101 Things Every Lock Picker Should Know

What was your favourite? What other tips would you give new pickers? Let me know in the comments! 👍😃🔐 and yes, this video took many hours to compile and edit, so all likes and shares are super appreciated 😃😃😃

After watching this I realize I started the hard way by making my own picks, but that is what my mentor who is locksmith with over 30 years of experience suggested. It has given me the benefit of being a little extra creative when making improvised tools. I once picked a master lock with a pick I made from a key blank, and a pot metal tensioner that constantly bent, and another time I bet one of my dad's friends I could pick open the small safe he had in his garage that had a cheap wafor lock on it with stuff I could find in his garage, I ended up using a picture hanging hook as my tensioner, and a paper clip as my pick.

As a locksmith, all of these tips (if you want to make a career of it) will get you leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Keep up the practice and have fun!

Absolutely brilliant. You're quickly becoming one of the most influential youtubers for new pickers. Your videos are always a comfort and a confidence booster. At least in the circles I run in. Thankyou once again, sir for your dedication and effort. It doesn't go unnoticed.

I watched this video 2 days ago.. bought my first lockpicking set yesterday... picked half a dozen padlocks and the deadbolt on my front door already.. thankyou for imparting some of your knowledge.. absolutely priceless. 🙏

One thing I've noticed Being the only guy in the room that can pick a lock...and prove it Priceless

Starting lock picking has been one of the best choices I've made. I don't know of many other communities that are as helpful and kind. To anyone who is just starting out and might be struggling. Don't ever be ashamed to ask for help. Everyone has good and bad days. And some locks are made by the devil and get enjoyment from eating your picks. Either way, it's a good time.

I feel like there's not a lot of love out there for raking. I get that it seems like "bitch picking", but there's so much more motion & finesse involved with the manipulation of the pick itself. Back & forth, up & down, circular motion, rocking, or a combination thereof. SPP seems to boil down to either lifting the pick with your fingers, or rocking the pick against the keyway. Delicate & precise yes, but far less range of motion involved.

For me the most important thing by far (I’m still a complete noob) is a cutaway lock. I made one having watched Noob’s video on how to do so. I have a good amount of euro cylinder locks, 5 or 6 pinners, with a wide variety of security pins - understanding the feedback has helped me no end. It’s brought my ability on exponentially.

The most crucial of these tips for me is "be nice". I'm complimentary and may sometimes seem a bit fanboy-esque or excessive, but that's because I enjoy and appreciate what you do for the community; I enjoy your enjoyment; and above all else, it costs me nothing to treat you and other community members with a bit of basic courtesy, gratitude and pleasantness. I'd rather start a conversation than a flame war.

Very good! My brother and I watched the old movie about Harry Houdini, a distant relative of ours, and got inspired to pick locks. As preteens we used to take chains and locks that had no keys and chain each other up. Sometimes with the lock behind our back! You have to become a good picker or you were doomed to stay chained up!😁 It’s a great hobby!

Just starting out in lock picking and I found this really helpful, thank you 👍

My favorite RE lock picking; Do what you like. It's your hobby. So true. Second Fav; Comparison is the death of Joy. A Rule to live by, in everything. The rest, I can't decide for # 3. All really great.

What an amazing contribution to the library of resources on locksport - a mammoth effort Ash - well done mate 🙌

Excellent video. Everybody's lock picking is a personal journey and will be unique to them. It is supposed to be fun. You can never emphasize that enough. Thank you for compiling this guide. Loads of helpful tips. Cheers!

Love the video! Been picking for almost a year now, 70 lbs of locks, 20 lbs picked :). At first the master locks were so much fun, then I got bored and moved on to Abus locks, frustrating a bit but I know LPL and Bosnian Bill have been doing it for years so I still have a long way to go. I'm doing it to relax, spending 2 hours on an American 700 pad lock and oversetting the pins, recocking and trying again is no big deal, I didn't expect to open them right away and I'm still trying. I love raking, had a lot of success on Guard Padlocks, an American P06, and antique locks from back in the 50's and 60's. For me it's a hobby that I can sink time into and if I get one open whoopie, if not I got my practice in. Thanks again for the reassurance, you're giving the new pickers exactly what they need to hear/know, definitely takes the pressure off and it's good advice. Subscribed and can't wait to go through all of your video's.

No video or any other learning tool has been so informative on this subject. Being a maintenance supervisor for over 500 single and multi family feelings here in the Seattle/Tacoma area you have so many different locks for so many different things that you may find yourself having to try and get passed the security of many different devices weather or not it belongs to you your company or for a resident or a customer of a company you may be working for at the time and this video is something I can share with any of my maintenance team now or any one I may be training as an assistant or a tech in the near future. This one video will help knock out so damn much time on me and teach them everything I would have showed them and so much more as is I have learned for myself and can't thank you so very much for learning us all up on so many different locks style and being such a great mentor to learn from. You are from now on my 1st to to person for any and every lock I find myself having a day of it from and you made it look so damn easy when we all know it isn't. You Sir are the Man. Thank you so very much for everything you had to offer my friend. Godspeed and have A wonderful day. You Sir Rock and I really can't wait to pick the next troublesome lock I find myself up against.

You're absolutely right about practicing daily. I've noticed if I havent practiced in a week or more it seems I lost some dexterity whereas it can take me two minutes to pick a lock I normally pick in one minute if I havent practiced in a few days. Such a fun hobby tho, I'm really enjoying the experience.

@Lock Noob - you've put an outstanding amount of work into this video. Really well done (or as you would say - really, really, REALLY well done) :) Should be required viewing for anyone getting into the hobby, but also for those of us who have been in it for a long time it's always a great idea to go over basics again - ones that we may have forgotten, or got to a stage that we think we can ignore them. Thanks for this - duly filed away for reference and recommending to others :)

Thanks, enjoy you vids. I work in that facility where people are constantly locking their keys in their lockers. I used to just grab the bolt cutters and cut them. Asked my supervisor for a cheap pick kit and he agreed. I've saved many locks since then and now am still building my own kit. It's just satisfying to open a lock without a key and people are amazed you can do that and happy they don't have to buy another lock😄. Also have a guy that does keys and re keying and such in the building and he gives me locks to practice on. So much fun!