Advice Wanted for Next Lock

[EvilGuru]

Hi all,

Although I have been lock picking for a couple of years I have only really got interested in it in the past few months. However, there are very few suitable locks around the house for me to practise on and no one I know has any spares going.

A week or so ago I got myself a Zone 1850 cut-away lock. While it has 5 spool pins I did not find it overly difficult to pick — just requiring some careful tension management.

I am therefore asking if anyone has any recommendations about what locks I should try and get my hands on next. Ideally I am looking for something which will be challenging but not impossible that is readily available in the UK — but most popular lock brands seem to be available mail-order.

Regards, Freddie.

[Dak]

try american padlocks. An American 5100 for my first entrance into security pins. They have spools, serrated, and spoorated pins .

and if thats not enough for you, go ahead and buy maybe a medeco cam lock. Mine was a pretty good challenge for me.

[EvilGuru]

try american padlocks. An American 5100 for my first entrance into security pins. They have spools, serrated, and spoorated pins .

and if thats not enough for you, go ahead and buy maybe a medeco cam lock. Mine was a pretty good challenge for me.

Although American padlocks are not the easiest to come-by over here I'll look out for one next time I go to B&Q (hardware store). If not I'll see if I can get any cheap Euro cylinders.

Thanks for the advice.

Regards, Freddie.

[Solomon]

Try an Iseo euro cylinder. You can get them in almost any locksmiths and most bigger hardware stores. They contain 4 spools and the tolerances are pretty decent. If you don't have any trouble with one of those, get a Corbin cylinder. Not sure how many security pins are in those as my experience with them is limited, but they're higher quality so one of those should definately give you a bit more of a challenge.

I picked up an Abus rim cylinder a while ago aswell and it's a real nightmare. It has 4 spools (all but the front pins, which are hardened for drill resistance), the keyway is very tight and awkward, and the bitting is tricky aswell. Definately a challenging lock, considering the price.