is medeco / mul-t-lock almost unpickable?

[salem]

It took me a long time to pick my MTL when i got it, and I don't think I'd be very successful were I to attempt picking an MTL that I previously hadn't touched right now. MTL are *not* easy, they're bloody hard! It has taken me a great deal of time to pick mine, and I will admit to neglecting other things for the sole goal of picking it.
You need the proper picks to do it, and unless you are a lockie, or have contacts, you can invisage paying around £70 for a set of picks to open this lock. Time I can open mine in? about 7 minutes, I just did it now whilst writing this PM... Bear in mind that I have got to know this lock and I'm doing it in a warm and comfortable space.

The new MTL is actualy the MT5, which uses a 'worm-track' element similar looking to the Evva 3KS. I haven't got one, and doubt I'd be able to pick it open right now - hands up who has already beaten it? I doubt many...

Hmmm... The lock has measures to stop drilling, and I'd say resists very well unless it's a Euro cylinder that sticks out of the door a lot and is *not* a break secure model that resists this attack. In terms of picking, well I don't envisage many people at all picking it, but it's certainly a very secure lock.

The single issue is bumping... MTL have recently issued a statement regarding bumping, and having not done it personaly, I'll wait for somebody to actualy prove it can be done, before I claim it's possible.

Thanks for all the detail info! I feel a little puzzled with that. The graphic from mul-t-lock seems to suggest that their product is *absolutely* anti-picking, because it's impossible to pick the cylinder. When tension is applied, the top and bottom pins interlock.

http://www.mul-t-lockusa.com/pub/bump%20this%20large.JPG

I know lock companies tend to show the best technology and features, and let their customers have an illusion that all of their products (cheap or expensive) also have every anti-picking or anti-bumping feature. Do you think it's also the case in Mul-t-lock?

And when you said you can pick a mul-t-lock, does the model you picked also have the features mentioned in the graphic?

Shrub: Hot link image changed to a link,

[UWSDWF]

What is the purpose of the questioning? cause if it for security purposes the question has been answered picking to break in to a house makes about as much sense as murdering with toothpicks.... can it be done yes is it practical no.

if you're just curious about the locks flaws and how one could exploit them just look here

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/mul-t-lock/

[salem]

What is the purpose of the questioning? cause if it for security purposes the question has been answered picking to break in to a house makes about as much sense as murdering with toothpicks.... can it be done yes is it practical no.

if you're just curious about the locks flaws and how one could exploit them just look here

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/mul-t-lock/

i just need to confirm if all product lines of medeco / mul-t-lock do really well on anti-picking and -bumping as they claimed. In fact, it's not that difficult to pick up information about how to break the 'security' of these locks on many websites. Some seem to suggest that it's very easy, while some, like illusion, said it's bloody hard.

However, when i checked over the Netherlands Consumer Organization report (showed in Toool.nl), several Mul-t-lock could be opened with a bump key but no medeco seems to be opened successfully in their test. On 22 Aug, Mul-t-lock in the States issued a statement to reject the claim. As a customer, I feel really confused with all these information.

I begin to feel that it'd be stupid to rely on these companies to release accruate information to me, so i'd like to seek more third party's opinions.

[Shrub]

The release by MTL usa is for the new locks, the old ones can be bumped but as of yet i dont beleive the new ones have or can be,

[salem]

The release by MTL usa is for the new locks, the old ones can be bumped but as of yet i dont beleive the new ones have or can be,

but how do i classify the old lock and new lock? I've checked the instruction from the mul-t-lock interactive i bought last year, but there's no single statement about Mushroom pins or any anti-picking technology.

[UWSDWF]

dude what are you hiding from that you need this totally invinceable lock.... trust me when I say your lock is more then enough for most any application short of top secrect military applications....the average person has a lock a less then half as goos as yours, old or new models. you seem to be feeding some seriously bizzare paranoia. you want to know which model you have take pictures of it out of the door and it's key and i'm sure somebody here or even MTL themselves will identify them for you.

[salem]

You need the proper picks to do it, and unless you are a lockie, or have contacts, you can invisage paying around £70 for a set of picks to open this lock. Time I can open mine in? about 7 minutes, I just did it now whilst writing this PM... Bear in mind that I have got to know this lock and I'm doing it in a warm and comfortable space.

today i just made some more research on this. The lockpick tool you mentioned seems to be invented by a locksmith in China. Some professional locksmith claimed that they can open a mul-t-lock interactive within a few minutes with that tool, the only problem is that the pick can be broken so easily. Will ask them to do a demonstration for me with a brand new lock soon.

[salem]

dude what are you hiding from that you need this totally invinceable lock.... trust me when I say your lock is more then enough for most any application short of top secrect military applications....the average person has a lock a less then half as goos as yours, old or new models. you seem to be feeding some seriously bizzare paranoia. you want to know which model you have take pictures of it out of the door and it's key and i'm sure somebody here or even MTL themselves will identify them for you.

it's a typical answer from locksmith, but in consumer's point of view, the answer is rather straightforward. For USD150, you can buy a big range of locks, and you obviously want the best of them. Being very informative to buy things can be as satisfactory as a locksmith attempting to acquire an impractical skill top open a lock.

[illusion]

today i just made some more research on this. The lockpick tool you mentioned seems to be invented by a locksmith in China. Some professional locksmith claimed that they can open a mul-t-lock interactive within a few minutes with that tool, the only problem is that the pick can be broken so easily. Will ask them to do a demonstration for me with a brand new lock soon.

You would be reffering to the New Sparkling Mul-T-Lock tool I presume? The tool resembles a lever lock 2-in-1 pick since you are able to not only apply tension, but with the same tool manipulate the pins. This is however not the tool I was refering to I'm afraid.

What I refered to was an actual set of picks, used in concert with a tension wrench. The set is made by Paul Souber, a supplier of locksmiths tools in the UK. The set contains 4 picks with different heads, and a double ended one with the two most used heads. Sold to locksmiths, the pick-set costs around £35. Souber will only sell to 'bonafide' locksmiths, and the solution for hobby pickers is to buy them elsewhere. Looking at the tradenet site, it seems the MTL pick-set has been reduced to £50+VAT... Pretty much the only place that will sell this set to hobby pickers.

A similar set to the Souber is manufactured by Keyprint - Similar picks really, but have nicer handles IMO. Sell at a slightly higher cost than the Souber set as well I think.

The Souber set is fairly sturdy, and I don't imagine you'd break them unless you were too forceful. The fragility you mentioned is what made me think of the New Sparkling pick, since I've heard there are strength issues.

3 minutes? That's pretty good going really...

I admit, I'd be intersted in seing the New Sparkling tool in action.

[salem]

today i just made some more research on this. The lockpick tool you mentioned seems to be invented by a locksmith in China. Some professional locksmith claimed that they can open a mul-t-lock interactive within a few minutes with that tool, the only problem is that the pick can be broken so easily. Will ask them to do a demonstration for me with a brand new lock soon.

You would be reffering to the New Sparkling Mul-T-Lock tool I presume? The tool resembles a lever lock 2-in-1 pick since you are able to not only apply tension, but with the same tool manipulate the pins. This is however not the tool I was refering to I'm afraid.

What I refered to was an actual set of picks, used in concert with a tension wrench. The set is made by Paul Souber, a supplier of locksmiths tools in the UK. The set contains 4 picks with different heads, and a double ended one with the two most used heads. Sold to locksmiths, the pick-set costs around £35. Souber will only sell to 'bonafide' locksmiths, and the solution for hobby pickers is to buy them elsewhere. Looking at the tradenet site, it seems the MTL pick-set has been reduced to £50+VAT... Pretty much the only place that will sell this set to hobby pickers.

A similar set to the Souber is manufactured by Keyprint - Similar picks really, but have nicer handles IMO. Sell at a slightly higher cost than the Souber set as well I think.

The Souber set is fairly sturdy, and I don't imagine you'd break them unless you were too forceful. The fragility you mentioned is what made me think of the New Sparkling pick, since I've heard there are strength issues.

3 minutes? That's pretty good going really...

I admit, I'd be intersted in seing the New Sparkling tool in action.

wow! very short but really really informative! I didn't know there're so many tools invented so far, so which one get the best word of mouth?

Yes, the one i refered is New Sparkling:
http://www.newsparkling.com.sg/2532.jpg (produced by H&M, possibly a HK-based company)

I saw a locksmith to take it in action already. He opened a MTL interactive in around 2 mins, and as he said, it's actually easier to open the Interactive because it employed one pin less. Not quite understand what he said, i'm too amateur on these. But now i begin to doubt that his excellent performance was based not only on his skills, but also his knowledge on the demonstrated lock. If he's willing to show his skills on a new lock, i'll surely take the video on that and put it on youtube~

[Shrub]

You would be better advised to put your video on a private site like photobucket, theres no need at all to host such things on such a public site,

I have again also removed a hotlinked image, can you provide a link if its a picture off site please,

[salem]

You would be better advised to put your video on a private site like photobucket, theres no need at all to host such things on such a public site,

I have again also removed a hotlinked image, can you provide a link if its a picture off site please,

no problem. I actually got that link in another post in this forum when i searched "New Sparkling"~

[Shrub]

Yes and thats fine but it was a link and not the picture am i right?

You see when you put the image up on here it uses the bandwidth of the site the image is hosted at and thats not fair and is against our rules,

Hence why we use links or copy the picture and host it on our photo bucket account and then say exactally where its come from and then also again provide the link of the original,

[illusion]

He opened a MTL interactive in around 2 mins, and as he said, it's actually easier to open the Interactive because it employed one pin less.

I'm afraid he was wrong - you see both the classic and Interactive use 10 pairs of pins (5 inner, 5 outer) I've found the classic and Interactive to be equaly difficult really, both function in exactly the same way... Just a different key.

I use the Souber set, and find them to work nicely... I really have no complaints, although as I said before, the Keyprint ones are very nice to use. I can't vouch for the New Sparkling one since I don't have it... I can only go upon second-hand information that I cannot personaly vouch for.

2 minutes? wow, the amount of time it takes seems to get less every time I see it!