Locks and Lock Picking

Apreche

Lock Picking is actually a really classic nerdy hobby. I think we almost did an episode on it once, but we didn't know enough to talk for 20+ minutes. I think it deserves a thread here.

Anyway, I thought of this because I was considering going to the public pool near my house today. Apparently the lockers are free, but you need to bring a lock, which I do not currently own. The hardware store was closed, so no pool today. Like you do, I go to buy a lock on Amazon.

Challenge: Find a reasonable combination or key lock on Amazon for which there is no video on Youtube demonstrating how to easily open it.

Neito

Might as well ask for the sun and the moon. Best you can do is mitigate. Avoid Master Locks or those "Layered metal" locks (these assholes). In fact, avoid anything that's got that traditional "padlock shape", as you can shim those motherfuckers pretty easy. Get a lock that has a shape that protects the shackle (the part that clicks in), edit: or one that's got a protected shackle some other way, watch the Bosnian Bill video below.

In general, if you're looking for lock information, Bosnian Bill is the guy.



Shimming padlocks:

Apreche

I think my strategy is going to be to use a standard crappy combination lock. I simply won't put anything in the locker other than my towel, shirt, sandals, and house key.

Churba

Apreche said:

I think my strategy is going to be to use a standard crappy combination lock. I simply won't put anything in the locker other than my towel, shirt, sandals, and house key.

I suggest an Abus Titalium. They can be shimmed, with a little extra effort(Most people who look up shimming tutorials on youtube will shim one side, not both, and your typical soda can shiv is going to struggle), and nobody's going to pick it in the time they'll have available before anyone gets suss - but importantly, they're cheap, and they look imposing enough to ward off any casual thieves.

no fun girl

Put a poop in the locker. Problem solved.

Neito

Churba said:

Apreche said:

I think my strategy is going to be to use a standard crappy combination lock. I simply won't put anything in the locker other than my towel, shirt, sandals, and house key.

I suggest an Abus Titalium. They can be shimmed, with a little extra effort(Most people who look up shimming tutorials on youtube will shim one side, not both, and your typical soda can shiv is going to struggle), and nobody's going to pick it in the time they'll have available before anyone gets suss - but importantly, they're cheap, and they look imposing enough to ward off any casual thieves.

There's multiple videos of that lock being raked (the low-rent cousin of picking) in about ten seconds.

Churba

Neito said:

Churba said:

Apreche said:

I think my strategy is going to be to use a standard crappy combination lock. I simply won't put anything in the locker other than my towel, shirt, sandals, and house key.

I suggest an Abus Titalium. They can be shimmed, with a little extra effort(Most people who look up shimming tutorials on youtube will shim one side, not both, and your typical soda can shiv is going to struggle), and nobody's going to pick it in the time they'll have available before anyone gets suss - but importantly, they're cheap, and they look imposing enough to ward off any casual thieves.

There's multiple videos of that lock being raked (the low-rent cousin of picking) in about ten seconds.

I'm suprised, considering the bitting, the high tolerances abus uses and that they come standard with at least a few spool or mushroom pins, IIRC. Even the famous BosnianBill rates them pretty highly, for a cheap lock.

Neito

Churba said:

Neito said:

Churba said:

Apreche said:

I think my strategy is going to be to use a standard crappy combination lock. I simply won't put anything in the locker other than my towel, shirt, sandals, and house key.

I suggest an Abus Titalium. They can be shimmed, with a little extra effort(Most people who look up shimming tutorials on youtube will shim one side, not both, and your typical soda can shiv is going to struggle), and nobody's going to pick it in the time they'll have available before anyone gets suss - but importantly, they're cheap, and they look imposing enough to ward off any casual thieves.

There's multiple videos of that lock being raked (the low-rent cousin of picking) in about ten seconds.

I'm suprised, considering the bitting, the high tolerances abus uses and that they come standard with at least a few spool or mushroom pins, IIRC. Even the famous BosnianBill rates them pretty highly, for a cheap lock.

Hm. It's possible there's multiple versions of the lock, and I saw the dumb versions.

UncleUlty

Back when I worked in retail, I once managed to drop a key INTO the slot in the drawer that it unlocks. It took me a total of 10 minutes to google how to pick the lock, fashion some paperclips into picks, and get it open.

As it turns out, we had a shoplifter in the store that day. Since I figured I'd rather not answer the questions that would come up if the management reviewed the CCTV to find that guy and saw me picking the lock, I checked out the footage myself and identified the thief. So not only did I break into company property, I got rewarded for catching a thief that same day.

Churba

Neito said:

Hm. It's possible there's multiple versions of the lock, and I saw the dumb versions.

I should say, that's not to say they can't be raked - BB even has a video on how to defeat spool and mushroom pins featuring one - but it can take a minute or two of fiddling if you're both good and lucky, and it involves a deft touch and knowing how to rest it on a false set before releasing just enough pressure to let them reset without breaking set on the solid pins. Definitely doable, but not the easiest, and not typically a technique your average lockpicker will have down pat.

I'd say the multiple versions are likely - Abus are pretty good for updating their designs when flaws are found, and it has been out for about 4-5 years now in the US and longer in Europe, so it's likely gone through at least one update cycle by now.

Neito

It might exist in high-mid-low sec variants was my thought. Usually raking security pins (spool, serrated, or mushroom) is a waste of time, due to how they bind, AFAIK.

Naoza

Do not use this practice lock I've got on my desk. I imagine a good kick would let you into anything it's guarding.

Dazzle369

Two wrench technique

Apreche

Two wrenches: With a large enough lever, you can move the world.

MATATAT

no fun girl said:

Put a poop in the locker. Problem solved.

Churba

Neito said:

It might exist in high-mid-low sec variants was my thought. Usually raking security pins (spool, serrated, or mushroom) is a waste of time, due to how they bind, AFAIK.

It's doable, but it's not a technique many lockpickers outside of real hardcore locksports people have mastered. I certainly can't, I know about it, but I can't get the knack.

Here's that video I mentioned -

Rym

I use a cheapo masterlock, and only for the locker at Cliffs or locking my bike up in the building's bike room.

Churba

Rym said:

I use a cheapo masterlock, and only for the locker at Cliffs or locking my bike up in the building's bike room.

It's what I'd use for that sort of thing - I mean, shit man, how much are you gonna miss a towel, shirt, some shoes and a house key even if someone does break it? - but hey, answering the question asked. And plus, the lock I recommended is like fifteen bucks on amazon, I think the extra tenner isn't going to exactly break the bank for Scott. He can just have two less Bodega Bagels.

Amp

All this fancy talk to lock picking. I always found that a big hammer and a screwdriver did the job most of the time. Then again that was on a farm and not NYC.

Speaking of locks I was cleaning my apartment today and found the two shitty little padlocks I used on my luggage when I came over here. They are really pants,like half of the locks people put on their luggage they are decorations rather than an actual deterrent. If someone wants to get into your stuff its not too difficult to get into most suitcases. The only one that seems worthwhile is getting the whole thing wrapped in clingfilm, purely because its a hell of a faff to get into it.

Neito

Amp said:

All this fancy talk to lock picking. I always found that a big hammer and a screwdriver did the job most of the time. Then again that was on a farm and not NYC.

Speaking of locks I was cleaning my apartment today and found the two shitty little padlocks I used on my luggage when I came over here. They are really pants,like half of the locks people put on their luggage they are decorations rather than an actual deterrent. If someone wants to get into your stuff its not too difficult to get into most suitcases. The only one that seems worthwhile is getting the whole thing wrapped in clingfilm, purely because its a hell of a faff to get into it.

In terms of getting into a place, picking is almost always the slowest available method. Show up to a lock sport competition with a hammer and screwdriver will probably get you DQ'd, though.