Help with beginner lsmithing

Have you had any formal or apprenticeship training? Your mentor should be able to help you. If you have had neither, I think this would be the wrong place to come learn for the professionals in this newsgroup won't discuss how to pick locks with you.

In many ways picking a lock just takes practice and patience. (or patience and practice) and that's about all the advice you'll get out of me as you are unknown to me as a locksmith.

David Ferguson

Learn how to correctly identify a key blank

Learn how to cut an accurate duplicate

Learn how different locks function

Learn how to fabricate a part when needed

or any others,

Oh,...You just want to pick locks? Ummm, That 'aint locksmithing.

Well, as a locksmith who started his business in 1986, let me give you some wisdom.

Picking locks is a part of the job, but it is a very, very small part.

Actually, about 5 to 10% of my service calls require any kind of picking. Today was typical, I rekeyed locks on a store. Yesterday I rekeyed some locks on a home. Yep, the economy is miserable here, and I'm very glad for any work I have.

The other fellow was right. Never mind the picks. Study key blanks, and practice hand filing keys to fit (get a couple locks that you do have keys, and use the cut keys as a guide, and then hand file keys to fit. You might not believe me now, but hand filing keys is a very powerful skill, and can make you a LOT of money.

You may copy and use my "stock answer" file:

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.

right. Tried it a

locks or any others,

one time reply... Google Search Keywords (Lock Picking)

has a length of 86 characters and resulted in the following TinyURL which has a length of 23 characters: g'day

Fortunately, picking is only part of the job. This newsgroup's FAQ will point you to several guides on how locks work and lock picking in general. You can use google to read past posts to this newsgroup where it's been discussed alot.

Don't expect instant results when picking. Some locks will open in seconds, others will seem to take forever. It depends on the lock and your skill, apptitude and patience.

Daniel

<snip><no off>

Learn how to fabricate your own tools.

goma.

That's just messed up... You look pretty stupid if you go to a service call to pick a lock and can't do it (especially with 'locksmith' written on your vehicle or clothing)...

Lockpicking is an EXCELLENT way to get started in the diverse field of locksmithing. He never said picking was all he wanted to do, just that he didn't have any success at it.

You disgruntled bastards are a real help.

LONG time back, attended a seminar, give by Bill Reed and his buddies... the guy that did the impressioning.. cant recall his name right now, havent had the first cuppa coffee.. (Hank Spicer got awake...) said a LOT of things... see the FIRST 3 things listed above... and ADD the fact that he studied the codes FOR THAT BRAND.. for instance- in THIS code series there was NEVER a 4 as the first cut... or it wa ALWAYS a 1...things like that... so...back to studying things... what was the MAX adjacent cut depth... impressioning- needs a FEW things- what blank/lock it is... whats the SC and CC distance... is it a PIN or WAFER? they mark different.. is is a house lock AND a Schlage, Weiser, KW? they ALSO mark different... is the lock new/old? tight/sloppy?

MY advice- needs a 'hands on' lesson, AND might be trying WAY too hard, and has the improper file.. --Shiva--

Oh come on - what does a customer really say? They want to get in. They don't (generally) tell you what method to use. Do your customers really say that you should come over and impression one lock, pick another lock and drill the third one?

That might be your opinion - you might find it informative that most locksmiths think otherwise. Or are you such an expert that everyone should ignore their own experience and just listen to you?

You are doing a find job of misleading aspiring locksmiths.

get it right.

pick any door locks

to a service call

'locksmith' written on your

diverse field of

do, just that he

your the one that looking stupid. picking locks is NOT locksmithing.

if you don't like it here ? don't let the virtual door strike you on the way out.

my2

Well, this is one disgruntled bastard who has been in th e field since 1985, and doesn't teach picking on an open forum like this.

Yep.

Depends on what you want help with. See the FAQ. There are many questions which we'll give you LOTS of assistance with. This tends not to be one of them, for tolerably obvious reasons.

"The server you have reached is imaginary. Rotate your network adapter

90 degrees and try again."

I feel like I have to give reading comprehension lessons here. Picking locks is NOT locksmithing.. Very good. You are correct. Locksmithing, however, includes picking locks. And, in my opinion, it is a GREAT way to start learning.

Never said you should. Simply stated that picking is a great way to start learning about locks and that particular quote you picked was about the bullshit attitude to the newbie who just asked a freagin question.

You remember a couple days or weeks ago, we worked with that fellow who was trying to get a broken key out of his door knob lock..... and a few others.

Why is it that people ask for free advice, and then respond with anger when unapid people don't tell them confidential information which we had to work (and apprentice work) for?

If they had a clue, they wouldn't be asking the question in the first place. If it isn't worth investing some patience and effort (and money) in, they don't want it enough. If they want to be angry, that's fine, but it's their problem.

Calling _us_ "disgruntled" does seem a bit backward, though.