Lock Picking with improvised tools

[savs2k]

a pen clip and paperclip are usually what i look for first if i'm improvising. If all else fails hairpin from the best smelling female around.

[atikin]

When I started to pick a locks, I used a part of Pilot pen for a tension wrench and a bent paper clip or bobby pin for a pick. The tention wrench from the part of pen is pretty good and I use it now. But the picks like that are too flexible and I had no feedback at all. So I didn't know what to do. One day, I found a windscreen wiper from the car on the street. I saw a video, where one man did a tention wrench from it. I bent off the wiper and took off the rubber. There were 2 lines of metal in the rubber. The lines are something like 2,5 mm width. Using the pliers I bent and cut the metal line. I did 2 tention wrenches - one normal and one with a 90 degrees handle twist. They're perfect for a small kayways and horizontal kayways, such as modern Mul-t-lock. Also I cut a 8-9 cm lines and using my set of 10 files cut out some lockpicks. They are not as strong as a shop lockpicks, but they're better, then the paperclip or bobby pin. Now I just needed to make a handle. For the handle I took a ice-cream sticks. I cut the sticks to parts like 3 cm long and cut out a furrow for pick in every 2-nd part. Then I put the pick into the furrow and just glued two parts together with a wood glue. Of cours, the picks you can buy in shops are much better, but main are better then the bobby pin.

[Cryogenick]

The blade of a keychain swiss army knife is fairly decent at opening most of those Sentry fire safes. Its not so good for the blade, but it works in a pinch.

-KR

[poor paperclip picker]

I usually keep a paperclip and safety pin in my wallet in just in case. I bend a small loop in the paperclip and flatten the loop as much as possible to make the tension wrench, and I clip the point of the safety pin and bend the end up to make a small hook with the pin. Not always the fastest or easiest way but it works..sometimes.

[atikin]

I think that the best tools are professional lock picks. They are strong and the size is ok. My relations is serching for the picks in Ukraine now, because I didn't find 'em here, in Israel.

[SsBloodY]

Swiss knife and a nail scissors.

A badge(I used the pin) and another badge (I again used the pin)

[Necro260]

I made a decent pick out of a credit card type of card. Nice hard plastic about the right width. Just need some scissors to trim it the right shape. I used a paperclip as a tension wrench.

[5thcorps]

I only use improvised stuff when my tools are out of reach. The first thing I look for is binder clips. If not then and thing stiff wire like a brake caliper clip or once I took a wiper blade off my wife's car and bent the insert to use that.

[laf]

I have seen a guy pick a lock with a glass of water. It was absolutely the coolest thing ever! He took a whole lot of bets that he could get into the boss's office using just a glass of water, then he froze it and made a (VERY brittle) tension wrench and a pick out of it and picked the lock. He ended up breaking/melting about 5 tension wrenches before it opened, but it was still a reallllly cool trick.

yeah sure

[iluvmynerve]

i use two bits of 0.9 TIG welding wire bent into shapes when i look my keys in my tool box.

[LostInBarstow]

Just joining this forum, been a locksmith off and on for twenty five years. Back at it again since construction has tanked here in California. Two weeks ago I stopped by an office on my way home from work to check out a safe that had the dial taped in the open position. What my boss failed to find out was that there was a key lock also (McGunn safe). I showed up with a screwdriver and a pair of vice grips (and the ever present Leatherman). I did borrow a bobby pin from a rather shapley young woman and a paper clip. Picked the key lock in about three minutes. Yes, only four pins and about as tight as a hotdog in a hallway, but it really impressed the paper pushers. As far as the young lady is concerned, if I was twenty years younger (yeah right, she'd be in diapers LOL)

[awol70]

sweeper bristles,paper clips bobby pins, box staples,and bits of wire,
( all found in the curbside in anytown...)
i habitually look for these...in one case i found an old set of headphones hanging from a tree in a local city park,
and said to myself, "self" , i said, THAT would make a great short hook....the head band was around 1/2 an inch wide,
spring stainless steel...it ended up being three of the nicest short hooks i had made to date...
as a matter of fact i have one on my keychain still...
(it's the shiny one pointed to the right....)

DSC03755.jpg

also on my keyring,reach hook,short hook,long hook,bogata,american bumpkey,master warded pick,slightly offset 1/2 Diamond,
and spring steel warded picks..

[cppdungeon]

sweeper bristles,paper clips bobby pins, box staples,and bits of wire,
( all found in the curbside in anytown...)
i habitually look for these...in one case i found an old set of headphones hanging from a tree in a local city park,
and said to myself, "self" , i said, THAT would make a great short hook....the head band was around 1/2 an inch wide,
spring stainless steel...it ended up being three of the nicest short hooks i had made to date...
as a matter of fact i have one on my keychain still...
(it's the shiny one pointed to the right....)
also on my keyring,reach hook,short hook,long hook,bogata,american bumpkey,master warded pick,slightly offset 1/2 Diamond,
and spring steel warded picks..

does the kwikset go to your door? :p

--Cpp

[thelockpickkid]

That's not a kwikset, I believe thats a Master M1!!

[awol70]

That's not a kwikset, I believe thats a Master M1!!

very close...it's a Guardâ„¢ almost identical blanks.