decoder keys

[peephole]

ive seen tubular lock picks for sale and some come with whats called a decoder?
ive looked up to see if i can get the gist of it but
whats it do and how do you use it? does a beginner need it?
thanx in advance

[Squelchtone]

ive seen tubular lock picks for sale and some come with whats called a decoder?
ive looked up to see if i can get the gist of it but
whats it do and how do you use it? does a beginner need it?
thanx in advance

Once you impression/pick the lock using the tubular pick, you use the decoder as a guide to figure out the depth cuts for each of the feeler picks you set on the 7/8 pin pick. Then you go to your handy dandy tubular key cutter and cut a key by code, using the depths you got from the 'decoder'

Squelchtone

[peephole]

thanx i have to admit im still no wiser ,i understand what your saying but the code and cutter part i have yet to discover.
is there a tutorial?

thanx in advance

[MacGyver101]

You can think of the "decoder" as just a measuring gauge, or a "ruler".

If you look at the sides of a tubular key, you'll see that the part of the key that pushes against the lock's pins is milled to different depths -- in the same way that a traditional flat key has cuts that are different depths. The different possible "cuts" are numbered, usually running from 1 (the longest cut) to 8 (no cut at all).

The decoder is just a piece of metal (usually shaped like a key, so that you can carry it on a keyring) that has notches cut into it. Each of the notches is the same depth as a key cut, and are also numbered 1 through 8. You simply hold the decoder up next to the key (or next to the pick, if you've used a pick to open the lock) and match the size of the decoder's notch to the size of the key's "cut". This will allow you to read the "depth" of each key cut and obtain the corresponding cut code.

Once you have all of the depths for all of the pins (for example, it might be 5-3-2-1-7-8-2 for a key for a 7-pin lock), you can either cut a new key using a special tubular key cutter, or you can go to a locksmith and have them cut a key to that code (5321782).

I hope that helps!

[peephole]

this really is that simple? you should be a teacher im in the know
im only jokin its a really well explained tutorial and thanx.

[Phatphish]

Here's a little link showing you how decode a key
Youtube decoder link

[thePick]

Apologies for reviving this ancient thread, but i fear i was about to create one with an identical question.



This is the basic set i'm stuck with (i know, the rubber handle is ridiculous, but the price was certainly right)
I've got the lock in question solved, and now i need to decode it.
Yes, the set comes with the decoder, however from the various 'guides' (of which there were not very many on the subject of decoding) and the decoder itself i notice:
-it has 8 numbers
-it has 7 notches
(see picture for detail)

Usually i would assume that either 1 or 8 is to be truncated, and measure the rest easily... but with these copies costing $10/pop, i'd rather get some 'expert' opinion

my leading theory right now is that the 1 is actually a "0" so to speak, in that there is no notch when its cut to a "1", and that everything else basically just follows up numerically.

Sage advice to follow, i'm sure...