How do you store/transport your locks?

[LeeNo]

I never realized that locks were so fragile as to require bubble-wrap, packing foam, special cases, etc. etc.

I only own around 50 locks that I use for picking so maybe I just don't have enough for this question to make any sense.

My solution? Dump them in a tripled up Safeway (or other plastic grocery bag).

Are we worried about rust? I never saw that as an issue considering I don't engage in combat-condition Xtreme lockpicking.

To me, rust-proof means I don't take my locks out of my triple-layered plastic Safeway (or other grocery) bag if I am outdoors and it is raining.

What am I missing?

Are there like really valuable locks that some members here own that are frequently transported and extremely vulnerable to humidity?

Most of my locks are made of quite durable materials (I think because they are locks and meant to be durable so as to prevent people from simply pulling them open).

[Eyes_Only]

For many of us our practice locks become a sort of a collection as well. Especially when you get rare gems like a Emhart or for us US pickers a few hard to get euro locks like EVVA or ASSA.

It causes us pain to see these beauties get scuffed and scratched up out of carelessness. Kind of like when your picks get bent, you feel like crying.

[LeeNo]

For many of us our practice locks become a sort of a collection as well. Especially when you get rare gems like a Emhart or for us US pickers a few hard to get euro locks like EVVA or ASSA.

It causes us pain to see these beauties get scuffed and scratched up out of carelessness. Kind of like when your picks get bent, you feel like crying.

I get it - I just never made the connection with lockpicking.

I am also a stamp collector and I totally understand the collector mentality. I have just never made that connection with my accumulation of locks.

But I do get it and now it makes sense to me.

Please understand - I didn't post my post to disparage anyone! I just didn't get it. To me, locks are sturdy steel devices which are built to be able to withstand being thrown through the plate-glass window on the 50th floor of a building and still work as advertised.

But when I apply my collector's mind to locks I see a very rich playing field.

Short story: I get it!

[JB0311NY]

GRRRR LeeNo...

Leave it to you Army Puke's to go hurting feelings.
Us Marines support equal right's... We treat everyone like shI t...lol

I personally polish my lock's. I make them all shiny and line them up into Rank's them I march my pick's into them While calling cadence.


Ohh-Rah

[dboeren]

As the one who started the thread, here's what I was thinking....

I only have a small collection so far, about a dozen locks and I've got another 14 locks on the way that I won on eBay. I imagine it will keep growing. I don't yet have any really cool exotic ones that would require special protection to keep them nice and collectable, though that will no doubt happen someday.

One concern is keeping them organized. If I throw 30 locks in a sack and I want to get one particularly lock to show a friend, it's kind of a pain. If it keeps them looking in decent shape too, that's a bonus, especially later if I have some unusual locks in there. It's also important that I can carry them easily, so something with a handle would be nice.

It's not a big concern yet, but I'm trying to plan ahead. I used to have a big video collection and I realized back then that it was important to select a storage method that would scale. For example, bookshelves are only good for the most trivial collections because they're flat. You can only grow in two dimensions, you can never put them in front of each other. While I don't expect this collection to grow that large, I still want to store my locks efficiently so that they take minimal room.

If I do happen to get a very large collection one day, it may become important that my storage carrier feature swappable compartments. Picture a toolbox that is empty inside and holds maybe 3-4 stacked plastic trays. This is swappable. I can have a dozen plastic trays stacked on my shelves at home - pick out the 3-4 that I want to take with me, load them into the carrier, and go. This is similar to how I currently manage my wargaming collection.

I agree that not everyone really needs this, they may be quite happy keeping their locks in a sack or maybe they just leave them at home on their workbench and don't ever want to take them anywhere. Hey, maybe I don't need it either, but I'd rather think ahead now that have to convert later because I didn't.

[DPTR]

Well I looked around and this seems to be the closest thing I could find to what I use.



The only thing this is missing is the steel frame, which may not really be necessary.

The thing is meant to carry big pieces of metal, and keep them organized - so it should work pretty well. You may not be able to organize every lock individually, but you could separate them in groups of 5 or so based on type or "ease of picking".