Lock picking is one of those things that you usually see in the movies or in a TV show, and it seems so effortless. A few seconds twiddling a lock with a paperclip, a hair pin or a proper lock picking kit, and then the star of the show is in! Sadly, as you can imagine, reality is a little different. Not all locks can be picked, and of those that can be picked, sometimes it takes a few minutes to pick one.
How a lock works
Lock picking is essentially about aligning the bottom of the pins (in blue) with the top of the cylinder (in yellow) so that when you turn the cylinder, the locking bolt turns. So when you use a key, the exact heights of the pins (which are all different) are perfectly aligned, so that the key can turn the cylinder, so that the lock can be opened.
This is the typical approach for opening a cylinder lock. Of course, there are many different types of lock, including deadbolts, coded locks, combination locks, and more. Different locks each require different methods to open them (without a key of course).
Different cylinder locks have a different number of pins too, so the number of pins can range anything from 1 to 6. Each additional pin makes it much harder to pick that lock, as you need to keep the other pins in situ whilst you’re working on the next pin.
How to pick a lock – by picking
There are 2 tools used in standard picking, namely a ‘tension wrench’:
… and a ‘pick’:
Picking a lock relies on tiny imperfections in the manufacturing of the lock. With the tension wrench, you apply a slight twist on the lock, as if you were opening the lock. This is so that when you start pushing pins upwards, they get stuck on the boundary of the cylinder and the lock body.
Different pins will stick at different points during the twisting, so you’ll need to see which pins jam up first. You keep working on the pins until you finally engage all of the lock pins, and the tension wrench turns in the lock. You’re in!
How to pick a lock – by raking
Raking a lock is a slightly less artful (but just as tricky) technique of opening a lock. Using the tension wrench as described above, and a slightly different lock picking tool called a ‘Rake’ (below), you move the pick back and forth inside the lock trying to jam the pins. Think of raking leaves in the garden, as you move the rake in forwards and backwards motion.
Raking is a quicker and dirtier method of picking the pins, but it’s ideal as a starting method for picking locks. The method works based on jamming pins randomly until the lock turns. However, an open lock is still an open lock, so use whatever gets you quick results.
Lock Picking Kits
In lock picking kits, you’ll typically have at least one tension wrench, several standard picks and one rake for roughly every 5 standard picks. So if you go for a pick with 10 to 35 tools, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with a range of tools and find the ones you most like working with.
Lock Picking Practice Boards
Practice boards are a great way to learn how to pick a lock without drawing any attention to yourself. The last thing you want to do is practice on a real lock, and then get asked questions by your local police force! Practice boards often come with a range of locks, with some locks featuring an increasing difficulty of lock to help you grow your skills over time.
If you’re buying any lock picking kits, make sure you also get yourself a lock picking practice board too.
How to pick a lock – Instruction Books
There’s more to picking a lock than I’ve covered here, so get hold of a good book on picking locks. You’ll learn new strategies as well as how to beat other types of lock beyond just cylinder locks.
