I’ve been trying my hand at lock picking for a little while recently. I did some research around the subject and joined a forum called Lock Picking 101. At their advice I bought a set of 14 picks from LockPickShop.com. I also downloaded and read the LSI guide to lock picking, a resource similar to the better known MIT guide but more visual. The picks seem well made and (in all my untrained glory) I’d recommend them to anyone interested. I also found a guide to making lock picks online which I guess would be useful to anyone with a workshop at easy access.

A little while after having my picks delivered, I mentioned my very undeveloped interest to a friend who was then generous enough to lend me a loose door lock she had used to practice lock picking in high school. It is a simple 5 pin ‘Kwickset’ lock with normal pins which I can now consistently pick. I’m considering buying some pins designed to make picking more difficult, or maybe a totally new lock. I’ll probably go to a locksmith in my neighbourhood in the UK (I wonder what their policies are on selling to someone learning to pick) but I’m also considering buying a ‘training lock’ such as the one sold at learnlockpicking.com. Continue reading →