Lock Picking Guide: How to pick locks

Many people dismiss lock picking as simply crime-related, when really, lock picking is a skill like any other and used every day for legitimate purposes. Locksmiths, for example, make use of lock picking in their work; often, it might be easier for them to spend 5 minutes picking a lock than having to drill it out. It would certainly be a lot cheaper for the customer that way. Other than locksmiths, many thousands of people around the world practice lock picking as a challenging hobby and a sport (known as Locksport). It requires real skill, patience and dedication, and many people rise to the challenge. The exhilaration of finally being able to open a particular type of lock after spending days, if not weeks, trying, is a huge reward in itself.

So how do you get started in a such a hobby? What should you buy and try first?

Let's start at the beginning and look at lock picks.

As you may imagine, there are a lot of different lock picking tools to be found, and the quality varies widely. For anybody looking to buy their first set, I would highly recommend looking no further than Southord. Southord are a very well known manufacturer of lock picks, locksmith tools and a large number of other items. I own one of their lock picking sets and couldn't be happier with them.

This set provides the beginner with everything they need to get started. If you're going to be picking European locks, you'll probably want a Slimline set, due to the difference in European keyways. This set is ideal for the beginner, and will serve you long after you've moved onto more advanced locks, also.

Once you've got your picks, the next logical step is to buy a few cheap locks and get practicing. Locks can be picked up everywhere, DIY/hardware stores being the obvious first choice.

On the right, I've linked to a few cheap locks the beginner lock picker may find helpful when starting out. Don't go splashing out on expensive locks just yet; if you can't pick more simple, cheap locks, you're not going to get anywhere with more advanced locks. I'd personally recommend buying a small selection to play with. Don't restrict yourself to simply one type - broaden your horizons as much as possible, learn as much about locks as you can. The next section elaborates more on this.

Lock picking isn't simply a case of inserting picks and jiggling them around until the lock opens. You need to have detailed knowledge of the locks you pick, the ability to see in your mind what's going on inside the lock. This, of course, means doing a great deal of research and learning. The internet is a fantastic resource for this, allowing you to find technical specifications, lock diagrams, example videos and hints, tips and tricks uncovered by other pickers. Most locksmiths and hobbyist lock pickers have an active interest in locks and enjoy learning more about their art - the truly talented lock pickers certainly do - so be prepared for a lot of reading, research and experimentation.

Don't be too ambitious and immediately start trying to pick high security locks, because it's not going to happen. Begin with a selection of cheap locks and work your way up. I've included one or two links at the end of this article that you may find useful.

Above all, experiment. As I mentioned, lock picking shouldn't simply be associated with crime. People who lock pick for fun shouldn't be thought of as criminals, simply because a small minority might use the skill for malicious reasons. That would be akin to branding all computer programmers as hackers, simply because a small minority of programmers use their skills to break into computer networks.

I hope this hub has been useful and provided encouragement for those who are thinking of taking up the hobby. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.