The Small end of the Cue

This technique requires a great deal of practice to master, but has the surprising property of sometimes being more effective against better made locks. The rest is just technique -- locating and recognizing the state of each pin stack, manipulating the pins, applying torque to the plug. It is aimed at locksmith practitioners but has a cogent discussion of principles as well as technique. The book is an encyclopedic guide to mechanical locks, how to evaluate them, and how to defeat them, aimed primarily at investigators, law enforcement and intelligence operatives. Surreptitious entry (e.g., for espionage or law enforcement surveillance) is likewise often best accomplished by obtaining a key or through the use of specialized decoding or bypass tools designed to quickly and quietly defeat the locks used by the target. Many experienced locksmiths and expert lock pickers prefer "home made" tools to the commercial selections, especially for picking unusual and high security locks. Picking lever locks generally requires different tools from those used for pin tumbler locks, and high security lever locks often require specialized purpose-made tools. An excellent (and currently available) reference is Marc W. Tobias' Locks, Safes and Security. Any physical security assessment should consider defenses against the full range of potential threats, not just vulnerability to lock picking.

The six character keying code gives the pinning from the front of the lock to the back, with a "-" for a missing pin stack and a digit for a pin that is installed. Note the border between the plug and shell, which forms the shear line, and the cuts in each pin stack resting within the plug. Left: The correct key lifts the pin stacks to align the cuts at the shear line. Find the binding pin and the non-binding pin. Find the ward directly under the pins and pivot the shaft of the pick at the font of the keyway. If you can find a copy for sale, get it. Few burglars can afford to risk exposure during the time required to pick even relatively easy locks, and unexplained possession of lock picking tools is often considered prima facia evidence of criminal intent. Figure 1. A pin tumbler lock cylinder. The three hook picks in this kit are sufficient to manipulate the vast majority of pin tumbler locks found in the US. These imperfections are very small -- as little as .0001 inches in some cases -- but they are what allow us to manipulate ("pick") locks open without using the correct key.

A key that is bitted to the wrong depth in even one pin position will not operate the lock. What is Lock Picking? For most of the picking methods discussed here, in which tumblers are manipulated one by one, a "hook"-style pick is generally used. In practice, of course, locks aren't perfect: the pin holes in the plug are slightly out of alignment with respect to the shell and the pins and pin holes are each of a slightly different diameter. If you inadvertently push a pin up too far or are applying so much torque that more than one pin is binding, you may have an overset pin instead. Other names for the torque tool are turning tool, torque wrench, torsion wrench, and tension wrench. The selection of the torque tool is just as important as that of the pick, but, again, commercial pick kits often fail to include a sufficient range of sizes and designs to allow good control and feel across the range of common locks.

Good tools are important, to be sure, but once a few basic tools are available the student of lock picking is usually better off investing in new locks on which to practice rather than in new picking tools. While pin-at-a-time picking is usually the most reliable way to open a given lock (and the skills used essential for mastery of other techniques), raking can sometimes open a lock more quickly. The following is a series of self-paced exercises to help you master the basic techniques of pin tumbler lock picking. They allow very precise control over torque, especially when employing advanced picking techniques that involve a slight reversing of the rotation of the keyway. Picks probe and lift the individual pin tumblers through the keyway, while torque tools control the degree and force of plug rotation. The traditional torque tool is made from stiff, flat spring steel, bent at a 90 degree angle to provide a small blade that fits in the keyway and a long handle to which torque is applied. This style of tool is especially useful for holding open automotive locks that have spring-loaded dust covers.

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