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

[jes3se]

Hello All!
I keep coming back to lockpicking as one of those skills I've always hoped to learn. I started out with some rudimentary lockout tools several years ago, and now, after watching far too many Burn Notice re-runs and reading a few articles on ITSTactical, I found this site after reading some reviews of Raimundo's Bogata picks.

I'm here to learn, and someday, hopefully, gain enough skill to have a fun party trick, or help out a friend without taking a window out of its tracks.

Thanks.

[Tim26201]

Hello to all, I have always been interested in the art of opening locks without a keys. After 40 years of wanting to learn I have taken the plunge. I have read everything I can get my hands on and have had success with various door and practice locks but am havering trouble with padlocks and will post about that in another area. Mountani Semper Liberi

[D'anjou]

Hello everyone,

I initially wanted to get into lockpicking simply becausee I thought it would be a valuable skill to have. However, the feeling of the "click" when a lock opens changed my mind about that. Every lock is a puzzle of it's own, and once you start looking to solve them, it's impossible to stop. I'm sure many of you can relate. Naturally, after some googling, I stumbled upon this wonderful forum. I hope to learn a lot here, and perhaps I can even chime in with some useful input of my own.

Cheers,

D'anjou

[maestro11]

Hello to every one, maestro11 send to you the best regards. I'm an italian tecnician woorking on the look field since 30 years ago. I would like partecipating to yours woorksoop. Sincerely..

[MrAnybody]

[quote="maestro11"]Hello to every one, maestro11 send to you the best regards. I'm an italian tecnician woorking on the look field since 30 years ago. I would like partecipating to yours woorksoop. Sincerely..[/quote]


Ciao e Benvenuto, maestro!!

[laice]

Hey everyone, I'm a computer security professional looking to expand my knowledge on physical security. This site keeps coming up in my searches and there seems to be a solid community of knowledgeable people here, so I decided to join. I'm eagerly awaiting my first tools to arrive and can't wait to get started.

[J0shua]

Howdy, I'm J0shua a newb and a lurker for the most part. This place is a wealth of info and solid advice. Or so it seems, I guess...in all honesty... I have no point of reference with which to know my proverbial [EDIT] from a hole in the ground.

Anyways. Thanks.

[fatbob 74]

hi peeps the names fatbob i am new to the site and to lockpicking, i am 38 in the british army and looking to learn lock picking for when i will be a civilian in 4 years time,i have got myself a set of southord picks just this week managed to open up just cheap pad locks and still percevering on a barrel that i managed to aquire from work.

and happy new year to everyone

[RivenV]

Good afternoon, all!(Or morning? ... Evening?)
I guess I'm not new to the concept of lockpicking; it's definitely a skill I've always wanted to learn. In fact, when I was about five years old, I accidentally got a paperclip stuck in the key hole of my parents' driver side car door while I was practicing. The trials and tribulations of youth, right? Anyway, I recently decided to actually pursue this as a hobby, some nineteen years later. In the beginning I was often frustrated as I was trying to "improvise" with modified and found materials on par with bent paperclips, modified bobby pins, and the metal parts from assorted pen caps. Needless to say, it did not go well. Now I have a kit from HPC that I received for Christmas. I'm not sure which one it is, but it has 2 tension wrenches, 1 extractor, 3 steel-handled picks (a hook, a snake, and a standard half diamond), as well as 4 other assorted picks (steep half diamond, standard half diamond, a snake, and a hook), and 1 last pick that has a steep snake on one end and a half diamond on the other end. I still get frustrated, but that's part of learning, right? My ultimate goal is to take this hobby to a professional level. Hopefully with my hard work and your collective advice I'll get there! So thank you in advance for all of your (future) help!

[Silenthermit]

Hello,

I have always had a curiosity about lockpicking but never took the time to research and learn. It wasn't until a friend was locked out of her house a few years ago and asked for help did it encourage me to seek out the know-how's. Prior to seeking my beginning set I looked up the laws for carrying in my state and it came up green unless "criminal intent" was indicated. The first place that gave me info was that popular video site and seeing how easy it was I jumped the gun and bought the CC wallet pick set. The idea was something small and portable that I can carry with me in case of emergencies (plus it was an inexpensive $10). After spending but a few minutes and being able to open a Kwikset and a handful of other locks set the ball rolling, since then it's been all downhill.

I have been able to pick quite a few locks used in houses or shops (friends/family locked out) and every lock I come across seems to be calling me to play with them (resisted of course...not mine, no touch). But I've come quite a few I can't open and quite a few I had no idea what it takes to open and that's when LP101 kept coming up when I went to look for answers. I've learned a little bit about locks, picks, homemades, philosophies, what to do and more importantly what not to dos. I've been browsing the threads for quite some time now but only now decided to register. Recently unemployed the idea of maybe becoming a locksmith crept up, who knows. Here's to hopefully learn quite a few more things and having more doors open in the future....oh ya along the way I got a hold of bogota titan minis for having on me at all times, almost scary what a joke most locks on houses are to them.

[Trevoc]

Hi,

Been curious about lock picking because I am curious about things and am interested in learning new things. I am currently teaching my self to do vector art, always learning photoshop, learning to make slingshots, and learning to shoot a bow and arrow. So, this is just another thing that has always caught my curiosity. I have invested in a pick set, and a pick gun. Not sure the gun was a good idea, but have to go through the learning process to find out. Already picked some locks and made a pick for handcuffs. I know its not terribly impressive to you seasoned guys and gals, but for me, its a good start. I'll be doing some reading here and learning and hold off on comments or questions for a while, but I'll be here reading and learning.

[Ripley1046]

New to the forum, and relatively new to lockpicking as a hobby. I've had to pick a number of locks over the years out of necessity, and have been fairly successful, so I thought I'd pursue it further. I just made a pick set out of paper clips and opened 2 exterior door handles and deadbolts in less than a minute each. I'll probably try to make a set out of a hacksaw blade soon. I love making my own tools. Looking forward to learning some new skills!

[Ferrari_is_life]

Hi everyone! My name is Zare (pronounced like Harry but with a z instead of an h.. So like Zarry) from Montreal, Quebec. I'm fairly new to lock picking. I had purchased a pick set a while back and I would just pick pad locks from time to time just for fun.. I love the challenge of it. I work in the private security industry so I have been looking into lock picking to add to my skills. Really looking forward to learning the trade and hopefully advance my skill level! This is a really great site, everyone seems pretty helpful so I'm pretty excited to get started. Thank you!

Zare

[TheDukeOfNukem]

Hi,

I just registered. Im a newb at lock picking...just recently got into it. I have collected locks for some time. I made a set of picks and started taking locks apart to learn. I love the puzzle challenge of it. This site rocks.

Thanks

The Duke

[tgrogan90]

Hello Everyone,
I was a bite surprised that this kind of site/blog existed, but immediately signed up once if found it. I've always had a knack with locks and enjoy anything mechanical. While I don't remember doing so my parents constantly retell the story of how as a toddler I would sneak out of my room and scatter my Lego's everywhere; so they started locking it. After two nights I learned I could poke something in the hole and unlock it. After a few weeks of that they changed it to a keyed lock, apparently I was sort of destructive once escaped. It wasn't long until I learned how to use my sisters bobby pins to unlock it, James Bond may have been an influence. Whenever I see a safe or combination lock I can't help resist the temptation, provided it is reasonably appropriate. I don't steal anything or do anything unethical, other than disrupting ones sense of security. Oddly I'm better at cracking combination locks then picking a keyed lock. I find that they are more vulnerable as you can feel the tumblers, it's incredibly subtle and takes a while to find the feeling but then its just matter of time. After working for a watch repair company I got much better at determining the subtle things. I also do a lot of computer repair which often requires analyzing failures and vulnerabilities. Aside from that I'm 22, studying the ever exciting field of Business Management and Supply Chain Logistics, and am a chef. I suppose my next step is finding a way to practice this, without my wife thinking I'm planning something devious. I'm excited to join everyone in opening the unopenable.
Tim G.