Letter to the Locksmith Community

[Mr. Picks]

Greetings Lock Pickers, Locksmiths and Hobbyists,

I wanted to take the time to make a public post describing this community and its involvement in lockpicking and locksmithing.

In our community here we welcome everyone to learn about and discuss the workings of various locks including both hobbyists and trading locksmiths. Recently, a locksmith-only group known in short as I-L has decided to take aim against LockPicking101.com even so far as banning any locksmith discovered to be participating in our community that also is a member of their site.

Varjeal has spent a good portion of his time with LockPicking101.com and is a recent victim and previous member banned from their Locksmithing community. Varjeal, who has promoted both locksmithing and security, and has attempted to ensure that both posts and users stay legitimate, has, in my opinion, done a great deal of good for the security community to ensure its growth.

Many people since coming to this site, having arrived as hobbyists, have gone on to obtain licenses and start their own career in locksmithing.

I cannot speak for the "other" community but those locksmiths I've spoken with got into locksmithing as a career because it started as a hobby. Thinking about how to open the locks, wondering about the inside and the functions of the locks made it a place to start, and for some, this site made it possible for them to get the knowledge in some of the areas needed. Of course there are those who came into locksmithing because their daddy was a locksmith, and their daddy's daddy was and his daddy's daddy's daddy was but that isn't where everyone comes from and I do not feel that nonsensical banning is the way to treat future leading locksmiths.

So I do welcome everyone from that other community, as well as all others, and hope that rather than spending hours trying to discredit someone who has helped the community as a whole, they choose instead to educate others and try to get people into locksmithing as a career.

But those from that other community be advised to this current time if the staff gets wind you are registered here you might be banned as a few other members were. Should you already be a member of both and wish to have your account removed here, pm us and we will do so without prejudice. Better yet, register with an alias, get involved in the community and you can watch others around you grow as you do and help educate people the right way.

[David_Parker]

Well put Mr. Picks.

I applaud your actions to help ensure our community stay alive.


-Dave.

[triman247]

I just want to be the first to say thanks to Varjeal for all the work he has been putting into this site. I'm sorry you were banned from the other group because you help us.

So thanks alot for all of your hard work!

[Sabin37]

I also would like to thank Varjeal for all his efforts to make this community the best it can be. It is quite selfish of the other lockpicking group to ban Varjeal for just doing what will help any future locksmiths and hobbyists.

[Greatbob]

The reason they do that is because they notice that more people come to this than do their forum, SO they try to get as many people as they can. But then again, oooooooh locksmith only, are there many locksmiths who stay at home and type instead of making money? That forum will die out soon enough



Horayy

[HeadHunterCEO]

never posted there

they charge

[Ezer]

I know we all appreciate the part Varjeal plays in keeping this site great, but let's not turn this thread into an anti-I-L thread.

I'd be as angry as anyone else here, if someone was messing with Varjeal, but that's not what this thread is about. So let's not mar Mr. Picks' thread about acceptance with posts of ignorant outrage, because I doubt many of us including myself even have any personal experience with I-L.

[Retrovertigo]

That is pretty lame. But remember just as Mr. Picks said.. it's a trade that has been passed on from father to son for eons. That being said there are alot of cranky old smiths out there that have inherited the trade from their fathers. Pride, stubborness and greedy old farts (unfortunatly alot more than less are like this) that like the trade the way it is, dont like change, and are unwilling to accept newcomers.

Too many of the locksmiths take the "vow of secrecy" to the extreme. And it's a real shame too. A friend of mine who struggled to get into the industry for years had a couple of pretty good ideas. Filed a couple of patents. Now some of the tools he designed are probably in your toolbox. And I guarantee the guys from I-L use his tools.

[sublime progie]

I agree with Ezer. i joined this forum about 2 weeks ago and have been nothing but welcome and i have got a ton of help. the only time i have even come close to hearing someone not be accepted is if they had melicious content and even then they just dont get the info they are looking for. if we start B****in and moaning about some other forum that is rippin on us then we are no better than them, in fact we are kinda lower then because that would make us the comebackers which in my opinion is even more imature. no offense to anyone here by the way. so yeah it sucks that it is going on. also i would like to say thank you Varjeal for allwork you put in to this as a moderator i know everyone appreciates it and as for myself other than the infamous MIT i have learned everything i know from this site.

In Fact thank you everyone for pitching in it is a community thing

[Mr. Picks]

Keep in mind this thread is not to start any wars. It is simply a note to those who would like to take part in both communities without being punished like others have been.

We value all the information of locksmiths, many people here started from I-L before they came on board here so we want everyone to keep peace and let the title welcome those visiting us from other communities.

[Murph]

It has been a while since I have posted anything in this forum/organization. Returning to college has taken up a lot of my time, but I still find some time to relax and pick and even though I may not be posting something, I can found online here reading,learning, and if I have a comment, suggestion, or question, I will post it, but post something of value; not just to post.

I am proud to be a member of LP-101, more people that I could ever count have shared their knowledge with me, appreciate what I post, and a great atmosphere of cameraderie. Lockpicking is still a hobby for me, but there have been times where it has come in handy where a family member has been locked out and what I learned from each and everyone of you allowed me to help them and save them some money.

Mr. Picks and his moderators work hard to not only provide everyone a free site of resource for a hobby that is very intriguing, but they also look out for us regular members. Yes, we have had our share of questionable people who entered our forum; but Mr. Picks and the moderators have done and continue to do a great job "policing" the forums so we can still have a site to go to learn and share. Moreover, it's not just up to the moderators to police the forums, it's up to all of us. There were a couple times I have PMed a moderator about a questionable person because I felt their presence was detrimental to our forum's legitamacy, we must all defend this forum from those who could/will do, and can do this forum harm. I remain vigilant.

So I thought I share my support and gratitude for LP-101 and I continue to look forward to logging on and check out what's new in our community.
Thank you for this priviledge.

With respects,
Murph

[raimundo]

In the early seventies, I worked for Cernys locksmith on tenth and mission st in san francisco, some of the corporate clients were huge names known even to this day all over the country, I quit when the boss put an old geezer in charge and he started to be irrationally full of sh*t because he was treated that way in 1916 when he was new to the trade. Later when I came back home to the midwest, and applied for work in the lockshops, I was not hired because they like young people who know nothing, will work for minimum wage and will feel total loyalty for every tiny bit of knowlege that they bleed out over ten years. Someone who already knew about abloy and medeco at a time when these guys didn't was not what they wanted to pay for. Consequently, I felt no loyalty to thier trade. I am not bound by any of the rules that benefit them only because I am from outside their group. This is defeating all their efforts to have a 'just us' grip on the knowlege and technique. I am willing to share what I know with anyone who does not talk like a person interested in ripping off.

[capt.dunc]

what a pity that everyone can't just get along, it'll be a shame to lose some locksmiths from this forum. i can't believe that it was even suggested that they would sign in again to lp101 under an alais
however i will welcome any new members to this site with their experience, location, or similar names

[GateTwelve]

I'll be another to thank Varjeal and all of the moderators for all of the work that they do to keep this place running smoothly.

The sad fact of the matter is that most of those members probably regular these forums as well and feel threatened. Do some locksmiths lose their jobs due to the expanded knowlege of the people? Yes, undoubtedly. But on the whole, this is not the case. These people feel threatened because their particular business thrives on the stupidity of the public, and they need to ensure that the public does not get a little smarter. If they fear the average joe learning how to pick locks and do a few other tasks of the locksmith trade because they believe it will put them out of a job, it doesn't speak very highly of their personal skill level. If they aren't good enough to keep their jobs despite a few people learning some tricks of the trade, maybe they should consider hanging up their tired old hats.

This isn't a flame or something belligerant, just my humble opinion.

[Mad Mick]

I (and more than likely, 'We') would like to thank Varjeal for everything he's done on this site to help the new picker, the not_so_new and the other lockies. Without people like him, this site wouldn't be what it is now. His actions, and the repercussions directed to him personally, only serve to highlight the closed-minded mentality of the scared old men trying to hold on to a 'secret society'.

Also, the recent actions of our very own Mod Pinky must have these guys scared even more. The founding and lobbying towards the implementing of the site shows the dedication towards a true customer-focused experience. No hidden charges, no "I've had to butcher this lock due to my own inexperience, after 1 day's training from someone who was trained 2 days previous, so I'll charge you for a replacement."

The drillers & cowboys should be aware...very aware. A worldwide regulating body such as the mla could become, could be a serious threat to these amateurs. The only inhibiting factor in this, could be the 'many friends in high places' belonging to the scared old men who employ these parasites. The meetings with 'funny-handshakes' still go on.....