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Intro

Being a curious person who likes to figure out how things work, I have become very interested in lock picking. I like this mainly because people use locks to keep someone out of something or use it as a means of security. But how easy is it to break security? That’s what I am most interested in. There is nothing that is “impossible” to crack, hack, or in this case pick. There is no such thing as “unbreakable security”.

Basics

Before you start jamming metal pieces into a lock, you first need to know how a basic lock works. In this diagram it shows the basic principle of how the lock and pins work.

The number of pins the lock will make it more or less difficult for the lock to be picked. If you are just starting out I would recommend starting with a basic “Master Lock” that you can buy at any store. They are normally found on bike locks and gym lockers.

Tools

There are some basic tools you will need to get started. You can buy a basic pick set online ranging anywhere from 25$ to 50$. This will get you a basic tension wrench, snake, hook, and half diamond depending on which set you buy. But what fun is buying one? That’s the spirit, lets just make them ourselves!

Many people use hacksaw blades for homemade picks but decided to go with spring steel. (thanks drc) This can be found in car windshield wiper blades. (The part that keeps the rubber sturdy) First I drew a basic outline of what I wanted to tip to look like. (Don’t have a picture for this) then I used a dermal tool to cut out the design. (Here’s where good hand eye coordination come in handy.) Then cut off the length of the pick you want. It is good to use a strong pair or wire cutters to make an imprint on the metal and then just bend (or break) it off. Now it is your choice to do what you want with the other end, either leave it as it is or cut another tip into the other side making a dual tip.

Next we need a tension wrench. This is easy because it is already the right thickness. First I cut it to the length I wanted, and then I bent it to a 90° angle. Mine turned out like this.

So with a little bit of rounding off the hard edges my basic set looks like this. (The flash caused the red spot.) Picking

Now that we know what we are supposed to do, let’s give it a try. I’ll demonstrate this on a Master Lock. This is a fairly basic lock but a good one to learn on. *NOTE* This is how I have learned and do it, there are many different techniques and there is no right or wrong way to do it.

First I insert the tension wrench into the lock cylinder. Then I use my finger to put tension on the wrench. Depending on your style it may be easier to pick the lock with a lighter amount of tension rather than using a lot of force. I then insert the pick (I am using the hook in this case because I find it the easiest. A lot of people prefer the snake for this type of lock.) and begin feeling for the pins. In this case there are 4 pins. My goal here to feel each pin until the driver pin is pushed up letting the key pin to fall freely.(see diagram above)

After I have gotten all of the driver pins up and all the key pins to fall freely the cylinder should turn a little bit.

Once you see that is turned slightly then go ahead and apply more pressure to the tension wrench.

This should pop the lock open and you have successfully picked the lock!

Remember that practice makes perfect and there is nothing that is “impossible”. *NOTE* Use common sense when picking. If there is a lock on something it’s probably for a reason. Don’t pick things that aren’t yours or you don’t have permission to.