Picking old-fashioned locks

[Swordsalot]

hey all,
I've had an account here for years, but only a few months ago got a set of lockpicks and started actually doing it. Since then I've been picking the same set of 4 padlocks (I lost the keys years ago :S). Anyway, most locks I've found are similar in design to the padlocks I've been playing with.

However, the external doors on my house are really old, with big chunky keys. They look completely different to the padlocks (padlocks are called pin tumbler locks I think?), and work differently. The padlocks have to only be turned about 30 degrees to open, these have to do about 2 revolutions.

Here are the keys:


I don't know how else to describe them, but I really want to try to pick them. My tools will hardly even fit the keyway (it is pretty thick), and the key is such a different shape I doubt it has the same mechanisms :S

Can someone tell me how to pick this?

[linty]

you will need to do some research into the mechanism of warded locks to figure out what's going on inside these, but personally i find it easier to impression these than to try to pick them

[jordyh]

There is an excellent guide on picking warded locks floating around on the forum, if i'm not mistaken, it's either stickied somewhere or posted in the page with guides.

Good luck and happy picking.

Yours,
Jordy

[Romstar]

They are either plain warded locks, or they are warded lever locks. In your case, I would say no more than three lever in any case if you are in North America. There are some rare instances of better lever locks, but not enough to matter.

In your case, get some heavy wire and read up on lever lock picking. For your locks it will be pretty simple.

Good luck,
Romstar

[nezumi]

As has been said, those are for warded locks. I've never seen a lever lock in the US (not that I've been looking that hard, and granted, I've never seen a currently occupied house use a non-lever warded lock as the primary exterior lock).

If it is a non-lever warded lock, basically what you'll want is a series of keys with only one tooth, oftentimes in funny positions. These are skeleton keys. Your biggest problem will likely be getting the torque to turn the bolt, since the basic method a non-lever warded lock works by is hide the piece you have to turn behind bits of metal (wards). A little prying (or looking at the keys) will show where that piece of metal is.