Fast Methods For Unlocking Padlocks?

[NavigatedChaos]

Padlocks with normal key entry, combination locks, and everything else. I don't know what's up with them but I'm super interested in them. I see people say "why learn to pick a lock when you can just break it open" and I always think "But then you can't reuse it...". So I'm looking to learn some fast methods to open most padlocks with very minimal picking if any at all. Shims, bypass, etc. Whatever's out there, I want to know the methods. Looking at Sparrow's tools a lot, love their Master Key tools a lot and the Mace stuff too. What can you suggest for fast unlocking of most padlocks?

[Joe Momma]

The fastest way is to use it's key

[NavigatedChaos]

But that'd be cheating. You are right however.

[femurat]

The second fastest way would be to learn to pick locks. You'd be surprised how long some picking practice can go. Learn the basics. Practice. Then practice again. You'll be able to open most padlocks very quickly.

EDIT: if you want to use the padlock again, impressioning is the way to go!

Cheers

[Squelchtone]

oh my.. you don't sound like a shady criminal what so ever!

Please enlighten us why you need to open padlocks *fast*

Squelchtone

[NavigatedChaos]

oh my.. you don't sound like a shady criminal what so ever!

Please enlighten us why you need to open padlocks *fast*

Squelchtone

I live in a university city and on their reddit page I constantly hear students moan about loosing their keys. A lot of students here ride bicycles because it's efficient to get to class. So if I can learn to pick bike locks with ease, padlocks too, I could go from one place to another faster. The university has a student population of 49,809 students and at the community college down the road, the number reaches 21,969 students. A lot of the time they go drinking and act stupid. "Lost Phone, Lost Keys, Lost Wallet" is always what I hear when I'm in that area on the weekend. SO I want to gain the skills and make a business unlocking these things for people in the university. And to make sure I'm not doing it for a thief, the university is required that all bicycles have a sticker on the back which registers bike to owner. I can call that number and check the bike ID to find who owns it before unlocking.

If I wanted to steal something I wouldn't be asking for advice, I'd just get some bolt cutters and go out to do it.

[NavigatedChaos]

The second fastest way would be to learn to pick locks. You'd be surprised how long some picking practice can go. Learn the basics. Practice. Then practice again. You'll be able to open most padlocks very quickly.

EDIT: if you want to use the padlock again, impressioning is the way to go!

Cheers

Do you have any advice on clear practice locks so I can practice picking but also see what I'm doing to understand it better? Also people keep mentioning just learn to lock pick but there are so many different picks. What type of picks would be best for padlocks?

[GWiens2001]

The second fastest way would be to learn to pick locks. You'd be surprised how long some picking practice can go. Learn the basics. Practice. Then practice again. You'll be able to open most padlocks very quickly.

EDIT: if you want to use the padlock again, impressioning is the way to go!

Cheers

Do you have any advice on clear practice locks so I can practice picking but also see what I'm doing to understand it better? Also people keep mentioning just learn to lock pick but there are so many different picks. What type of picks would be best for padlocks?

My advice on clear practice locks is that you probably already know everything you are going to learn from them. They are fine for learning what is happening inside a lock, but they do not feel the same when picking as a real lock. They also work if you want to show how a generic pin tumbler lock works.

You would also be amazed at how many different types of locks there are. What type of picks would be best for padlocks? I could list quite a few types of padlocks that your pin tumbler picks would be practically useless on.

We also do not discuss bypass methods (which is what you seem to be fishing for) on the open forum.

Gordon

[femurat]

I second Gordon's reply. There are so many different locks, that you'll need dozens of picks, or dozen of key blanks to impression them. And also different techniques are required.
Be ready to cut the locks, since the success ratio in picking or impressioning a key would be very low, I guess.

Your business idea seems interesting. Like the car opening business, but for bikes. I wonder if it's profitable.

Good luck

[sign216]

There's a non-destructive technique for padlocks that I've used, but this isn't the correct venue to put that info out.

Joe

[GWiens2001]

There is also a HUGE liability issue with doing bicycle unlocking business. That is: proving bicycle ownership. They don't have license plates and registration, so how do you verify that the bicycle belongs to the person who called you.

If you unlock a bicycle for a person, how do you know the bicycle belongs to that person? If it does not, you may be criminally liable as aiding and abetting a criminal act of theft.

If I wanted to do a bicycle unlocking business, I would require state issued legitimate photo ID from each person, which I would photograph front and back along with a picture of the bicycle as a whole and a photograph of the serial number of the bicycle. Also I would beware of (and report) repeat "owners" of openings on different bicycles.

If the person is a thief and you make the bike available to them by unlocking it, what happens when they get caught? They may try to get a better plea deal and reduced sentence by telling about their accomplice - you. "I didn't steal the bike. This guy unlocked it and gave it to me". How do you prove you didn't do exactly that? What happens when a cop comes by while you are opening the lock on the bike that does not belong to you? Do you really think the person who called you is going to admit you are acting on their authority, or are they going to say they don't know what the heck you are talking about, they are just passing by.

In short, I wouldn't try making a business on the model mentioned.

Yes, I know the OP hasn't been here in months, but others will read this in the future.

Gordon

[demux]

If I were doing any sort of unlocking business for hire (be it bike, auto, home, etc) the first thing I would do would be to introduce myself to and get friendly with my local law enforcement organization(s). Even if there are no formal registration/license requirements to do so. It goes a long way when a beat cop asks what you're doing to be able to say, "Yeah, call Sgt. Smith, I've known him for the past year and he can tell you I do this legitimately for a living." As an added benefit, they might even throw some business your way if someone calls them locked out.

[GWiens2001]

If I were doing any sort of unlocking business for hire (be it bike, auto, home, etc) the first thing I would do would be to introduce myself to and get friendly with my local law enforcement organization(s). Even if there are no formal registration/license requirements to do so. It goes a long way when a beat cop asks what you're doing to be able to say, "Yeah, call Sgt. Smith, I've known him for the past year and he can tell you I do this legitimately for a living." As an added benefit, they might even throw some business your way if someone calls them locked out.

+1 Great advise, demux.

Gordon

[1d4]

What GWiens and demux state is very good advice. However, I am skeptical that many thieves actually utilize locksmiths to steal bikes. The reason for this is primarily because I imagine that most thieves are not willing to pay to have a witness. The people stealing bikes, at least in my city, are looking for a quick buck, and the cost of hiring a locksmith would likely exceed the amount they would make by selling the bike. And second, I imagine any thief would be reluctant to willingly offer up their phone number, photo ID, and physical description to you, a witness to their crime. I think most bike thieves are opportunists. But then again, if you are a student on a university campus trying to make an extra buck by doing bicycle lockouts, you are probably much more susceptible to getting caught up in the kind of legal trouble GWiens described. If you or anyone reading this does decide to start this kind of business model, at least get a legal form professionally prepared for your customers to sign that has them state that the bicycle is in fact theirs. If you ever have to go to court, this could help show that you were acting in good faith.

[billdeserthills]

What GWiens and demux state is very good advice. However, I am skeptical that many thieves actually utilize locksmiths to steal bikes. The reason for this is primarily because I imagine that most thieves are not willing to pay to have a witness. The people stealing bikes, at least in my city, are looking for a quick buck, and the cost of hiring a locksmith would likely exceed the amount they would make by selling the bike. And second, I imagine any thief would be reluctant to willingly offer up their phone number, photo ID, and physical description to you, a witness to their crime. I think most bike thieves are opportunists. But then again, if you are a student on a university campus trying to make an extra buck by doing bicycle lockouts, you are probably much more susceptible to getting caught up in the kind of legal trouble GWiens described. If you or anyone reading this does decide to start this kind of business model, at least get a legal form professionally prepared for your customers to sign that has them state that the bicycle is in fact theirs. If you ever have to go to court, this could help show that you were acting in good faith.

I can't speak to unlocking bikes, but as a locksmith I have been contacted before by thieves and paid to unlock residences that did not belong to them