Wishing to learn

Prepare to get flamed by the pros in this news group !

And you'll probably want to work on getting the terminology right too. I believe the pros might not mind substituting "manipulation" for "picking" but never the other way 'round. A combination lock is not "picked".

The "MIT Guide to Lock Picking" provides instruction on making picks and wrenches. I bought a set of picks and wrenches but I find I prefer the ones I ground myself from 10 penny nails.

As far as technique goes, I don't think there are any easy substitutes for practice. I just started picking as a hobbyist a few weeks ago and I'm finding it is much harder than I expected it to be - somewhere between playing the piano and playing the oboe.

interesting thing here.. DEPENDS ON THE COP..

we got a guy here that got 8 years for 'posession of burglary tools.'.. a screwdriver and a small pry bar..

PERSONALLY-knowing some of the cops here and their gung ho attitude, I would WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVE I was one..

and the laws between cities and counties vary WILDLY>.

do NOT attempt to get into ANY government building with them.. and there are a few more places that are no no's..

--Shiva--

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.

Some of your locks you can probably learn to pick, some you probably won't be able to pick. It depends on a multitude of things ie: pin configuration, tolerance, spool pins, mushroom pins, LUCK, & your patience level.

The Locksmith FAQ would be good to read also but I don't have the link handy.

On legality of the picks it's a crap shoot. If an officer stops you for something and is looking for a reason to bust you, that would be a good one if they search you or your vehicle and find them.

Dirt cheap and honesty usually don't go hand in hand so good luck finding both at the same place.....

I wouldn't start with the safes unless you take everything of value out of them in case you screw up the lock playing with it, or have the door open when you do it.

Somebody will post the FAQ link and there is some good stuff in there.

Leon Rowell

snipped-for-privacy@mail.com wrote:

Like Mormon here, I don't give anything out on picking either-Not that I think anybody who simply asks the question is some woolybooger waiting to raid somenone's locker-LOL It's just that over time, I've developed methods for doing things-and not saying that I am first to do it or the only one-but I just don't talk about it here.

But like the other poster said"dirt cheap and honesty"-well-you know..

If you are going to have a worthwhile hobby-then invest some money in it.Buy a basic kit and start with that-You don't need any 75-piece set. You might check out SouthOrd-Google for'em... I bought some there YEARS AGO-And I think they are still in business.

If you are very concerned about the law-ask a lawyer around there.

not that one

Something went wrong with your link

alt.locksmithing answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Well Gidday mate....

Hobby is great and it's all about knowledge and more so feel... Search the net and you will find HOW to pick a lock. Manipulate is a term the industry uses (that means opening, not necessarily picking as that is the aim of the Locky in some tasks!). Picking is picking if you have a pick and tension tool in the hands at the time the barrel spins..... Read about tolerences and how it can be picked.. Then practice practice practice.... Then once you know one lock start again... Oh did I mention that some locks cannot be picked.... But in your early days don't put it down to that....

Cheers.

Jim from Aus.....

I had a colleague who WAS a locksmith and WAS licenced, he used his picks to get into his not yet finished new house to check on progress... A patrolling cop saw him and busted him fer B&E ... It hadn't been signed over and the guy ain't a locksmith no more

steve

Different states have different laws, but possessing lock picks mainly comes down to where you are, what you are doing, and what your intentions are while possessing them...

Umm, NO... It depends on how the applicable state laws define the term "possession of burglary tools"... Some states are very specific as to what is or isn't a burglary tool, however almost anything can be considered a "burglary tool" depending on how you are using it and the location you are discovered in possession of it... (i.e. a credit card can become a burglary tool when it is used in a certain way)

Having lock picks in your possession while you are tresspassing is not a very smart idea, especially if you employed the use of them in order to gain entry onto the premesis... Your crime has become "Breaking & Entering" which is more serious than Tresspassing. Also the time of day factors in, don't do that at night, and the additional charge of the possessing of the burglar's tools doesn't help you much either...

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

check out the FAQ

asking defeating instructions on this open forum.

g'luck

Oh yes-it exists-just wrong swipe-burn me at the stake-Just use some good lighter fluid-LMAO

Okay-I got the other one-LOL

I think we go with "faqs.org" since its BETA group-Damn 404-hate that-LOL

goma.

Lock picking is not a hobby. Building scale model steam engines is a hobby.

Get a life.