way, the art of lock picking is really an art form rather than just a skill, it takes finesse and is done more by feel than anything else.
lock picking is done in two steps.
the first is using the tensioner bar.
this is usually a small piece of metal which you apply a very light tension to and place in the bottom of the keyway (where the key goes).
when you successfully set all the pins this is what turns the lock open.
the second is the lock pick it's self.
this has exactly one job, to reach into the keyway and push the pins up as the tension bar turns the core slightly thus setting them into the same state as when a key is in the lock preventing them from coming down.
if you put too much tension on the lock, the pins won't move, put too little and they won't set.
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media2.giphy.com/media/GIB5o5XQW0tlm/giphy.gif)
here is a transparent practice lock, it allows you to see what's going on until you get the feel for picking them since you normally can't see what's going on inside.
and that's basically how lock picking works, you're just setting the pins one by one until the lock either opens or binds forcing you to reset it.
there are other methods but this is the basic theory and one that has worked since people have been picking locks ages ago.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible with what you do with this knowledge, lock picking is legal in just about every state in the US but having lockpicks on your person without a valid reason is considered possessing burglary tools so I wouldn't carry them around with you in case you get searched.
always if you're opening somebody's door, have them sign a waver legally giving you permission to do so.
if you live in virginia you need a license to posses lock picking tools.
I do not know what the laws are in other countries but make sure you read up on what your local laws and ordinances are.
and as always, have fun with it!
RE: How Lockpicking works. - Kyng - March 8th, 2021
(March 6th, 2021 at 1:10 AM)SpookyZalost Wrote: Disclaimer: I am not responsible with what you do with this knowledge, lock picking is legal in just about every state in the US but having lockpicks on your person without a valid reason is considered possessing burglary tools so I wouldn't carry them around with you in case you get searched.
According to this blog post, it's the same thing in the UK. Lockpicking itself is legal (and there are no restrictions on it in the home); however, you don't want to get caught with lockpicks out in the street.
It's not something I've ever done myself, but it looks like a fun hobby! Not that I'd ever use it for anything nefarious, of course
.
RE: How Lockpicking works. - SpookyZalost - March 10th, 2021
@Kyng it does come up from time to time here, but it's definitely more a hobby to think of like solving puzzles or to practice so you can familiarize yourself with physical security similar to how hacking makes you more knowledgeable about cyber security.
Truth is, most locks can be picked, defeated by shims, magnets, or even a long hook reaching past it due to companies not putting a barrier there as a cost saving measure.
A lock only keeps honest people honest.
I want to expand on some of the crazier concepts in an extension to this post but yeah it's pretty crazy stuff.
Handcuffs for example can be shimmed open by nature of how they work and so if you know that and have an innocuous piece of thin scrap handy you don't need picks or keys to get out of em, just slide that metal along the little teeth and blamo, you're free.
Knowledge is power and with great power comes great responsibility.
The scary part is that the know how is out there in the open, and the barrier to entry is so low.
My set of picks cost me like $15 and they're cheap ones from China.
RE: How Lockpicking works. - tc4me - March 10th, 2021
Hy, we have it in use at the fire brigade, everyone can even buy it officially on Amazon
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00ZN6YX0O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lockpickingprofi-21&camp=1638&creative=6742&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00ZN6YX0O&linkId=2df8b6YX0O&linkId=2df8b087d74f
RE: How Lockpicking works. - SpookyZalost - March 10th, 2021
@tc4me that makes sense, being able to quickly open locks during an emergency.
I always pictured firefighters as the forced entry sort, breaking down doors and whatnot.
RE: How Lockpicking works. - tc4me - March 10th, 2021
(March 10th, 2021 at 5:33 PM)SpookyZalost Wrote: @tc4me that makes sense, being able to quickly open locks during an emergency.
I always pictured firefighters as the forced entry sort, breaking down doors and whatnot.
People are more and more afraid of break-ins, and have their house / apartment made burglar-proof, that is, multiple locks on doors and windows, break-proof glass, metal market doors and door frames, and with brutal art no more getting in is possible. The only weak point is the lock and since we are slowly opening it, it is difficult. Bad thing, more and more OLD people are afraid and are more or less building a bunker. But if an emergency such as a fire or a health emergency occurs, we cannot get to them and stand in front of closed, burglar-proof bunkers. Wooden houses are built almost to zero in euros and are hardly allowed
RE: How Lockpicking works. - SpookyZalost - March 11th, 2021
@tc4me perhaps you could benefit then when I go into detail on stuff beyond basic lockpicking, because surprisingly there's a lot there that anyone could do provided they're willing to learn new tools for rapidly getting past locks and the skill level is generally low.
RE: How Lockpicking works. - SpookyZalost - May 22nd, 2021
So I wanted to post a small update to this.
there are better tools out there if you're new to lockpicking.
one that has garnered a lot of interest is the lishi lockpicking tool.
they're more expensive but they're good at what they do, which is making lockpicking a lot easier to learn and visualize.
![[Image: 3Cf8rFK.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/3Cf8rFK.jpg)
effectively it's a lockpick and tensioning bar in one with a nice visual written onto it that indicates both where the pins should be and their depth using standard biting, with variations of this tool made for different types of locks and keyways.
including master, kwikset, etc.
I'm actually thinking about getting one myself to try it out, a KW1 since that's for the most common type of lock out there and might speed up my ability to open doors in my house lol.
Edit: additionally it can decode a lock so if you have a lock without a key, you can use this to make one once you've picked it.