Lock picking!

[rpgdemon]

So, I picked up a lock picking kit, and a pretty cheap lock to practice on, just as something to do, which might come in handy sometime. I am able to get most of the pins down, but not quite get the thing to turn, and I'm wondering if anyone here is an expert lockpick/locksmith and can give me pointers.

[Aerozord]

maybe I am naive, but I didn't think you could buy a lock picking kit

[Professor Smarmiarty]

We lost keys to our filing cabinet once so I broke in with allen keys. But it so much esier to just drill the lock out usually.

[rpgdemon]

maybe I am naive, but I didn't think you could buy a lock picking kit

You can, and they're completely legal. A lot of locksmiths have them, in order to open locks that they keys are missing for, that you don't want to drill out.

[TDK]

I've never been entirely convinced "Hobby-Lockpicking" is anything but a front used to sell lockpicks so that they may be used illegally. It seems like there are few legitimate situations where that might be necessary (if you even manage to have your lockpicks on you at the time).

I mean it is a pretty cool thing to know how to do and I am interested in doing it, but this is just the impression I get from people I've talked to and sites and things I've seen.

I guess maybe its kind of like how you can just buy one of those things that they used to open car doors when you lock your keys in?

[rpgdemon]

I've never been entirely convinced "Hobby-Lockpicking" is anything but a front used to sell lockpicks so that they may be used illegally. It seems like there are few legitimate situations where that might be necessary (if you even manage to have your lockpicks on you at the time).

I mean it is a pretty cool thing to know how to do and I am interested in doing it, but this is just the impression I get from people I've talked to and sites and things I've seen.

I guess maybe its kind of like how you can just buy one of those things that they used to open car doors when you lock your keys in?

It's a credit card sized kit (Thicker than one, but still), so the idea is that you'll more often have your wallet on you, than your keys, if you forget them. As for the car door things, I honestly don't see how they're not 100% meant for thieves. I mean, what are the odds that you lock your keys in, but have a car door opener? Why not just carry two sets of keys, since it would probably be cheaper.

[TDK]

...And the irony of that statement is lost on you? :P

[rpgdemon]

Well, it's not really ironic. I am much more likely to have my wallet on me, than the keys to whatever door I'm locked out of. For example: There is a room that has a lock on it's door with no key. So, if this door ever gets locked, we have to either break in through a window with a ladder, or call a locksmith.

[Magus]

There's nothing wrong with knowing how to pick a lock or hotwire a car. It's doing that to cars that aren't your own that is wrong, whereas it would be quite useful in a pinch. Besides which there are indeed locksmiths who make money off of knowing this...though some particularly bad ones will show up and just try to use a credit card on the door (a regular door). I mean if you're going to be a "locksmith" for a living (one of those careers that are routinely touted in those 2-week by-mail education programs) at least put a modicum of effort into it.

Why not just carry two sets of keys, since it would probably be cheaper.

I used to carry an extra key in my wallet...of course, if you lose your wallet and your keys you're really screwed. I can't see both happening, though.

Also all the new cars apparently let you open the things from your phone, so the chances you actually need to know how to lockpick is pretty slim. But it's not a bad thing to know. I know how to do all kinds of stuff that used the wrong way would be illegal, doesn't mean I do any of them.

EDIT: And of course if you lose the original key, this is also good.

[Bells]

No skill, in and on itself, can be good or bad. Only it's application can be. Like, by knowing what kills i can know what saves.

Picking locks is actually a pretty cool thing to know, and it just might be useful. Maybe not, probably not, but i guess you could say the same about knowing special knots and how to make a fire or follow tracks... or parkour

[rpgdemon]

The thing about car doors is that the double sided lock is crazy hard to pick, and a lot different than a "normal" lock to pick. I straight up wouldn't be able to pick one with the kit that I have. Granted, I'm straight up unable to pick this padlock I bought, so, that's not really a good measure of difficulty. XD

[The SSB Intern]

No skill, in and on itself, can be good or bad. Only it's application can be. Like, by knowing what kills i can know what saves.

That sounds nice, but I'm not entirely certain it's true. Like, I can figure out how to stab you in the neck with a steak knife, but that doesn't mean I know how to stitch it up.

Unless that's not supposed to be taken literally and I just sound like a jackass.

[Bard The 5th LW]

It can be useful. Once at my friends house the bathroom door got all jacked up, so he just screwed with the lock and got it opened. Admittedly, not sure how many bathroom doors work like that. Buddy of mine also picked a cafeteria door when no one had the key, nothing illegal went down of course.

[Fifthfiend]

So, I picked up a lock picking kit, and a pretty cheap lock to practice on, just as something to do, which might come in handy sometime. I am able to get most of the pins down, but not quite get the thing to turn, and I'm wondering if anyone here is an expert lockpick/locksmith and can give me pointers.

less tension not more

[rpgdemon]

Aggravation! I got all the pins down, but it still didn't turn. Must have overdone one. :(

[akaSM]

Now I want one of those things. Having a larger inventory space and the ability to pick locks seem a lot more useful than some gun proficiency and higher resistance :/

[rpgdemon]

I believe this is the link to the one I bought:
http://bensoutlet.com/products/lockpick

It's a dollar for the kit, but they gouge you on shipping, which is five. I'm not entirely sure if I'd suggest it, only because I have yet to open a lock with it, and gripping the pick et cetera can be a bit uncomfortable because it's just metal, but I think it's worth the price.

I was talking to some other people, who have this kit:
http://www.lockpickshop.com/PXS-14.html

They seem happy with it, and love the grip on the tools, but I have no idea how they are. They're larger than the credit card sized ones, obviously, but I'm not sure how much larger.

Here's a video of the credit card lock pick in use. Mine came in a different looking case than that guys/the one on the website, but I'm pretty sure that's the site I bought it off of, and the kit seems to be the same. He is right, the tension tool seems to be the weak point of the kit, and I'm debating bending/filing down a nail to fit into the kit, to see if I can get better results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQFT_JLWSq8

[Krylo]

If you're going to jury rig a tension tool, I'd suggest using a screwdriver from a jeweler's tool kit/eyeglass repair kit rather than a nail.

[Lumenskir]

I remember some speech class where we had to teach the class something, and a classmate came in with his lockpicking set and a standard school locker and taught us how to pick it.

I later learned he had basically stolen the idea from a website which had linked to this (http://www.capricorn.org/~akira/home/lockpick/).

[rpgdemon]

I've been linked that page twice tonight, and neither time has it loaded. Odd.