The secret to picking locks

by **Romstar** » 5 Aug 2004 2:25

Get a cigarette lighter and a pair of needle nose pliers. Two pairs if you are lucky. If you are even luckier, you have a file or two and some sand paper.

Now, go looking around the house.

Long sewing needles, bobby pins, safety pins, small allen keys or minature screw drivers, tiny crochet hooks, large staples, paper clips. Anything that looks like it could be made into a pick or tension wrench.

Need to cut a strip of windshield wiper reinforcement? Grasp on either side of where you want it to be cut with the pliers, and just keep bending back and forth. Metal does fatigue and it will snap. After that, make what you want.

The lighter is used in place of a torch with things like bobby pins, and needles. Normally these are a hardened or tempered metal, and have to be heated before being bent or in the case of bobby pins, unbent.

Want a handle for your improvised needle picks? Use the handle from a craft or x-acto knife.

Most of your picks will resemble different heights of hooks. Some, if you are careful with the lighter and pliers can be made into snake picks. Despite the appearance, corrurgated bobby pins don't make good snake picks. They are best used for small tension wrenches.

Become familiar with normal pick tools, how they look, what the sizes are, and then become very familiar with the way a lock works. After that, many things in your home will lend themselves to some minor modifications and become decent picking tools.

Romstar

by **Allmytimerblongtothis** » 5 Aug 2004 2:27

.........without using picks? then you cant PICK it just make your own tools then you dont have to by equipment unless thats what you were trying to say, it makes you feel cooler anyways, homemade lockpicking is the the fly fishing of lock picking.

by **reg** » 5 Aug 2004 3:03

*sigh*
I guess he meant without bought picks anyway ...

by **Allmytimerblongtothis** » 7 Aug 2004 19:26

*sigh*

People can be so imprecise, can't they?

by **Serethipas** » 12 Aug 2004 23:35

S3rratedSp00L wrote:Most criminals use the "keys to the city"... ala, pry-bars, bolt-cutters, drills, screwdrivers, rocks, bricks. ceramic from plates, mugs, spark plugs, etc.. etc... picking takes too much time for impatient thieves and patient theives are almost non-existant. People with patience can usually hold a job.

This is all common sense to anyone who enjoys lockpicking as a hobby. It is too bad that a lot of the public lives in fear, especially the lawmakers.

mind if i save this quote?

by **Golfer** » 24 Jul 2006 5:06

good read!

by **toiletplumber** » 24 Jul 2006 12:30

Allmytimerblongtothis wrote:.homemade lockpicking is the the fly fishing of lock picking.

lol that makes me want to wrap my picks in thread a feathers and then maybe pin them on a hat or something.

anyway on the topic of the johnny law again. You will need criminal intent in order to be charged with anything right? So does that mean you could just sit in your local park and pick a set of your own padlocks or would you get arrested? I mean they are YOUR padlocks so you have no criminal intent.

by **Bud Wiser** » 27 Jul 2006 0:34

intent is usually hard to prove unless of course you also happen to get caught with gloves, a black ski mask, and a floor lay out to a safe with your picks.

Another way to look at intent is with guns. Guns can kill, yet there are legal reasons to have guns. Just because you have a gun does not mean you have intent to murder, unless your pointing the gun to some one's head.

It really is very simple.

by **LockNewbie21** » 29 Jul 2006 12:26

Oh for god sake just do what makes oyu happy and screw other people.

Plausable daniability, yea i know i didn't spell it right, if a cop walks up to me and tells me to come with him for questioning on a breakin... guess where my pick extractor is going.. and yes feel free to quote that and flame, i want a court ordered warrant that has plausable proof of my being in this gerneal area llet alone near where ever the given cicurstance is and i mean proof, not some of fart sittin on a part saying yea thats the guy with the red hat. I want finger prints, security camera shots and the whole nine yards, if they don't have it, don't bother knocking on my door becuase i will get pissed and slam it in your face.

Your to paranoid, every cop where i live knows i pick locks, heck i show my new pick designs to them, and how many times after how many break ins was a finger ever pointed at me? Zero.

This is discussed to many times in here and for a forum talking of ethical picking and a sport... who could give a rats as* what anyone thinks.

Do everyone a favor just get a locksmith liscnce like me and many others, then hell carry your picks anywhere, and you might get a great job to.

This stuff really gets on my nerves voncidering if you just put some work ethic forward and get certified you have no worry's, even if you dont want to become a lockie, if your going to worry and have a thread this size....get ceritfied.

Flame me all you want, that how life is, without proof your nothing.

Andy

by **Bud Wiser** » 30 Jul 2006 11:36

LockNewbie21 - not sure who your post was in response to? Basically all I said was intent is hard to prove so it should NOT be a problem. Just because you have picks does not mean your thief. In fact more probably if your not hiding them you are either a lockie or hobbiest, otherwise a very dumb thief to draw so much attention to yourself.

I've been involved in the security industry in Rochester, Buffalo, NY for many years. And I know first hand that the majority of residentual break in's do not involve picking at all! Some form of bypass is used. And ironically done during the day, front door when no one is home! In fact in 20 years I have not run in to one break in where a lock was PICKED. Picking takes too long.

As for picking your own locks in public, legally it should be ok as long as no laws are broken.

My personal opinion, and it is just my opinion, it's not a good idea. It may make some people uncomfortable. It's a public place and not our own personal property. Some common sense and respect should prevail. I like to sit in front of the TV at home in my boxer shorts, obviously I would not do that at a park. If I saw some one practicing picking locks at a park it wouldn't bother me, I would just think they were a little weird and need a better social life. I love to pick locks but if I was at a park would find better things to do like enjoy the park. There is a time and a place for every thing.

Just my 2 cents.

by **LockNewbie21** » 30 Jul 2006 14:57

I was tired, sorry about the flip out post. I was basically just me saying just relax as far as having oyu lock picks and who you tell.

I mentioned police around here know i have lock picks, becuase i am friends with most, and they never pointed a finger at me, i mena i live in Reading Pa, there a murder or robbery or break in a day.

So i was just saying, and excuse the post it should have been in a calmer fashion, just have fun, i carry my picks everywhere, you never know when an emergency will happen and you will need them.

I have this line to. Everyones skeptical untill there locked out, or need you skills, then its okay.

So really people always wonder, but when they need your hobby, or professsion skills there happy.

Once again sorry for the agressive post, Nobody take any offence please

Andy

by **Bud Wiser** » 30 Jul 2006 16:01

I think walking around with a super jimmy and slim jim could get you in more trouble then a pick set

by **LockNewbie21** » 30 Jul 2006 18:19

Oh hands down agreed

I guess the let Nicholas Cage off in gone in 60 secs. because he's rich... dang us average folk

Andy

by **Bud Wiser** » 1 Aug 2006 14:01

Back on topic, I just don't get how randomly practicing while doing other things like watching tv, etc, will help me improve my skills. Aren't you just playing in the dark then? Pot luck?

I tried it, and if I do it long enough, I do pick open a lock eventually that way, but I have no idea how I did it since I wasn't really paying attention. If I pay attention, then that becomes my point of focus and I can't watch tv or other stuff at the same time.

Am I missing some thing here?

by **jose5725_s** » 1 Aug 2006 15:20

yungning wrote:Advantage??
you better be careful about that, you probably don't want too many people know you know how to pick.
who knows...maybe one day people will think you are the thief who opened someone's door and stole stuff...

yeah i agree. we need to be careful with that. :shock:

The secret to picking locks

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