Try Keys and Lock Picking

C

Carthage

Joined
Sep 11, 2004
Messages
249
Howdy, y'all. I could use soem advice from some folks who know.

It seems I'm the most trustworthy guy on my block. Which is nice. However, everybody wants to trade housekeys or car keys with me. I don't trade mine, but I don't mind holding theirs.

All of this has me trying really hard to keep keys organized, which though trustworthy, I'm not very organized. I'd like to learn how to pick locks. I'd also like to start off with buying a set of "try keys." Anybody know anything about these things?
 
Try keys or jiggler keys are pretty useless from my experiences. The two best things to learn are picking and impressioning. Both are tough to get right and require a lot of practice. I've been picking for about 6 years or so and even still if I am not completely focused a simple Schlage door lock can take a much longer time then it should. It is all about developing the feel in your fingers, being able to feel the right tension, and being able to read the lock. I suggest picking up a lot of books and reading the MIT guide to lockpicking, available on the net.
 
The important thing to know about lock picking is that it doesn't work quite like they show it in the movies when James Bond sticks his funny-looking little tool into the lock and five seconds later the door is open.
 
Gollnick, actually it does, depending on what one sticks in :) (picking guns & tension tool)

Carthage: go to Southern Ordonance online store ( http://www.southord.com/lockpicks.htm ). They're selling various lockpick sets - don't waste your money on the most expensive stuff, buy the cheapest 4 pick set instead (PXS-05L). You'll get a small brochure along with it which explains basics of lock-picking. The tools you get there are enough to pick most locks out there (european locks are a bit different and especially the one we have at our front door is impossible to pick in this manner because pick necks are too wide, even the "slim" version of picks doesn't fit in, let alone allow you any control over the pins). You'll probably end up using rake only anyway. It's a good tool set and a nice price (others sell same Southern Ord. stuff at higher price). The puch is also small enough to fit in your pocket easily and Larry (online store guy) is a really nice guy. The bigger sets don't really offer anything useful over the small one so it's pointless to waste money on the just to delude yourself with mall ninja mentality boy scout of "be prepared for anything" :confused:

Jigglers, "test keys", are totally useless on door locks, IMHO. Perhaps waaaay back one could start a car with one but today cars have microchips in keys, no chip means no spark.

Gun will pick lock much faster but (A) requires skill which you will attain with the set i recommended and (B) costs considerably more - spend that money on a knife instead :)
 
You can pick probably 90% of house door locks with just a tension wrench and a rake because just about everybody buys the cheapest lock sets from the home improvement center. I only have to go to a pick for higher quality locks and then usually I'm out of my depth anyway.
 
I learned over 20 years ago from the maintenance guy at work, I have seen the MIT guide and think it is quite through. Cheap locks are easy to pick, lock picks are easy to make as shown in the MIT guide. I have good locks at home, they cost a lot more than common locks but I feel much safer with a lock that I cannot pick.

Luis
 
How's the old saying go,"I wouldn't want to live in a house with locks I could pick"

Having been in the maintenance field for over 25 years, picking locks is somewhat of a hobby, bottom line is that if you can't pick with the basic picks then buying a more expensive set isn't going to help, the way I learned was from an old city locksmith/magician, he put a Corbin, and a Schlage lockset into a wood frame, and then he started me picking with one pin in each lock, when I could pick those,(which didn't take long) he added a second pin, and so on and so on, till I could pick most locks.
 
I agree that it's all about practice and PATIENCE! Just get the simplest set you can find and practice practice practice. after a few succsessful attempts, you'll get a feel for it, then you can concentrate on doing it faster.
I like the idea of starting with one pin, then 2, etc. The way I learned is practicing on the same lock again and again. Even though I know the general order of the same lock, sometimes I do it in 4 minutes, sometimes it takes 10's of minutes. but I don't really practice that much !
 
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