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

[spiiffyguy]

hey all...

I'm a lock-picking noob from pa. Finally got my first set of picks. Looks like an awesome forum... Hopefully I'll be able to contribute at some point.

[raimundo]

The double ball pick is fer pickin yer butt.

[poopmasterflex]

Just thought I would introduce myself, as it is the polite thing to do, and from what I've read so far on the forums the people here seem to be both the helpful and polite types.

I've been messing with locks my whole life, and still have never owned a proper pick set. I imagine I'll buy one soon.

Can open a lot of deadbolts and other locks with fingernail clippers. Sort of a haphazard raking and tension combo technique I guess.

Opened lot's of cheaper combination locks just messing around with them.

Learned you can pop the shackle on most padlocks with aluminum from a pop can.

Can open a lot of doors that I can't pick with a card to pry the lever open, or a stiff piece of electrical wire to do the same.

Still, never mastered any kind of proper lock picking, and I think it would be interesting to get into, so.. here I am.

Looks like these forums have a ton of information, and I was really excited to find them.

I'm sure I'll be posting more in general discussion after had more of a look around. Who do I need to ask to have access to the automotive lock area as well?

[fallennomad]

Hi, just registered here. Got my 20-piece lock pick set just this afternoon, and started picking at my bedroom lock. First time took me 15 minutes with a deep half-diamond pick. Second time I tried took me 10 minutes with a shallow half-diamond pick, and the third time took me only 2 minutes with a snake pick! lol, unfortunately, my fourth time took too long, and I had to go.

Any how, I'm hoping I'll learn lots from you guys! I look forward to my time here.

[surple]

Hi Guys..just signed up 2day. Pretty new at this stuff...I just find it fascinating to have the knowledge. After all knowledge is power. Cant wait to see what your site has to offer

[Varjeal]

Welcome to all that are new. Use the search button, it's a powerful tool in itself....kinda finicky though so be patient.

[five5six]

Hello everyone..I've been a lurker here for a while and I wanted to say hello.

This is my first post because I picked my first lock last night.

It was a master lock and I opened it in about three minutes..

I know I should have been excited..but it just seemed a little too easy. I plan to take a trip tomorrow to walmart and pick up several other locks to play around with....

Great site everyone..thanks for spurring my interest in the sport of lock picking!

[security_lock]

Hi everybody,

I'm new to lockpicking, and I am mostly interested in combination locks. I picked my first one today, so I'm off to a good start

Hope to learn a lot from this site..........

bye!

[digital_blue]

Hi security_lock. Welcome!

Technicaly speaking, opening a combo lock is not realy picking. It is either called bypass or manipulation. Either is not exactly a topic on this forum, though the subject certianly comes up from time to time.

I hope you enjoy the site, and take time to explore. Maybe what you read will spark some interest in actually picking a pin tumbler lock. That's really what we're all here for.

Good luck, and happy picking!

db

[gareth]

[i]What a really good site. I've been interested in lockpicking for a few months now. I was looking for a change of scenery from my current job and needed something varied and different. Also having a skill will come in handy for the future. After I've completed my training courses I'm setting up in Gwent, any tips ref. business in S. Wales will be appreciated. Excellent site and I've learned loads over the last few months![/i][/b]

[security_lock]

Hi security_lock. Welcome!

Technicaly speaking, opening a combo lock is not realy picking. It is either called bypass or manipulation. Either is not exactly a topic on this forum, though the subject certianly comes up from time to time.

I hope you enjoy the site, and take time to explore. Maybe what you read will spark some interest in actually picking a pin tumbler lock. That's really what we're all here for.

Good luck, and happy picking!

db

I thought it wouldn't be picking, technically speaking, but I didn't know any other term for it. Thanks for pointing that out.
And don't worry, I'm also interested in pin tumbler locks

[billy_hellfire]

hi everybody. I've lurked for quite a while and finally decided to register. I've always been interested in this sort of thing, and it's nice to see so many others are too. I finished a locksmithing course about six months ago and have been collecting accessories and info since. I've considered going into business or seeing about working for someone else, but with so many other things going on in my life, I haven't yet. anyway, I hope to learn a lot and to be able to contibute!

[poisonpill]

Hello all, I'm a n00b here! I'd like to learn more about lockpicking. Sometimes it can come in handy. Also the "solving puzzles" aspect is nice indeed.

What's the best bet for a beginner lockpick set?

[جا&am]

Hi! I'm new to lockpicking. I opened my first padlock one year ago with a 5 pieces kit but havn't done much since then. I found this forum last weekend and decided to dive into lockpicking for good. So I bought, yesterday, a really easy lock (Replacement cylinder from HALSCO no: HA-738C, anyways I'm sure nobody ever heard of it...) and i can now open it in between 2 and 30 seconds... Until i can buy another one, i'm trying to do the exercises of the MIT Guide...

Anyways i found a lot of useful stuff on this forum (thank you!!) so i decided to register and participate as much as i can.

and oh... As you may have noticed, i'm a french canadian who tries to write in english as best as he can, so, sorry for that!

one more thing: for those who think my nickname sucks, yes it does! I only tried to use arabic character but in the end it looks like it isn't supported as nickname on this forum hehe...

Hasta pronto!
JP

[co2van]

hi all, first post here for this nooby. A little about me:
Found this forum through "howstuffworks", I never knew so many people were interested in picking locks, guess I just always thought it was something that I was interested in that the mainstream public thought to be maybe a little too criminal or something. I have worked as a correctional officer for about 8 years and in a machine shop for 6 years before that so I've been around locks of all types and have a pretty good mechanical aptitude. A few years ago I got into a conversation with an inmate who was pretty good at getting out of handcuffs(BTW we always double lock 'em), this might be a bit gross but he explained to me how he would let his thumbnails grow a little long and all he had to do was rip up a hangnail and he was able to jimmy the cuff to unlock the double lock and then unlock the cuff. That conversation got me interested in picking different kinds of locks, I never had gotten a pic set or anything(I assumed that you had to be a locksmith, but since I found a few links on here, I have now ordered a small set), but I've made a few of my own tools, mostly out of flattened nails, steel banding, stiff wire and nail files. Don't have much of the terminology of picking in my vocabulary just yet as I am mostly self taught and had never really looked for information online before now.I've picked(well, actually....lucked out) a bunch of front door type doorhandle locks and deadbolts, gotten open a few different kinds of keyed locker type locks... that's about it. Anyways, you seem to have a pretty good forum going here and I anticipate that I will be doing a whole lot of reading and maybe a little posting once I get a bit better after some practice.
Heres the one trick I do know, when wearing handcuffs(standard smith and wesson type cuffs that are NOT doublelocked), if you are not double jointed so you can reach the keyhole, smash the fixed side(for the love of god, not the sliding side) with as much force as you can muster onto a hard solid surface while simultaneously putting your knuckles together and pushing against each other hard, if the keyhole is facing you smash upwards, if it's pointing toward your hands smash downward. You will dent your wrists and maybe even cut them up a little. the cuffs hitting something solid at an accelerated rate will bounce the ratchet thingy off of the slide side inside the cuff, and you pushing your knuckles together will push off the slide portion of the cuff. In effect removing the cuff, albeit painfully, this does work, I've seen several different guys do it. Seriously though, if youre gonna try it, make sure somebody else is around with the key, it doesn't ALWAYS work and when it does it may take a couple good hits to work and you may find it too painful to fully complete.