Before you begin
Is Lockpicking Legal?
The laws vary by state. Check the following site for details about your state before reading this guide. This guide is for entertainment purposes, and doesn’t provide any legal advice. Check whether the possession and purchase of lock picks are legal in your state before beginning.
Lock Pick Laws, Rules And Regulations: Is Your Hobby A Crime In Your State?
While you’re at United Locksmith, you might as well bookmark the page. It will come in handy when you need more than this guide.
Another good resource is The Lockpicking Lawyer’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm9K6rby98W8JigLoZOh6FQ
Why lockpicking?
Lockpicking can be a useful skill. Depending on the degree of skill you develop, you may be able to gain LAWFUL entry to a door when you’ve locked yourself out of your house. Perhaps you’ve acquired a hand-me-down toolbox or jewelry case that is stuck in a locked position without a key. Maybe you’ve misplaced the key to your shed padlock but need to get in to get your weed-whacker. You do you. (LEGALLY.)
Although lockpicking is useful, I do it because it is amusing. Why do people crochet? Is it because of the thrill and utility of giving out dozens of scarves every holiday? Probably not. It’s more likely that people who knit, crochet, or cross-stitch do so because it is an interesting way to occupy one’s hands. Lockpicking requires a bit of skill, of practice, and a little bit of art, just as it takes skill, practice, and art to become consistent at stitch crafts. If a person is more interested in mechanics than in yarn, lockpicking may be a more enjoyable but comparable hobby, albeit one that will get you stranger looks while commuting on mass transit.
What tools do you need?
Your first lock will probably be a pin and tumbler padlock. For this you’ll need:
- A padlock (possibly a practice lock)
- At least one lockpick (see below)
- A tension wrench
Meet your tools
About practice locks…
Practice locks have metal pins and tumbler mechanisms, but have clear or translucent plastic housing. These help you see what pins are aligned and what pins are still preventing the tumbler from turning. I’ve purchased a few of these and thus have personal Opinions. Your mileage may vary, but consider the following:
Translucency versus transparency: A clear lock is easier to see than a translucent lock. There are some that are amber or blue in color, rather than clear, and I’ve found the reduced visibility frustrating, particularly the amber lock because it is nearly the same shade as the brass pins. At that point, it is just as easy to transition to an actual metal housing padlock.
Practice housing caveats: Also note where the plastic is sealed and any parts of the housing that will affect visibility. One lock I have has two holes drilled in the clear plastic that distort the view of the pins, also defeating the purpose of a clear practice lock.
Pricing: There are many options on Amazon, as well as specialty sites dedicated to “locksport.” Some practice locks are very expensive, some come as a set with other styles of locks, and some come with a set of picks. Comparison shop for different options. Be aware that some sites will charge too much for a beginner practice lock because they know it is a specialty item, while others will include much more complicated locks that may require more specialized picks than you have purchased.
Durability: The act of picking requires holding the lock, applying pressure to the tension wrench (hence the “tension”), and using your other hand (your dominant hand) to actually pick. This means your non-dominant hand is doing a lot, and in my case, meant I slipped and dropped my first practice padlock. The good news was I got to learn how the practice lock was manufactured, and explore the specific components of the lock close up. The bad news was the side plastic component that held the pins in place exploded when the lock landed on the hard floor, and pins and springs went flying.
About lockpicks…
Just as quality and pricing varies in practice lock construction, there are many price points and materials used in lockpick sets. Some come with tension wrenches, while others don’t. (A tension wrench is a MUST for picking a pin and tumbler lock, and purchasing only picks will lead to disappointment.) Some picks can be used on pin and tumbler padlocks but are slow to use, while others are easier for beginners.
Some picks are for specific types of locks and you may not need them until you build up some skill. Ball picks, for instance, are for wafer locks, not pin locks. A hook may not leave enough space to also fit a tension wrench, and single pin techniques may be challenging for a beginner. Many find that initial practice is easiest with a rake, although what kind may be a matter of preference.
Also note that cheap materials may bend or warp through use, so it may be worthwhile to get a set with fewer options made out of higher quality materials.This doesn’t mean you need to buy the fanciest set of lockpicks for your first set, however. You may want to experiment with a cheap set until you know what you prefer.
There are some sets that are only two pieces: a single pin pick/tension wrench and a rake/tension wrench. You’d use the tension wrench attached to the pick while using the rake, or vice versa. Sometimes you will see these advertised as Bogota picks, although that name can have more specific meaning in some circles. A well-known lockpicker known as Raimundo developed new styles of lockpicks in Bogota, and picks similar to that style are sometimes called Bogota, although the proper name refers to a type of rake-style pick with humps on one side and points on the other, allegedly named for the mountains outside of the town where Raimundo made the original set.
About tension wrenches…
Tension wrenches have two functions in picking a pin and tumbler lock. The first is to provide a slight, gentle amount of pressure that will cause pins to stay up when the pick has pushed the pin up into position. (Otherwise it would fall back down.) The second function is to turn the tumbler, much like a key rotates in a lock, which enables the padlock to snap open.
When deciding what you’d prefer, keep both of these functions in mind. You’ll want something strong enough it won’t break when you turn the lock, but you’ll want it to be flexible enough you can feel what amount of light pressure is sufficient while you are picking the pins. (Too much pressure early on can jam the pins, rather than creating light tension.)
You’ll also want to consider comfort. Recall your dominant hand will be engaged in the main action, using the pick, while your non-dominant hand will have to hold the padlock, provide a light amount of pressure initially, and then a greater amount of pressure when you want to open the lock. When using different kinds of wrenches, evaluate how much torque you can comfortably provide with a little pressure.
Meet your lock
A padlock has several components, some of which have already been referenced above. The pins and the tumbler are the primary components. The pins are varying lengths, pressed into the tumbler by springs. The pins in the tumbler maintain the tumbler in a locked position. There is also a pin external to the tumbler that keeps it from rotating the wrong direction.
The matching key is cut to varying heights to push the varying length pins up out of the tumbler, past what is called the “shear line.” Once the pins are above this line, the tumbler and key can rotate, releasing the locking bar, which in turn releases the shackle.
Meet your key components
We’ve now established that a key has functions. The first major function is to align the pins. The second is to provide enough torque to rotate the tumbler. A key without the proper pins won’t rotate in the lock, but only aligning the pins without any rotation will fail to turn the tumbler, which will fail to release the shackle.
If we are going to emulate a key, we will need to do both of these tasks: align the pins and rotate the tumbler.
Picking the lock
Once we’ve assembled our tools and understand the basic principles, picking is an act of trying to push the pins up while applying a slight amount of tension. When using a rake, this is initially more of a brute force approach than artistry, and involves actually raking the pick back and forth over the pins until you feel them set.
Getting to know the feeling of the pins, as well as learning how to apply the right amount of tension, is a matter of practice.
Place the tension wrench in the part of the lock where the bottom of the key would go and apply slight tension in the direction a key would normally turn. If you aren’t sure which direction this is, and you don’t have a key to use, you can feel which side has a little bit of give when you apply some torque.
Next put your chosen pick (probably a rake when starting out) in the space above the tension wrench with the points (or curves) facing the pins.
Now, hold the lock in your non-dominant hand with your fingers curling around to the tension wrench. Which fingers? How should you hold it? That is largely up to what feels most comfortable to you (remembering not to drop your practice lock! See “Durablity” above!) There may be formal “best practices” but hand sizes and joint pain are particular to the individual.
(The picture above doesn’t have the pick in place because the picture is actually of a lock after it has been opened.)
Now rake the pick back and forth. This may involve a jiggling motion, a scraping motion, or a poking of individual pins, depending on what you are using and what ultimately works. You’ll know you’ve succeeded immediately. Not only will you feel the tension wrench begin to move, but the lock will make a satisfying pop sound.
After you succeed at opening the lock the first time, continue practicing trying to become more consistent and a bit more elegant in technique. Don’t despair if it opened easily once and then becomes difficult. Also take breaks. Your hands aren’t used to forming these shapes or applying pressure in these ways, and they will get tired.
After you get more comfortable with your practice lock, move on to other padlocks, such as a Master lock. (Note what kind of key comes with it. M1 is the easiest.) Don’t let packaging about toughness or high security intimidate you. You may be surprised how easily a “hard to pick” lock actually opens.