Kwikset door lock opened with a wrench?

Well, I personally wouldn`t find that hard to believe. I, and several of my friends, have tinkered with locks to varying degrees. I myself am a mechanic, so I actually get a bit of experience in your territory, especially with entrys. (we have been known to lock the keys in customer's cars once in a while) I have posted here several times over the years, usually requiring a little begging and alot of convincing to get an answer. My point? Oh yeah! I should have a point. I`m sure there are at least some of you guys and gals (licensed locksmiths) that have a true interest in your job. Well surprise! There are lots of people out there that share that interest, but happen to have another occupation. Don`t take this as a flame at all. I`m simply trying to remind you there are law abiding people out there that think what you do for work, is actually fun and interesting. Now I`ll go back to reading the group, until I have another stupid question, or just feel the need to put in my 2 cents worth.

OK let me ask you some questions. I assume that when you proclaim that you are a mechanic, that you are a honest upright professional.

If someone asks you to tell them how to reset an odometer how would you reply?

Would your reply be different if it was asked by an anonymous poster on a Usenet newsgroup or in person by a uniformed member of the highway patrol?

Well let's see. In the Netherlands we have TOOOL

In the U.S. the hobby is making news in unrelated trade rags...

and commercial hobbyist supply vendors

Apparently, in Germany it's called a "discipline" but that may be an artifact of translation to English.

On the other hand, quoting Carrie Fischer "You're not really famous 'till you've been a Pez dispenser" a Google search for hobby "lock picking" "Pez dispenser" only got one hit for vacations in Aruba. I can't explain that !

So a few websites that are out there are evidence of people numbering in the 10,000's in the US as lock hobbyists...

Heh, in a country of just under 300,000,000 that seems to be hardly anything at all... And to think that you included a few other countries in your list of websites...

Just because a few people are interested in a hobby doesn't mean that the whoel entire world should bow down and tell the hobbyists everything that they want to know...

Evan, ~~formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...

P.S. Your point has only proven that there are 10,000's of people out there that learn things to do with locks and security that don't use that knowledge professionally, nor whose knowledge is documented in case some type of incident occurs... Seems like the hobbyists should be more willing to be identified and documented by the authorities if they truly have nothing to hide...

Yes, and all computer programmers should be rounded up and labled as potential hackers. The chemists are potential terrorists. Anyone that knows how to shoot a gun....kill them. They are too damn dangerous. Oh yeah, we may as well lock up anyone with an IQ over 75 too. Smart people are way too unpredictable. As far as me telling someone how to roll back an odometer, yes, I`d tell most anyone how it is theoreticaly done. I`d also inform them it`s almost impossible, and quite illegal. Conversly, I`m not one of the people that are coming here expecting to get all your trade secrets. The first helpful bit of info I got, about ten years ago, was simply a link to pictures of lockpick pics. That and a few hacksaw blades was all I needed. I do somewhat agree with the position many of you have. First of all, they are trade secrets. They make you a living. Second, this is most definately something that a good portion of the population doesn`t need to know. I was simply stating a fact (there really are people that find it interesting). Hell, before there were lock companies, locks were made by intelligent blacksmiths. I understand none of you here have any idea who you are talking to. I always have 1 personal friend who is a locksmith. I pick his mind alot, and will continue to do so. Keep up the good work :) BTW, I was looking at a tool for Kwiksets, are they really that insecure? If what I saw was correct, nailing the door shut would be more effective.....

Actually the point was that my earlier claim of tens of thousands was harder to verify than I thought...

Exactly.

Of course not. That's what Usenet is for :-)

And apparently by joining clubs, holding public competitons and publishing Web pages (and wearing T-shirts), a passel of them are and do !

one model-yes.. the other line, no

yep.. BUT, it beats a LOT of others..

--Shiva--