Basic reading

"Simon Finnigan" snipped-for-privacy@therealm.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net...

Simon, check out the FAQ for this group.

1. Will people on this newsgroup give me information about picking locks, etc.?
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   g'luck

I have read the FAQ - the promising bit was "Most experienced people here are quite willing to discuss the basics of lock construction and operation". The only safe I have access to easily, I also have access to the keys for it - I`m not interested in being able to pick my way into a safe, that way lies danger. If money where to go missing from that (or any other safe I may have access to over the years) and people know I can get into safes, how long would it take to point the finger at me? :-) Whereas if I`m playing about with it as a hobby (I tried juggling, but I have a real problem with depth perception which makes it pretty much impossible) then it`s not the same.

I`m prepared to go the reading and work myself, but hints as to what is a good book to read, website to visit so that I can try and avoid wasting my time would be most helpful.

"Simon Finnigan" snipped-for-privacy@therealm.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net...

just how could anyone here know your real intentions ? certainly not just because you state them. even if all the professionals on this group knew you personally and believed that you were strait forward with your intentions. posting defeating instructions on this open forum for ALL others to view wouldn't be such a good idea.

try searching Google for your info

no flame intended Simon

The basics, yes; There are places we won't go. Generally, we'll discuss how locks work, but not how to defeat them.

I`d guess that being able to open normal door locks and the like is several orders of magnitude easier than getting into a safe or an expensive, secure door lock - if not that`s silly :-) I`m also not after instructions to open any lock in particular, I`m interested in background reading and suggestions for a good way to start teaching myself about locks, including how to bypass them. I don`t want step by step instructions - if for no other reason than that`s no fun. The fun and interest for me will be in learning the basics and then figuring things out by and for myself.

Thanks!

"Simon Finnigan" snipped-for-privacy@therealm.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net...

again, google is your friend.

g'luck

The vast majority of locks you have in the UK are what's known as 'Lever Locks', and as such, are far more difficult to pick than 'pin tumbler' locks, which are in the majority in the USA and also just about everywhere else. Also, I doubt if you will be able to purchase any picks over there as you are not a registered tradesman, and it is illegal to carry lock picks if you are not licensed. You'll have to make your own, and hope you don't get caught with them. If people know you have picks, and are fooling around picking locks open, and things go missing from here and there, you'll have a Bobby banging on your door !

Listen to Steve, he knows of what he speaks. He probably would not be in Australia unless his ancestors had bobbies knocking on their doors.

AGREE... Steve is good folks. Even if he is in that beautiful part of the world down under :-)

I think we should all charter a plane and go visit...

"Lock It Don't Lose It"

There were seveal good books recommended last year. Search this news group in google, looking for the string 'books' and you are sure to find it.

You can learn quite well that way.

Daniel

Speaking only for myself, my policy is that I don't teach picking techniques unless I've personally known the person for two years.

You can find many forums on the web, but that's out of my control.

When I was new at locksmithing, I was completely fascinated by picking. Now, after 20+ years in the trade, it's an important part of the job, but not totally fascinating. There is so much more to the job.

The reasons I don't teach picking are several.

1) There is no way to know who is the person asking. Most people asking (or lurking and reading the posts) are decent people, but a few are not. So, I've decided simply not to say anything to anyone.

2) Picking locks is a "trade secret" like many other trades which have their techniques and systems.

3) A very small part of the security of locks is that so few people know how to pick them. So, by teaching lock picking, I make all locks less secure for the world. Not what I want to do.

4) Purely selfishly, I learned lock picking the hard way, with lots of practice, and you can do the same.

I wish you well. Hope this doesn't sound unkind, but the world isn't a nice place sometimes.

Speaking only for myself, my policy is that I don't teach picking techniques unless I've personally known the person for two years.

You can find many forums on the web, but that's out of my control.

When I was new at locksmithing, I was completely fascinated by picking. Now, after 20+ years in the trade, it's an important part of the job, but not totally fascinating. There is so much more to the job.

The reasons I don't teach picking are several.

1) There is no way to know who is the person asking. Most people asking (or lurking and reading the posts) are decent people, but a few are not. So, I've decided simply not to say anything to anyone.

2) Picking locks is a "trade secret" like many other trades which have their techniques and systems.

3) A very small part of the security of locks is that so few people know how to pick them. So, by teaching lock picking, I make all locks less secure for the world. Not what I want to do.

4) Purely selfishly, I learned lock picking the hard way, with lots of practice, and you can do the same.

I wish you well. Hope this doesn't sound unkind, but the world isn't a nice place sometimes.

Go back to juggling, that should improve your depth perception as you get instant feedback if you are wrong and you can continue to make slight corrections until you get it right.

But until you get the hang of it I would avoid juggling things like knives, bowling balls, eggs etc.

(I tried juggling, but I have a real problem with depth perception which makes it pretty much impossible) then it`s not the same.

Hmmmm,.... to juggle proportionately, you need to have a hole in 'both' pockets, then you will always be on the ball.

Did anyone else notice that chris posted this not once, but twice in repsonse to a single post?

I thought RR.com had a rule against robotic posts to newsgroups. This sure looks like a brainless, automatic post to me, as useless as any other spam.

Daniel

Simon,

If you really want to learn, do what I did!

I am currently enrolled in the Foley-Belsaw

locksmithing course.

Best way to do it is request the information, then wait for them to send you the $250 credit flyer (this takes a while, so be patient!). Makes the course $599 ($15 down & $29 a month! Very affordable!) and you get their crappy Model 200 key machine that they charge $279 for in their catalog. Thats almost half the value of the course, and you get 65 total lessons, including tools that you will need anyway (picks, pins, springs, key blanks, etc.), that you get to keep if you don't use them in the lab projects. I am learning and getting tools of the trade at a reasonable price!

You can also try to get a local locksmith to train you or check your local community college for courses, but if you do it that way you won't get all the goodies that can be used later to make money...

Ken

The most common lock over here is generically known as the 'Yale' lock, aka a pin tumbler lock.

Both sell to the public, no questions asked.

No it isn't