Judging from the name on the face--"Tigon"--and the fact that it doesn't show up on Google(only a few lookalikes from a different company), I'm inclined to suspect that it may be of a Chinese or some other lesser-quality origin. The fact that I found it in a market in Peru for about $2 US doesn't seem to lend to its credibility either.
However, it is a different kind of lock, I must admit. Inside, there seem to be seven separate discs stacked in series, each with an identical rectangular slot cut to the dimensions of the key. When the key is turned, the angled cuts in the key result in some of the discs not turning as far as others; when all the discs are turned to about 90 degrees and are properly aligned, the key will turn the rest of the way and open the lock.
With the aid of a bent paperclip I was able to reproduce the approximate layout of the discs when the proper key is inserted. At that point, rotating the fourth disc from the front seemed to unlock the rest of the mechanism.
What I found to be interesting was that without the key, the discs rotate freely from a horizontal resting position to a vertical position with or without the key. Then, though, they are blocked from moving further unless the key is turning them, and the discs are lined up. If this is the case, then they continue turning until they are lying 180 degrees from what they were--at which point the key cannot be removed. It is necessary to first turn the key back to the locked position before removing it. The padlock doesn't appear to have any springs, and it is possible to lock it open.
As I said, I've managed to open it, but not actually pick it. I haven't yet identified a weakness in the design that allows one to open it without knowing the combination. (As an aside, there seem to be three possible cuts on the key, resulting in 3^7 or 2187 possible combinations.) I'm wondering if anyone here is familiar with this kind of lock--first off, was it OK to post it here, and secondly, what are its weaknesses(if any)? I'm thinking perhaps if I applied tension to that fourth disc, it might cause the other discs to "set" properly, but I don't know...
Thanks!
Not a cake walk, but no abloy.
They are really quite easy to pick, 1-3 minutes approximately with the right tool.
