Keyways, Brands and Complications

[RobertFontaine]

Hello... I'm new...

Has anyone created a website with pictures of the common keyways, keys, brands, makes and models in North America?

Is there a lock wiki with the various strengths/weaknesses of the various locks - their known bypasses, appropriate pick and tool selection etc.

I'm a complete novice so I'm not entirely sure where to click for information yet but I like the idea reading about how things work and understanding them as much as the idea of defeating the locks themselves. Much more interesting than a speed cube.

thanks
R

[cledry]

Silca and Ilco and Jma all have catalogs online showing key profiles.

[Jacob Morgan]

For difficulty of opening a wide array of designs you could try Graham Pulford's High-Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference. It is not a cheap book but if you keep a sharp eye on Amazon you might find a used copy for a discount.

[dhk42]

Jim's comment led me here. This looks like a fantastic resource - PDFs of all of the blanks and keyways.

http://www.kaba-ilco.com/key-systems/literature-support/373042/key-directory-references.html

David

[davesnothere11]

http://lockwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page

Lockwiki is another great resource for information about unfamiliar locks.

[Squelchtone]

Is there a lock wiki with the various strengths/weaknesses of the various locks - their known bypasses, appropriate pick and tool selection etc.

The idea or notion that each brand and model of lock has a specific lock pick made or commonly used to open it is a common misnomer with beginners. We don't walk up to a lock and say oh, it's a Delta model 7 deadbolt, let's get the medium hook pick as this is the pick that is used to pick the Delta model 7 lock, and everyone knows this, and no other pick will open that lock better. Lock picking doesn't work that way. There is no appropriate pick tool most of the time. A lock picker will use the pick they are most comfortable with using, basically, their favorite pick shape that opens more locks for them more often than other pick shapes in their pick set.

Most of us who have been picking for years can pretty much open a lock using any of the picks in our pick sets, but just to reiterate, my pick set doesn't have labels in it that say, use this for Dexter, use this for Master padlock, use this pick for Schlage. I'll reach for my half diamond pick set to open those three examples, while someone else here will reach for an S rake to open all three, and another member will use a hook pick and open all tree.

So by virtue of what I just said, no there's no list or chart or matrix of lock model/brand to which pick in your pick set you should reach for to open that model or brand of lock.

Are you learning this for hobby or work? most of us do this for fun, so no need to have a reference manual on specific bypasses of each model unless you're doing entry work for a swat team or are learning to be a locksmith or burglar.

Squelchtone

[RobertFontaine]

Is there a lock wiki with the various strengths/weaknesses of the various locks - their known bypasses, appropriate pick and tool selection etc.

The idea or notion that each brand and model of lock has a specific lock pick made or commonly used to open it is a common misnomer with beginners. We don't walk up to a lock and say oh, it's a Delta model 7 deadbolt, let's get the medium hook pick as this is the pick that is used to pick the Delta model 7 lock, and everyone knows this, and no other pick will open that lock better. Lock picking doesn't work that way. There is no appropriate pick tool most of the time. A lock picker will use the pick they are most comfortable with using, basically, their favorite pick shape that opens more locks for them more often than other pick shapes in their pick set.

Most of us who have been picking for years can pretty much open a lock using any of the picks in our pick sets, but just to reiterate, my pick set doesn't have labels in it that say, use this for Dexter, use this for Master padlock, use this pick for Schlage. I'll reach for my half diamond pick set to open those three examples, while someone else here will reach for an S rake to open all three, and another member will use a hook pick and open all tree.

So by virtue of what I just said, no there's no list or chart or matrix of lock model/brand to which pick in your pick set you should reach for to open that model or brand of lock.

Are you learning this for hobby or work? most of us do this for fun, so no need to have a reference manual on specific bypasses of each model unless you're doing entry work for a swat team or are learning to be a locksmith or burglar.

Squelchtone

In terms of complications I was wondering more about things like drilling out the rivet on the new "American" master padlocks at the newly created drain point; Which pins are active or passive in high security locks; What the common codes for Keyways of common lock manufacturers are and whether they are open or paracentric. With padlock whether they use ballbearings. With residential/business lock what the underwriters lab security rating is. What year did the keyway/lock come into use... etc... I would assume locksmiths have access to big telephone books of manufacturer details or dvds of this type of information up to and including common bypass methods; both destructive and otherwise.

In terms of picking, I understand that a couple of rakes to get an initial set, a medium hook or a reach and a few tension bars is all that is required for spp but there are many ways to skin a cat and I intend to get as much mileage from each lock as I can. Shims, pickguns, vibrators, drills, snips, saws, picks, torches, pry bars and jack hammers all seem like good clean fun to me. Heck small shaped charges would be fun too. I suspect something explosive and a small bowl could do really interesting things to a lock.

[Squelchtone]

Whether you're just joking or not, at the moment I'm suspisious of your intentions. We will not teach anyone here how to drill a padlock or blow up a lock and no, locksmiths don't have such reference material, with the exception of safe and vaults; they do however have years of hands on experience which is better than reaching for a book or manual every time they walk up to a lock and need to open it.

Before you focus on the finer details, I'm not sure knowing when a particular keyway was introduced would help someone picking a lock. If I told you the SC1 Schlage keyway was introducted in 1966 does that make it any easier to pick?

I'll be watching your posts closely to see where you're going with this...
Squelchtone