Anyone here pick locks as a hobby?

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Seattle, Apr 15, 2017.

  1. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Anyone here pick locks as a hobby?

    I've just learned a little about lock picking and don't have the interest to take it as far as some do with locking picking "sporting" events but I do find the basics to be interesting.

    I can pick, common padlocks, handcuffs, and some door locks as well as Master Lock Combination padlocks.

    Anyone else?
     
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  3. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Yes I will get out in six months maybe we can exchange ideas over a coffee?

    No I don't pick locks but have been thinking about having a go just recently so I am looking forward to see some chat on the subject.

    Alex
     
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  5. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    I can open common padlocks/combination locks.!!!
     
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  7. Janus58 Valued Senior Member

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    Years ago I was into amateur magic and bought a pair of handcuffs and taught myself how to pick them.( it always amuses me when on TV show or movies they have some character who supposedly knows how to pick handcuffs, yet they show him fiddling for a couple of minutes trying to do so. If you know what you're doing, it can be done in a couple of seconds.)
    I also found out, quite by chance, that I could pick certain desk drawer and file cabinet locks. (Someone at work left their desk key at home, and I said that I'd try to get it open for them and it worked. Word spread and when someone else lost their file cabinet key, they called me and again I was able to pick the lock for them.)
     
  8. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    A friend of mine does, he taught me a little bit. I've escaped from handcuffs using a bobby pin, it's not too difficult. One interesting thing I can report is that the metal tines used in street sweeping equipment are the perfect kind of steel to make picks from. They often fall out of the rollers and can be found for free in the street.
     
  9. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    My deft use of a coat hanger has spared many a driver from a call to roadside services.
     
  10. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    I read a book about safecracking once, so if your safe is a hundred years old or so and you've forgotten the combination....
     
  11. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Handcuffs are very quick and easy to open with a bent paper clip if just the single lock was used. If they are double locked it still can be picked but it's a bit more difficult especially if you are wearing the handcuffs at the time.

    Most commonly available locks are fairly easy to pick. I hear that even most common (less expensive) home safes are easy to get into as well.
     
  12. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    8,854
    YouTube is great for this. I saw a few videos and bought a $15 set of lock picks. Common padlocks can be opened just as quickly with a pick as with a key. Common combination padlocks are easy to figure out and handcuffs are very easy to open (using a paperclip).

    Some of my outside home door locks are harder (for me) to open than others. I wouldn't know how to open my car door but when I was young I had a temporary job that required breaking into the company's own cars which had keys locked inside them.

    We used a car "jimmy" which is just a burglary tool

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    that looks more or less like a hack saw blade. Once you are familiar with a particular model of car you can open it with that as fast as with a key.

    I'm not sure if they still work with electronic locks.
     
  13. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    8,502
    I am reminded...
    My office was close to the shopping center car park and we had a stream of ladies who had locked their keys in the car.

    And so I would help out.

    I could use a coat hanger, a strip of that stuff they use to strap up boxes and I had as I recall a metal ruler.

    There were some cars that you could push the rear window down by laying your hands flat on the glass and pushing down. That was the case with the old holden commodore a surprise for the owner of same.

    Being a real estate agent and turning up at a house having forgotten the keys made me rather good at getting into a house.

    I might buy me a pad lock and have a go out of interest.

    Alex
     
  14. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    8,854
    Buy a $15 set of lock picks as well. You use the "wrench" to turn and the pick to...pick.

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    You can buy a pair of handcuffs for about $20 and all you need to pick those is a paperclip bent correctly.
     
  15. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    8,502
    I actually know how its done.
    When I was a young bloke my mate owned a key shop.
    He had a little "gun" that flicked the pick up and down while he put tension on the other thing and with it he could open a lock as fast as using a key, most times.
    I am not sure here in Australia that a private person may own handcuffs.

    Alex
     
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  16. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Shop here in Darwin major shopping centre openly sells them with pink fluffy protective covers

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  17. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Are they going soft on crime up there?
    Is it a hand cuff shop?
    Alex
     
  18. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Sort of odds and ends shop

    Lots of dragons sitting on crystals made from real life models

    I don't know how they get them to sit still

    And selling a box with 50 shades of something but have not seen any paint in shop

    Also a weird blow up swimming pool toy with blonde hair

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  19. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah, a gun like that would take the fun out of it though.

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    They have "bumper" keys as well. Those are blank keys that haven't been filed down so put them in and hit the end of the key and it "bumps" the pins momentarily and you quickly turn the door knob. When they work, they take much of the "fun" out of it as well.

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    Picking a padlock is too easy. You can do it the first time you try it and never want/need to do it again.

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  20. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    No lock or other security system is designed to stop a determined ne'er-do-well from gaining access to anything.

    The purpose of any security system is two-fold:
    1] to discourage the casual or unprepared malfeasent from trying in the first place, and
    2] to delay the malfeasent long enough, and make a big enough ruckus, for actual people to show up and secure the situation.
     
  21. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    8,854
    True, but still fun to pick...
     
  22. Rosaline Kay Registered Member

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    I have no talent in opening locks, I can't even open a door using the card trick

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  23. deepslate Registered Member

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    My husband totally agree with you that handcuffs are easy to open. But in my case, I think , I could have the difficult time to do so.

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