Warded Padlocks - A Guide by illusion

[illusion]

I’m sorry to begin this on a negative note, but I feel it is VITAL that this is understood. I wrote this guide myself, and took the pictures myself, yet I am posting it on this site free of charge, and for anybody to see. THIS GUIDE IS TO REMAIN AT Lockpicking101, AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY YOU POST THIS OUTSIDE OF THIS SITE.

A question was asked about this today, and I feel I may as well knock a quick guide up for you all. This is gonna be a fun little guide, but I'll try and make it as informative as I am able.

In terms of warded padlocks, then there are few made nowadays. The two modern warded padlocks I know of are the Master one, and the Regent one.

A picture says a thousand words. Look at these photos, and hopefully get some answers.

Okay, so this photo is the uncut version I have.



This is the version I decided to cut away:
(This cut-away is not fully finished so looks rough)



You'll notice the shiny, slivers of metal that stick out? Thos e are the wards, and the placement will determine what key will open it.

Here are the wards taken out of the lock:



This is the same version with the correct key inserted. Notice the way the cuts on the key correspond to the placement of the wards.



This is a close-up of the key:



The tip of the key moves the latch, shown in brass at the top, and this releases the shackle.

If you are still following then you will aready see a flaw in this design. The design works upon the principal that you would try to use a different key in an attempt to open it, but aside from that is very insecure. Asuming that you could get something that was able to pypass all the wards inside the lock, and still operate the latch you would have a key that could open every lock that used the same key, in effect, a skeleton key.

There are two different techniques to open these locks I have found - either by cutting the key into a skeleton key, or by bending a bicycle spoke to shape. The pick works in exactly the same way as the skeleton, key and involves turning the tip in the unlock direction to move the latch.

Skeleton key:
(Rough, but does the job)



Wire pick:



Skeleton key inside the lock:




This is an old mechanism, and as we have seen does not protect much at all from a modified keyblank. The mechanism is however good in a sense that it is very resistant to the elements, and is cheap to produce.

I hope you've all picked something up from this guide, and if there were any questions that they have all been fielded.

Thanks for reading.

Ben.

[jordyh]

I hereby vote for a sticification.

Great guide, Ben.
Thanks a lot.
Never knew those wards could be interchangable.
Is that a common thing?

Yours,

Jordy

[Jason13]

Yet another Guide by Illusion


Great guide Illusion

[illusion]

Never knew those wards could be interchangable.
Is that a common thing?

Since I made it into a cut-away I could just pull them out of the slots and move them about. If you wanted to keep it as a functional security lock, then you'd have to find a way to taking the top side off, and perhaps welding it back on when you're finished moving the wards about.

I'm glad you liked the guide.

[undeadspacehippie]

Thanks for another great guide Illusion. I have your guides saved as pdf's so I can view them even when I am not online. You put alot of effort into them and thanks.

[illusion]

Thanks for the kind words undeadspacehippie.

I had considered making them as PDF, but I figured this would only encourage arseholes who wanted to rip my guide off on Ebay etc...

I'm glad you like my guides though.

[undeadspacehippie]

I would never compile them and sell them, its completely personal use. I tried to get a friend to come on and learn from the site but he is freaked out about being watched on the internet. Its only recently he has started using a cellphone, thinks the government is going to get him.

He will look at the pdf's I have though.

[pinsetter]

As for the removable wards:

In laminated warded locks the wards cannot be removed and replaced like this. The actual plates that comprise the laminated lock are cut differently on laminated locks. Technically they *could* be moveable by totally disassembling the lock and then putting it back together in a different order to produce a different warding pattern. Why anyone would do this is beyond me however, since any old skeleton key, wire pick, or warded pick will still open it.

[Aqua]

And yet another usefull guide. Once again a good job Illusion.

Aye!
N.

Ps. I like this background material better then the old one

[illusion]

Ps. I like this background material better then the old one

The old backgrounds were my kitchen chopping board, a tablecloth, and my computer desk. I got bored of those and used the closest thing I had to hand - a dictionary!

Still having issues with focuss, but working on improving the pics.

Thanks guys, and girls.

[Sesame]

Nice job, Ben. Your guides are always concise and easily understood.

A question: what is the function of the V-shaped spring/clip on the right side of the lock?

Keep up the good work.

[Jason13]

Its what picks the latch to open lock i think thats why he filed down the key so its kinda the same thing.

[Mr. Lock Pick]

very helpfull guide, thank you.

[USMAN]

Great Work! Ben. Thanks for sharing & Keep up the good job.

[Lokka]

hahaa!
No more wondering how to pick my bikes lock!
nice and illuminating pics, thanks.
(i have to do the pick and try on...)