How Do You Pick a Lock? By JC Martinez
The worst feeling in the world is right after you close the door of your car and realize that the doors are locked and you left the keys inside. Wouldn't you want to be able to pick the lock to retrieve your keys? When we hear the phrase "lock picking", we think crime, burglars, illegal activity. But this is not always the case. Of course, you can break the window of your car to get back in, but the best idea in this case is to call a professional locksmith to open your doors so that you can get back on your way with minimal effort and aggravation.
Just like anything else in life, in order to pick a lock you need the right tools. The basic kit contains a lock pin and a tension wrench. Of course, in an emergency, you can replace the lock pin with a hair pin. The Professional kits include a wide variety of tension wrenches that will cover a variety of lock pins. Some of them will even include a lock picking gun which uses vibration in order to push the pins inside the lock at the same time in order to open the it.
The first thing you need to do when picking a lock is to insert the tension wrench that came with the kit into the keyhole of the lock you want to open. After the wrench is in all the way in, try to turn the cylinder. Next, use the appropriate lock pin to help pry up the pins in the lock. As soon as the pins reach their normal "open" position, you will hear a "click" sound. This click lets you know that the lock is open.
Another technique used for lock picking is "racking". Racking uses a special pick tool known as the rake. To use the rake, insert it into the lock to be opened. Push until you reach the back of the cylinder, then pull the rake out quickly, making sure it hits all the pins in the lock as it is pulled out. Done properly, this will set the lock to the "open" position.
From all the locks available in the market today, Master makes some of the hardest ones to pick. They offer one of the best protection systems against lock picking. Introduced in 1921 by
Henry Soref, Master locks use a system of laminated layers of solid steel in their construction. Even though the technology used by Master is very similar to all other locks in the market, it usually takes a skilled and patient locksmith to open one of their locks.
If you want to learn more about lock picking, there are all sorts of information available online, in videos and books. You can find all sorts of information as close as your local library. A lot of the books available will also contain a video CD with step by step instruction on how to pick a lock. Also, if you want to become a professional locksmith, there are courses available in your local universities and community colleges.
All locks are vulnerable to lock picking. Some are tougher than others. This is why you want to make sure you pick the right lock for the right job. Lock picks