Locksmithing / Lock picking

[masraum]

Originally Posted by id10t

Taught a guy in Sweden how to pick the lock on his 356 glove box via email on the 356talk list forever ago....

And for a large majority of locks, picking them is fairly easy...

yep most are super easy to pick. Some are easier than others.

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks Steve.

Before I went away for holiday I put a huge (and expensive) lock on my welder, and put the keys somewhere that no one would think of looking - as it turns out, not even me.

I angle grindered the chain off, but the lock cost me about $150 so I would like to get it open so I can get the tumbler bit out so keys can be made up.

It's tough getting older and stupider and making f***ups like this

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by KC911

If you don't repeat yourself or even ask the same question a time or two more you probably don't belong here !

^^^ I was fixin' to say the same thing

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Thanks Steve.

Before I went away for holiday I put a huge (and expensive) lock on my welder, and put the keys somewhere that no one would think of looking - as it turns out, not even me.

I angle grindered the chain off, but the lock cost me about $150 so I would like to get it open so I can get the tumbler bit out so keys can be made up.

It's tough getting older and stupider and making f***ups like this

Interesting. What sort of lock is it, make and model?

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by masraum

Interesting. What sort of lock is it, make and model?

It's a Lockwood 356S63 https://eshop.assaabloyopeningsolutions.com.au/356s-63mm-steel-body-padlock-d-locking-25mm-moly-steel-11mm-diameter-shackle-5ka-tp-no-finish-356s63-525-5ka-5f80fa6c7213e

Here is a pic. A bit out of scale as my hands are the size of a gorilla's.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

It's a Lockwood 356S63 https://eshop.assaabloyopeningsolutions.com.au/356s-63mm-steel-body-padlock-d-locking-25mm-moly-steel-11mm-diameter-shackle-5ka-tp-no-finish-356s63-525-5ka-5f80fa6c7213e

Here is a pic. A bit out of scale as my hands are the size of a gorilla's.

The best locks are usually/often Assa Abloy locks. I was thinking that might be what you had.

Cool, thanks for posting.

still...

[masraum]

And the lockpickinglawyer who's a wizard with picks.

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks Steve, haha, that didn't take him long. A friend of mine has watched these youtubes and is quite good at it so I'll buy him lunch I think.

[masraum]

I hadn't seen my lock picks and practice locks for 4-5 years. This year, a few times I thought, "I should get those out and practice again," but couldn't remember where I put them. I stumbled across them the other day and have been practicing again. The first hour or so sucked, but then a lock clicked and so did I. I'm not NEARLY as good as the Lock Picking Lawyer. I don't have nearly the practice, but I'm able to open all of the locks that I've got from the link that I posted farther up the thread, the locks with tight keyways and security pins, etc.... I'd love to buy 50 more locks and sit around practicing while watching TV, but the good locks to practice on (security pins, etc...) aren't cheap. To practice on the good locks (harder to pick) it's mostly $10 - $50 each, although you can get up to well over $100.

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Thanks Steve, haha, that didn't take him long. A friend of mine has watched these youtubes and is quite good at it so I'll buy him lunch I think.

Bill, did you ever either find the keys or get the lock of undamaged?

[Bill Douglas]

Ha, actually I bought the lock picking kit and opened it myself. It took me a bit longer (more like three hours) than the youtube, but it worked.

The good thing about these particular locks is once it's unlocked you undo a small Phillips screw and the lock barrel pops out. The locksmith made up a new key for me.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Ha, actually I bought the lock picking kit and opened it myself. It took me a bit longer (more like three hours) than the youtube, but it worked.

The good thing about these particular locks is once it's unlocked you undo a small Phillips screw and the lock barrel pops out. The locksmith made up a new key for me.

Outstanding! Yeah, picking these locks when you haven't picked 1000 or 2000 other locks before and developed the feel that the guy on YT have is a much harder, more time consuming process. I've also found that trying to pick a lot that's locked onto something is harder than picking a lock that's in your hand while you sit at a desk, on the couch, etc.... So that's impressive that you got it open in 3 hours.

Very, very cool!

[Noah930]

https://huckberry.com/store/dartboard-media/category/p/67336-lock-pick-training-kit

[Sawyer911]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Thanks Steve.

Before I went away for holiday I put a huge (and expensive) lock on my welder, and put the keys somewhere that no one would think of looking - as it turns out, not even me.

I angle grindered the chain off, but the lock cost me about $150 so I would like to get it open so I can get the tumbler bit out so keys can be made up.

It's tough getting older and stupider and making f***ups like this

I use these to lock the bike up. Made sure the key was big enough no to lose.



I did retire from Schlage Lock but now Allegion.

Sawyer

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Noah930

https://huckberry.com/store/dartboard-media/category/p/67336-lock-pick-training-kit

I'd heartily recommend this set (Southord PXS-14), and I have purchased from that vendor. The rubber handles make practicing so much more comfortable, and Southord makes a quality set of picks.
https://www.lockpickworld.com/products/southord-14-piece-lock-pick-set-with-textured-grip-case

Other well loved brands are Sparrows and Dangerfield (both available on ^that^ site). I bought the Dangerfield Praxis dual gauge because the narrow picks help when you're working with really narrow keyways. I also bought a set of the Southord style rubber grips to put on them.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Sawyer911

I use these to lock the bike up. Made sure the key was big enough no to lose.



Sawyer

The original "kryptonite" bike locks!

Is that a key in your pants leg or are you just really happy to see me?

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks. I was watching the youtube so I knew how far to move the pick along and what to do.

[rockfan4]

I have to be the worst lock picker in the world. Several years ago I bought a Schlage rekey kit and a set of picks from a retired locksmith, and I could not get the touch for picking a lock. I had bought 3 locks off eBay that came without keys, figuring they wouldn't be that hard to open. I was wrong. I eventually gave up and put them on a shelf in the basement. I then found a snap gun on FBM, and bought that. I got one of the locks open with that, total fluke.

But now I might have to change the locks on the house in Iowa, and we picked up some similar knobs cheap from a guy on FBM. It was miserably cold the day we picked them up, and I didn't check them really close. When I got home I figured out why they were so cheap, there were no keys with them. Great. Given my earlier failure, I weighed my options. I ended up buying a fake Lishi tool off eBay. It wasn't easy, but I eventually got them all open, and the two locks I had in the basement. I accidentally let the top pins out of one of the deadbolts, and I saw why I had so much trouble before. 4 spool pins and one regular pin.

Here's the Lock Picking Lawyer with the Lishi. You have to buy a different one for each keyway you want to open, since I only had one brand of lock I figured it was a good enough deal to purchase.

[A930Rocket]

I’m interested in trying to pick locks. What’s the difference between lock picking tools on Amazon vs Huckleberry and Lock Pick World?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

I have to be the worst lock picker in the world. Several years ago I bought a Schlage rekey kit and a set of picks from a retired locksmith, and I could not get the touch for picking a lock. I had bought 3 locks off eBay that came without keys, figuring they wouldn't be that hard to open. I was wrong. I eventually gave up and put them on a shelf in the basement. I then found a snap gun on FBM, and bought that. I got one of the locks open with that, total fluke.

But now I might have to change the locks on the house in Iowa, and we picked up some similar knobs cheap from a guy on FBM. It was miserably cold the day we picked them up, and I didn't check them really close. When I got home I figured out why they were so cheap, there were no keys with them. Great. Given my earlier failure, I weighed my options. I ended up buying a fake Lishi tool off eBay. It wasn't easy, but I eventually got them all open, and the two locks I had in the basement. I accidentally let the top pins out of one of the deadbolts, and I saw why I had so much trouble before. 4 spool pins and one regular pin.

Here's the Lock Picking Lawyer with the Lishi. You have to buy a different one for each keyway you want to open, since I only had one brand of lock I figured it was a good enough deal to purchase.

That guy's got the touch for sure. I'm sure that he's spent thousands, probably tens of thousands of hours picking locks.
It's cool that you have now managed to get all of your locks open.
What's really funny, is that I've got an old cheap masterlock padlock, the sort that's a joke to open/pick. I've only ever managed to single-pin pick that lock a couple of times. I can rake it open on the first try 50% of the time and in a few tries 80% of the time. I generally have a much easier time single pin picking harder locks because the better tolerances provide (for me) more feedback of what's going on. I found my picks and locks a few weeks back and did some picking. I was a bit out of practice, but managed to pick almost all of my locks. I have a variety that includes locks of varying difficultly, various security pins, wide and narrow keyways, etc....

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I’m interested in trying to pick locks. What’s the difference between lock picking tools on Amazon vs Huckleberry and Lock Pick World?

I'll tell you what my experience is.

The first set that I bought was a Southord PXS-14. I found it on Amazon, but it's not usually available there. Lockpickworld does sell them. Southord is one of the long time vendors (decades, I think). And this is a great basic set, IMO. I really love the rubber/plastic handle covers. Most folks that are really into it talk about doing a little work on picks when you first get them, lightly sanding the edges (which are usually pretty sharp). The edges of the Southord that I got weren't that sharp, and the important bit, the handles, were covered anyway. This set is <$30
https://www.lockpickworld.com/products/southord-14-piece-lock-pick-set-with-textured-grip-case

The second set that I bought was a Dangerfield Praxxis set. I got it because it had picks in 2 thicknesses. Some locks have much tighter keyways so that a thinner pick is easier to work with (or even required). I think the Dangerfield line was designed by lock pickers and is a relative newcomer, but is well liked/recommended. These do have sharper edges than the Southord. I actually bought a set of the Southord handle covers (they just slip on) and put them on my most used Dangerfields. I don't actually use many of those picks. This set is $70
https://www.lockpickworld.com/products/dangerfield-praxis-dual-gauge-21-piece-complete-lock-pick-set

Lock picking lawyer seems to have started a lockpicking tool company (I think he designed or was consulted on the designs) or is closely associated with one. I don't have any, and don't have any experience with them, but I feel like if he's supporting them (and uses them in his videos) that they should be pretty good. I've perused the site and would like to have some of his stuff.
https://covertinstruments.com/

If I had to recommend something (and I'm no expert, so take it for what it's worth) I'd say that for <$30, the Southord PXS-14 is a good starter set.

[A930Rocket]

Thanks. I’ve ordered a couple that you recommended.