Lock picking

[DireWolf]

Lucky she did not decide you were in possession of burglary tools and really screw up your trip.

Wasn't even remotely worried about that - had it escalated that far, the worst outcome would have likely been a missed flight and temporarily raised blood pressure...

Not trying to derail thread, but for the record, I've been involved in two significant 'disputes' with TSA over the years, both resulting in a TSA supervisor basically telling his...overzealous... employee, in no uncertain terms, to stand there and keep their damn mouth shut.

Another incident with an airport employee where a uniformed police officer had to get involved...end result? Officer telling airport employee to stand down, and a phone call with profuse apology later that day from the airport services manager.

Know the law/regs, be able to articulate them calmly & clearly (and don't be or look like a criminal), and it's amazing the amount of bullshit you don't in fact have to put up with from all the micro-tyrants infesting society like termites...

Back on topic - there are far more professions than just locksmiths who may have a legit reason to carry picks with them...just sayin.

[Little Dutch]

Didn't see it mentioned, but I like Southord for lock picking tools...

For learning, you may want to look at this set:

https://www.southord.com/collections...in-a-box-st-23

Recently picked up a set of their new high-yield pics, which feel really nice but haven't had a chance to use much yet:

https://www.southord.com/collections...gh-yield-m2000


One of my favorite sets was an older version of this one...

https://www.southord.com/collections...lock-pick-sets

Lasted for years before some dipshit room-temp-IQ TSA agent shaped like a beach-ball with legs insisted that she needed to personally close it up before returning it, and broke it in the process (sent the tensioner flying across the screening area at DIA, picks flew everywhere, all she wrote on that one...)

Southord is what I was coming in to recommend looking at. I have had my Southord MPXS-14 set for-friggen-ever. They are well made.

Back when I learned I had to use the MIT Guide to Lockpicking. Youtube has ALL the answers in half the time now.

[Grant H.]

Yet another vote for Southord.

My set goes everywhere with me.

[DenverGP]

Lock pick set and a nice practice lock from Sparrows.


Started with the tuxedo set, and added some additional TOK tension wrenches, and some additional thin .015 picks and rakes.

The practice lock uses schlage keys, and is re-pinnable. I got the re-pinning kit which comes with pins and 4 different keys, along with spool pins and serrated pins.

After playing with several setups in the practice lock, I was able to pick one of the cheap Master gun cable locks. It's got a really tight keyway, which made it more challenging than a master lock should be.

Then my daughter in law brought over their stack-on "gun safe" lockbox. They said the batteries had died, and couldn't find the backup key, maybe they were inside the safe. This was my first wafer lock, and picking it took a couple hours for me to learn how wafer locks work, and dealing with picking both sides of the double sided key.



As you can see in the picture, the cheap plastic door on the battery compartment had fallen off, allowing the batteries to fall out, rendering the electronic lock useless.

And none of the keys inside were the keys to the safe, so they'll continue to try to find them.

[Little Dutch]

Lock pick set and a nice practice lock from Sparrows.


Started with the tuxedo set, and added some additional TOK tension wrenches, and some additional thin .015 picks and rakes.

The practice lock uses schlage keys, and is re-pinnable. I got the re-pinning kit which comes with pins and 4 different keys, along with spool pins and serrated pins.

After playing with several setups in the practice lock, I was able to pick one of the cheap Master gun cable locks. It's got a really tight keyway, which made it more challenging than a master lock should be.

Then my daughter in law brough over their stack-on "gun safe" lockbox. They said the batteries had died, and couldn't find the backup key, maybe they were inside the safe. This was my first wafer lock, and picking it took a couple hours for me to learn how wafer locks work, and dealing with picking both sides of the double sided key.



As you can see in the picture, the cheap plastic door on the battery compartment had fallen off, allowing the batteries to fall out, rendering the electronic lock useless.

And none of the keys inside were the keys to the safe, so they'll continue to try to find them.

I'm laughing a little at the missing keys to the nightstand safe, but I am impressed you got it open with a pick set. That's not easy.

[kpp80202]

impressive!

[DenverGP]

Did it a second time just to make sure I didn't just get lucky.... 2nd time I got it by raking. The wafers are really rough, so don't get much good feedback. Had to alternate between top and bottom several times with the rake before I got it.

Hardest part of picking it (once I knew what the hell a wafer lock was) was trying to find a good spot to tension and still let me get a pick in there with any room to work.

Sparrows has a couple decent looking sets of wafer jigglers I might pick up, since these wafer locks are so common.

[walkerwv]

WHY ?

[DenverGP]

Because?

[walkerwv]

GEEEZZZ Hahahah