by Grudge » 15 Dec 2003 11:58
As already mentioned, paperclips make lousy lock picking tools. The reason is the metal. If you notice, commercial picks and tension wrenches are made of stainless steel (very hard, somewhat flexible) or spring steel (hard, very flexible) while paperclips are made of soft, bendable iron. I have used paperclips to open simple wafer locks (like in desks and filing cabinets) but that is about all you can do with them.
Much better household items are large safety pins (bend 1/2 inch of the pointed end into a smooth 45 degree curve) and flat hair pins (you need to bend the end of these along the thin edge, which is difficult but doable).