~~~~~Picking TSA Padlocks~~~~~

[novicelockpicker]

Hi Everyone...before I get to my topic, I would just like to introduce myself to all the members of LP101! I'm a student from Canada and I started to get into lockpicking after one boring pro-d day(its a day for teachers to do marking etc.) when I watched the TOOOL video: "Bumping Revisited". Ever since then I've just gotten hooked onto lockpicking, and later I discovered this forum. I just want to say that this is the most polite forum/blog that I've ever visited. No swearing, abusive comments etc. and everyone here is such a great community! So thanks and give me some pointers along the way!

I hope the moderators wont mind me talking about TSA padlocks, if so sorry.

Picking The Samsonite TSA Padlock

!!!!!WARNING EXTREMELY LARGE IMAGES!!!!! sorry for the upload hassle
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/novicelockpicker/TSASAMSONITE007.jpg

Most people who travel to the USA will usually see the TSA authorities. They check baggages and have their own line of luggage locks(all of which are not very dependable). The lock that I will be picking is the Samsonite 007 TSA Padlock. When I first started playing with this lock, I noticed that the TSA keyway was very tight and narrow, it also has a very distinct triangular keyway shape: here's a pic.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/novicelockpicker/DSCN1278.jpg

Because of the shape of the keyway, I choose to use a safety pin, and a very thin paperclip for a tension wrench.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/novicelockpicker/DSCN1258.jpg

Also notice in the first picture the grey "knob" that is near the shackle. That knob when picking really helps you because as you pick the lock and feel the pins bind that will slightly turn(also in part due to the HORRIBLY loose tolerances), that will tell you that you're almost there. The key to picking this lock is to put LIGHT TENSION because it will literally turn on its own! Also when picking either GENTLY rake the pins or lift them individually. I greatly advise picking them individually because you can feel each of the pins bind slightly which will help to train your fingers to feel for tension changes and binding.

Overall my conclusion is that all luggage padlocks by far are easily picked and the TSA padlock is absolutely no exception. However I do know that Abloy makes a key ring to lock keys which uses a camlock to secure a steel cable, its called the Abloy FLEXLOCK. Though, I think its better put to use as a luggage padlock than a key ring!

Well thanks for taking the time to read this and good luck, though its so easy that I doubt you'll need it!



This is going to be my birthday present! !

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/novicelockpicker/AbloyPL362.jpg


Ridiculous sized pictures turned to links, please be careful of this in future,

[Krypos]

hey, thanks for the contribution, but had you searched for even one minute, you would have seen that we have more than enough info on cheapie locks. TSA locks included.

welcome, and do take heed and read the rules, the stickies and just about everything else if you really are interested.

enjoy

[Shrub]

Welcome to the forum, im glad your having fun,

Ive had to resize your pics, if they are going to be over 500 pixels wide dont post them and post a link instead, it makes the forum readable, its not the download times its the fact the screen needs scrolling sideways to read the thread and that is most annoying to us regulars

Its true you should search before you post but youve done nothing out of the ordinary nor really wrong as all noobs post and think later, many of the regulars dont even know where the search button is anyway,

The point of the tsa locks is so that they can be opened at the airport by anyone who wants to, if you start putting differant locks and cables etc on your luggage you will simply find them cut off when you get the case back,


The best advice i can offer although youve not asked for it is to throw your paper clips and safety pins etc as far as you can and then buy a real lockpick set especially if your wanting to get into this hobby seriously,

You dont type or sound like a teacher so i guess your a student at school so advise you keep your hobby to yourself when being taught there,

I have to tell you that the Abloy your getting will be far out of your skills or even knowledge and you wont be able to pick it with tool sets you can easily buy,
Also you wont get any help on picking it in the open forums so please dont make a post asking to as it will be deleted,

You should now move on to a real cylinder of a decent make instead of getting the Abloy, you then simply change the pins around to make the lock appear to be keyed differantly, this way from one lock you can have over 100k differant locks

Welcome to the site, read it before posting and youll be as knowledgeable as most on here,

[LockNewbie21]

Welcome mate I was going to say something abuot the over exuberant title.

However, for a first post was a pretty good one mate.

Welcome aboard

[Wrenchman]

The point of the tsa locks is so that they can be opened at the airport by anyone who wants to, if you start putting differant locks and cables etc on your luggage you will simply find them cut off when you get the case back

If you put an abloy on your luggage,and customs cant´t open it, they´ll cut it?
But they would then have to give you another abloy.....Right?



Wrenchman

Btw. Welcome Buddy!

[hesevil]

If you put an abloy on your luggage,and customs cant´t open it, they´ll cut it?
But they would then have to give you another abloy.....Right?



Wrenchman

Btw. Welcome Buddy!

Nope. They will indeed cut through something they can't open if they want to look inside. The last time I checked, the minimum education required to be a TSA agent is 8th grade completion; combine that with what you just found out and it all makes for fun travel.

[Shrub]

Im not too familier with the inns and outs of the luggage systems but i assume that they have the right to look in anyones luggage,

That they can use any effective method available to them to look in that luggage,

They dont have to leave the luggage in the exact same state they found it,

I would guess that a suitcase going through security without its owner which was to be checked but had somthing other than a lock they had master keys to would simply be chopped off and then after the search it would have somthing like a plastic cable tie threaded through and zipped with a customs label on it,

They would not be liable for any damage to the luggage not alone the lock they cut off,

Im sure its in the rules that any luggage should be in a state whereby a security officer of whatever department can open it and inspect it with or without the owner present at any time they want,

[Knowthebird]

I've got a few tsa luggage locks i've been playing with. they are fun to bypass/pick.

I'm curious. On the lock you have, you can turn the knob by the shackle to apply tension? If so that would be pretty cool.

I can't pick that one tsa lock (mine does not have any knob like that by the shackle though, i think that would help). The triangular keyway is just too wierd for me. I've heard light tension, but it does not do the trick for me.

Luckily I can read the sesame lock, so I can still say I can open it :-)

[novicelockpicker]

Hey, srry about the large pics, next time I'll resize them. Also I JUST GOT MY SARGENT AND GREENLEAF 831B!!!!!!!! its also the military version with the military control and user keys!!!!!!!!!im so happy!

[Krypos]

Im not too familier with the inns and outs of the luggage systems but i assume that they have the right to look in anyones luggage,

That they can use any effective method available to them to look in that luggage,

They dont have to leave the luggage in the exact same state they found it,

I would guess that a suitcase going through security without its owner which was to be checked but had somthing other than a lock they had master keys to would simply be chopped off and then after the search it would have somthing like a plastic cable tie threaded through and zipped with a customs label on it,

They would not be liable for any damage to the luggage not alone the lock they cut off,

Im sure its in the rules that any luggage should be in a state whereby a security officer of whatever department can open it and inspect it with or without the owner present at any time they want,

yeah. pretty much. my mom works for the airlines, however, not the TSA.

but yeah, pretty much, the only time TSA would have your bag without you there, means that you left your bag somewhere. and that appears suspicious to them, so it must be searched regardless. so any means available. it WILL be opened.

and actually, the TSA can be rude. even to airline employees. but again, some of them are very nice. guess it depends.

[BobbO45]

The fact that the TSA guys are allowed to open your luggage any way

necessary, including cutting the lock off gave me an idea. I wonder if it

would be possible to get cut locks (that they would otherwise throw out) from

an airport? Maybe it would also help if you knew an employee?


hmmmm . . . any other places for free practice locks?

[Shrub]

I would think the supply of locks if any at all from an airport would be the cheap crappy things you get with cases when you buy them, not even worth getting your picks out,

[skeeve]

I would think the supply of locks if any at all from an airport would be the cheap crappy things you get with cases when you buy them, not even worth getting your picks out,

Yeah, I saw one of those once that i could pick by putting a ball pick in the key way and just twisting. Kind of like how warded picks work, but with a ball pick... My theory is if you can pick something by messing around without any knowledge of picking (like poking around with a paper clip on some common push button locks) then there really isn't any point to the lock. Might as well use a zip tie or something. That way at least you'll definately know if somebody's been messing around with your lock.

[Shrub]

The nasty ones dont even have to be touched with any tools, pull on them and the shackle comes out the lock body,

Personally i have used cable ties (zip ties) in the past, as you say its instantly obvious if its been tampered with but also keeps it secure,

These days i travel with hand luggage, i make sure i travel light its so much quicker when getting to the other end to simply walk off the palne and out the building instead of waiting for luggage thats propably been lost or battered anyway,

[skeeve]

agreed. carry-on is definitely the way to go. then the only way to access your luggage is to break you. I'm pretty sure you'd be able to tell if it had been tampered with that way.