Is this a pick lock??

[tattyt]

Hi,

I found this in my back door mortice lock & it wasnt there 2 days ago. Can anyone confirm or deny whether they think this is a pick lock?

Many thanks

[Squelchtone]

Hi, we call the tools a lock pick, but maybe in the UK you guys call it a pick lock..

Can I mention to our members that you are from the Somerset, UK area?

If that is a lock pick tool, its very crudely made and probably some local teenagers messing about. Does not look like a professional tools that I can tell.

Does your lock use a euro profile cylinder insert, like a upvc door would have or is it an old lever lock and this was sitcking out of the keyhole of the lever lock?

Thank you
Squelchtone

[tattyt]

Hi,

Yes, sorry for the incorrect term as I am based in Somerset UK.

Please see attached photo of the door lock. The metal was found in the outside lock.

Many thanks,

[Squelchtone]

hmm, hard to tell. any homes around you burgled recently?

Perhaps some of our UK lockies will see this thread tonight and tomorrow and can offer better help. I'm in the US, those locks and methods of picking them are not as common here, so I can only take educated guesses.

check back later this weekend,
Squelchtone

[tattyt]

Many thanks Squelchtone

[Valdo]

+1 Squelchtone, you should inform yourself to see if someone was robbed in your area,
One thing is for sure, this tool could be used to pick a lock if it is a standard pin tumbler lock, I don't see how you could pick a lever lock with this, maybe it was someone fooling around,
some people in my college are know for sticking thing in lock just to annoy the owner...

[Berget]

Finding that one in my back yard door lock would freak me out.

It's a quite crudely made pin tumbler pick, and I can't see how that one would prove even the slightest chance of picking success in a lever lock. Even sticking a pin tumbler pick in a lever lock implies that the perpetrator don't know what they are doing. Kids?

Never the less, it's a targeted attack on your property.

[capt.dunc]

i would guess teenage hoodlums with no understanding of what they're doing, or awareness of the consequences if they're caught. i see you have a left hand mounted old securefast, they're not getting in with that bit of metal, and this is the one of the only types of 5 lever lock in the uk which won't pick with a standard curtain pick due to a peculiarity in it's construction. they can be picked but are a bit of an arse. i don't think i can recall anyone on here ever talking about picking these open (and i've read every thread in the european lock section), most locksmiths carry a special decoder to open these.

as others have suggested speak to your neighbours to see if anyone's noticed any odd people kicking about, but if those are their tools then it's your neighbours who have the problem, your lock is not the weakest point of entry in the local area

[bembel]

I am having some difficulties to see that on the pictures, so this is just a guess: Could the tool be broken and the rest of it missing?
Is it stiff or does it bend easily?

[nick08037]

If your community has a crime prevention bureau they may have someone available to give you more advice on this incident. They should be able to tell you if it warrants any additional action on your part or theirs.

[tattyt]

Hi Everyone,

Yes Bembel the metal piece has definately snapped off on one end. It is a hard metal.

Thanks everyone, very interesting replies. Much appreciated.

[bembel]

Maybe you can find the rest of it on the ground or inside the lock. I'm very sure it's a lockpicking tool and if you could show us the missing part we might be able tell you more.

P.S. What kind of lock is this exactly? A front view of the lock or a web link would be helpful.

[capt.dunc]

bembel, it's a uk lever mortice lock as i've said above. i don't think we should encourage the op to post more photos of a lock in use.

if you're interested in this type of lock, search google images, or the european lock section here on lp101