ARCHIVE 2003-2013 Introduce yourself HERE if you are new. :)

[jlc]

hey!!

I've been to this site a few times and I hope to learn alot in the future.
I became interested in lock picking because of physical security portion for my major
which is network administration / network security.

[enigmaforlorn]

Hey,
I've fiddled with a basic pick set from Southern Ordinance, but I really want to expand my knowledge and skill. That's why I'm here and I hope I find what I'm looking for.

[piscue]

hello world!

[BrockB]

Hey everyone,
Joined sometime around 2004 when I was big into computers and learned about picking from defcon. Picking fell to the wayside but just a month or so ago I found my pick set and thought I would get back into it. So here I am. Not really into computers as much as I was before so I should have a lot more time to work on my picking. Thanks for all the great info and I hope to contribute some myself in the future.

[CheshireCat]

Hello everybody!

Just joined to the forum and this is my first post here. I'm from Finland and I have recently got interested in learning how the locks work and how they can be picked, searched internet for a bit, noticed this forum, browsed it for a while and thought "hey, this might be just what I need". This site contains lots of interesting and useful information and I am sure it will come handy in learning about lockpicking.

I want to thank everybody for sharing their experiences and information about lockpicking and especially the forum group for making this forum.

[CodyBiffel]

Hey, what's up guys? I'm new to both the site and lockpicking. Anyone know where to get started? I have no picks, no knowledge, and an open mind..

[unlisted]

Well, I guess I will "take over" this for the other mod..

Welcome all new members!! Here are a few links to get you started.


Site Rules

New Users Guide

FAQ

Please take the time to read through them. Feel free to PM any active moderator with any questions.

[ElbowMacaroni]

Hi everyone! what an interesting site... I've always had in interest in things mechanical, and the idea of lockpicking has always intrigued me. I can't say that I've really done much other than some lucky playing around, but I stumbled on this site, and now I want to learn more, especially after spending most of the night last night reading the forums. My lucky entries, have been the alarm control box at my last house, because I needed to replace the battery as the constant chirping was driving me nuts, and the schmuck we bought the house from didn't give us that key... that one I got with a paperclip and a small screwdriver (used the screwdriver as tension wrench) and about 2 and a half hours... The other was one of two computers I inherited from a friend who didn't want them anymore that had locked cases with those "barrel" key locks, which I got with a biro and some luck, the other, I couldn't get with the biro, but a dremel worked wonders on the case metal LOL... Ever since then, I've had a come and go interest in at least reading about picking. I sense a new addiction/hobby developing now.

[proFeign]

Hi I'm a very new guy here - mechanical engineer by profession with part time machinist in there somewhere... I have a bunch of SouthOrd picks, and their ($$$) 1-5 pin practice set and a random assortment of other things. I've read all the guides I can find and can successfully pick a 3 tumbler luggage lock, 4-pin master padlocks, and a knockoff kwickset on my front door (5 pin) and all five of the practice locks that came with the SouthOrd kit.

Anyway I have a lot of time in at a shop and a good selection of tools to make things and I have done a lot of metalworking so it's neat to see some of the homebrew plug spinners and bump stuff here. I need to get a "box of locks" and just keep learning. I find raking to be almost cheating and so I SPP for all my practice with a slimline short hook which seems like the only pick I really need for USA-basic padlocks and 5-pins. I'm going to get better with those and then go through my other 20 picks I have/are on order and see if I can't learn some better technique. I think I'm going to be making or at least shortening the majority of my torsion wrenches since the first hard-learned lesson I had was that you really don't need any torque at all to set pins and more is not better. I wasn't really cranking them but even on the spring-return plug padlocks a really gentle touch was the first real revelation I had...

Anyway I will probably restrict my initial postings to things about fabrication and modification as I have many years of metalworking and mechanism-building experience that I think I can probably share while remaining a lurker/newbie in the actual picking forums... I have lots of questions but I'm going to do a lot of reading/searching since this looks like a terrific site from the two hours I've spent on it so far... Very much looking forward to learning here!

Thanks!

proFeign

[proFeign]

[quote="proFeign"]Hi I'm a very new guy here - mechanical engineer by profession with part time machinist in there somewhere... I have a bunch of SouthOrd picks, and their ($$$) 1-5 pin practice set and a random assortment of other things. I've read all the guides I can find and can successfully pick a 3 tumbler luggage lock, 4-pin master padlocks, and a knockoff kwickset on my front door (5 pin) and all five of the practice locks that came with the SouthOrd kit.

Anyway I have a lot of time in at a shop and a good selection of tools to make things and I have done a lot of metalworking so it's neat to see some of the homebrew plug spinners and bump stuff here. I need to get a "box of locks" and just keep learning. I find raking to be almost cheating and so I SPP for all my practice with a slimline short hook which seems like the only pick I really need for USA-basic padlocks and 5-pins. I'm going to get better with those and then go through my other 20 picks I have/are on order and see if I can't learn some better technique. I think I'm going to be making or at least shortening the majority of my torsion wrenches since the first hard-learned lesson I had was that you really don't need any torque at all to set pins and more is not better. I wasn't really cranking them but even on the spring-return plug padlocks a really gentle touch was the first real revelation I had...

Anyway I will probably restrict my initial postings to things about fabrication and modification as I have many years of metalworking and mechanism-building experience that I think I can probably share while remaining a lurker/newbie in the actual picking forums... I have lots of questions but I'm going to do a lot of reading/searching since this looks like a terrific site from the two hours I've spent on it so far... Very much looking forward to learning here!

Thanks!

proFeign[/quote]

clarification - that is "machine shop" in P2 - I have no experience or anyone local (yet!) to teach me anything about picking so I'm learning by feel and reading and (sort of but not really since it's all been time developing my feel so far) videos on picking that are free online...

[shaothegreat]

Hey everybody. I've been picking for almost 3 months now. I started with a
Fortress laminated 40mm and a $6 set of picks from one of those cheap Hong Kong import sites with free shipping. Since then, my collection has grown to about 50 different locks, of which I've picked about half. I am thoroughly hooked and don't see my addiction waning in the near future. My current projects are repinning/keying a Master 930, and picking/making a new key for an American 1105. I'm happy to have found this site and hope to learn as much as possible!

Shao

[blo0mz]

New here. Hi everyone!

[vagrantsoul]

Hey there, guys. I'm in need of a hobby and lock picking has to one of the coolest hobbies I've considered starting. I love a challenge! Right now I'm trying to learn more about security pins.

-Cheers

[Gonewild]

Hey everyone! I have had an interest in lock picking for some time now. I finally got a new set thanks to all the great advice about what to buy from this site. I love to solve any form of puzzles, and LP is one of the most challenging next to computer programming in my opinion. Hope to get to know a lot of you. Later from middle Georgia, Gonewild

[Xzore7]

Hi, I'm not technically new to lockpicking101 because I started here a while back and bought my first lockpicking set from the recommended site (Think it was lockpickshop or something...). Anyway, I got busy and gave up on finding a practice lock for a while but now am looking for one on ebay, a 5 pin cylinder deadbolt presumably. Been looking around on ebay for any good deals.

[edit]

Or if they have any other suggestions that'd be great. Thank you!

[this is where you say hello, etc, not ask questions about ebay auctions.. Ask that in the "Got Questions" forum please- unlisted]