ARCHIVE 2003-2013 Introduce yourself HERE if you are new. :)

[jbrau]

Hello all, I'm jbrau and I just joined. I've been reading for a few days and have found plenty of good information here, so kudos to the admins.

My background is that I took a locksmith correspondence course a LONG time ago, and it wasn't a bad course overall but the lock picking lessons were really sparse and I never really got the hang of it. I recently dusted off my old picks and tried it again because I seemed to have a bunch of locks without keys on things that were too valuable to throw away, but I couldn't bear to pay a locksmith to open them or just give up and drill the plugs. After days of futzing, I finally managed to open one of these locks by overcoming the classic mistake of using way too much tension. In fact, when I finally set the last pin, I was using so little tension that I didn't realize for a moment that the plug was free. When I did, I nearly fainted. I'll probably never forget that moment, like my first... uh, St. Pauli Girl.

Since then I've been practicing a lot and reading everything I can get my hands on. It's amazing how easy it is to get info and tools now through the miracle of the internets. Until fairly recently, the only information resources for most aspiring amateur lock pickers were things like libertarian book stores or gun shows, and keeping your eyes constantly scanning the street for loose street sweeper bristles. With my recent epiphany and a few more months of practice combined with online readings, I'd like to be able to help myself, my friends and my family when they're locked out, and possibly do some locksmithing for a living. The accessibility of lockpicking101.com and related sites will be tremendously helpful, I'm sure, I just hope pin tumbler lock picking doesn't become so common knowledge that it endangers innocent people or causes this type of lock to disappear, rendering the skill set obsolete. So if you share valuable, helpful knowledge with good people, bless you; if you use this knowledge to nefarious ends, may you be hit by a heavy, slow truck.

[illusion]

Another happy forum member.

Welcome to the site all, I hope you enjoy your stay.

[illusion]

I see that RobertB is back from the dead:

profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=15086

Well-well-well... Either somebody is having a joke, or it's true that arseholes don't stay down.

[Aeschere]

Hello,

I am completely new to the site and to lockpicking in general. I didn't even started yet. Just here to read up on things and start something new.

The site looks great, lots of information around. So it should keep me busy for the next couple of days.

Short info on myself: 23 years old male from the netherlands.

[timelord]

Hello to you all!

Timelord

[timelord]

What is all of this about?

I see that RobertB is back from the dead:

profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=15086

Well-well-well... Either somebody is having a joke, or it's true that arseholes don't stay down.

[hotfoot982]

Hey people
This forum seems SICK!!!
I can't wait to learn this stuff;)

[timelord]

A "SICK" forum, but you are still keen to join?

[Menesis]

So what did the "timelord" think of the new Dr Who on tonight?

It seemed a bit silly to me!

[illusion]

A "SICK" forum, but you are still keen to join?

Sick as in cool... another such word would be 'phat'... It's skater talk of ages gone by, but still used now.

[TreeofLiberty]

Glad to see the site. Thanks for such an informative place.

[CVScam]

Sorry I was little late making this post. I got started working on locks at a car dealership now I have a small used car dealership of my own. My lot is across from a gas station so I see at least once a week someone with a locked gas cap no key or someone locked out of their car. The town is small and only has a part time locksmith(he is hard to get a hold sometimes) and has no local towing company. What is sad the local police still just try the old slim jim after they make the person sign a form saying they are not libel for any damage done to the car. Take advice from me dont try to slim jim a car or stick coat hangers in the door jam unless you know what your doing.

[illusion]

Don't stick anything down the side of the door - ever. There are better ways that will do less damage, and aren't so..**tacky**.

Welcome to the forum TreeofLiberty.

[Indecision]

I finally created an account here, just to post in this thread, so I figure I'll introduce myself here too

I'm not a locksmith, nor does it run in my family. But I've always been the type to take things apart and see what makes them tick. It's the drive that got me into my current career in IT -- computers have endless possibilities for poking and prodding into their depths, and I got a start on the Apple IIe, which practically encouraged you to mess around. I'd always take apart my mechanical toys as a youngster, and even managed to put them back together most of the time It's even led me to do my own car repairs, whenever possible.

More recently, I had a brief stint as a magician. I've always been fascinated by that, too. So few people know how it works, and the whole thing is shrouded in secrecy. So I set out to learn some of the secrets. Along the way, I taught myself many of the skills, and found that I had a deep appreciation for the sleight-of-hand. The accuracy and the fine motor skills that are required for a lot of it go completely unnoticed by the people watching, but I tell you it's quite rewarding to watch peoples' reactions when you do things that just aren't possible

So take an appreciation for things that require fine motor skills, an interest in examining the internals of things, and a general love of puzzles, and lock picking seemed like the ideal choice for a hobby. What a perfect combination of the three. I'm finding out all sorts of things about how locks work, which I find fascinating. I'm definitely using those fine motor skills, not to mention lots of patience (and unlike with magic, I don't have to find an audience to show off to). And I'm coming to see locks as a whole new kind of puzzle -- there aren't many, if any at all, where you have to rely on touch and sound, because sight is all but useless.

[pickmepickme]

hi guys. I've always loved the idea of bypassing mechanical locks and such for fun. I think its great you guys have got together and made this forum. Looking forward to learning more!

Mark