Strange Jap Cylinder lock with an odd key

[JackNco]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-Heavy-Duty-Brass-Door-Lock-Cylinder-Lockset_W0QQitemZ200066661038QQihZ010QQcategoryZ41978QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Saw this on ebay and am a bit confused how you would even start to pick it, i cant see any way the key grasps the cylinder....

Any ideas, looks interesting either way

John

[sidpick]

we got one of these, it is heavy duty with three rows of pins and a groove in the plug which slots into the key. (so you can turn the plug)

Bark is worse then bite as it picked well within a minute. Think its about a 12 pin lock....but only the top 4 pins actually did anything (until the plug rotated) then snap! lock again.

Don't think there were any anti pick driver pins

Came with loads of keys and to the unknowing masses it probably looks quite secure.

Fun to play with and different - definately would not put it on my front door though!!!

[raimundo]

You could try the fiber pick idea on it, just use a little bottle brush

[JackNco]

im tempted but im bidding on something that looks more fun atm

And what the hells a fiber pick then?

John

[DaveAG]

I bought one (well actually a keyed alike pair as I found out when they arrived)

I think all twelve pins on mine are being used. As for ease of picking, I was too lazy to get my picks from downstairs and started pushing at the pins with a jewellers screwdriver.

Less than a minute.

The only thing I could see that could be awkward is tensioning it. I applied tension to the tailpiece with my finger, but if mounted on a door you would need to find something to interact with the ridge of metal that normally goes in the notch of the key.

I think I found it so easy because it has a massively wide keyway you can see and manipulate each pin individually without touching the others.

I wouldn't ever fit one to a door, but becuase they came with lots of keys and look very unusual, I'm turning the pair into keyswitches for a "nuclear-launch" console prop I'm making for a student society.

[JackNco]

good 2 know where there like cheers dave.