An amateur's insight: Luggage locks

[luggagelock86]

I dont know anything about luggage locks. But in the condo building where I rent a unit, somebody was throwing out a beautiful piece of luggage, that sat by the door in the dumpster room. It is in beautiful condition. It had a luggage lock on it. I started picking the lock. I gave myself my first lesson in lock picking. For a small luggage lock: Step 1: Put a nail in the middle of the key hole. How big a nail? the biggest nail that will fit in the hole. Step 2: Put either the biggest paper clip that will fit, OR a safety pin, in the narrow part of the keyhole in front of the nail. Then twist, and the lock opens. However, keep in mind, the safety pin works better than the paper clip. The paper clip metal is too soft, and prone to excess twisting. The safety pin works much better. You can bend the safety pin to a 90 degree right angle. You put the pointy end down deep in the lock, in front of the nail. The other part of the safety pin that has the clasp can serve as a lever. You pivot it around, and push it against the nail, to turn the key hole. Key thing to remember is the nail and safety pin both have to be inserted as deep as they can go to do the job. The so-called "picking" is not lengthy. Once you have the nail and the pin in the key hole, you just turn it like a key. the whole process should take a second. there should be no difficulty. its a great skill when you travel with frequency and you cant find a luggage key.

[luggagelock86]

I MEANT to say I dont know anything about lock picking in general. not just luggage locks, but lock picking in general. other than what I told you I taught myself with this one thing.

[illusion]

You can also use a tension wrench on manyu of them

Get the SO twist-flex wrench, place into lock, turn clockwise.

[luggagelock86]

ah, but if you use the twist flex wrench, are you forcing the lock to open? are you putting wear and tear on the luggage lock? Where as the nail and safety pin method seems to give the right amount of pressure on the locks internal pressure points. Hey, does anything we have mentioned here represent any lockpicking fundamental theorems that would apply to larger locks?

[illusion]

No, you just gently turn it, and it engages the latch at the end... Seems very well suited to opening them really.

[Krypos]

that works on some. others you dont even engage anything. others you have to pick. i ahve one that requires picking, its highe end junk.

luggage locks blow.

check out my pb for soemthing cool.


http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h99/k ... 106sec.flv

watch that. i created all of it.

[linty]

luggage locks are terrible in general, there are some out there now that have a light that goes from green to red if they've been opened (also they can be opened electronically by a special device, if i understand right).
the problem is, airport security is allowed to cut your locks on a whim, so who would want to shell out a lot of money for a really good lock?

[!*AMP*!]

Luggage locks are kinda like gun locks...really cheap and cruddy. Even if they chare you an arm and a leg for it, it's still not that good. I mean, it's a lock on a leather or canvas "bag". You can't spend too much on that, because a knife is the easiest way to "bypass" luggage (uh, oh, I told a way of destructive bypass! Don't ban me! "

[raimundo]

the tsa, approves some cheap luggage locks, which means that they have a backdoor combination to the ones with combo wheels, so that they don't have to cut them, I believe a cutaway version of one of these locks is all that would be needed to liberate that master combo. (TSA is a threeletter gov bureaucracy, a branch of the ministry of fear)

[Omikron]

the tsa, approves some cheap luggage locks, which means that they have a backdoor combination to the ones with combo wheels, so that they don't have to cut them, I believe a cutaway version of one of these locks is all that would be needed to liberate that master combo. (TSA is a threeletter gov bureaucracy, a branch of the ministry of fear)

Heh, master combo...

viewtopic.php?t=11077&highlight=tsa

[Krypos]

yeah, in general, luggage locks are pretty much the crappiest form of lock there is.

nonetheless, they are entertaining for someone new to this hobby.

[!*AMP*!]

And if you're just learning, pick up a gun lock as well...you'll think you're some uber criminal that can get anywhere...but it won't last long.