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Finally got around to picking that lock…

I fell prey to the 'lockpickinglawyer' youtube channel a while back. Soon found myself with a ton of see through locks and quickly snapped off a pick end in my door lock. Haha.

Now have an obsession with hunting out tool sellers at local markets for their padlock stash.

I may not sleep if you dont tell me what pick you used to open it. :excited
 
I've always found the easiest way is to get a key that fits in the lock and rack up and down and twist. Normally gives up in less than 5 mins. Same thing seems to apply to uPVC doors too.
 
It's scary how easy it is to pick a standard front door Yale type lock with the right tools. A few years ago I had to call out a locksmith to get me into my house after the front door lock completely failed. He opened my side door ( same type of lock ) with what looked like a small battery powered drill that vibrated rather than rotated, in about 5 seconds. Cost me about £95 for the call out iirc.
 
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I was involved in a lock picking competition in Vegas once. The winner hand picked an unseen, tough, yale front door lock in 7 seconds. No vibrating key.
Simple risk assessment tells us that most burglars do not train or practice these skills. Or invest in tools. They will just try to smash something in.
Skilled folks are more likely to make money doing targeted work, like actually be a locksmith. 😉
 
It's scary how easy it is to pick a standard front door Yale type lock with the right tools. A few years ago I had to call out a locksmith to get me into my house after the front door lock completely failed. He opened my side door ( same type of lock ) with what looked like a small battery powered drill that vibrated rather than rotated, in about 5 seconds. Cost me about £95 for the call out iirc.
I found the same. I managed to unlock my workshop's Yale lock using a heavy duty paper clip snipped in half to form the two tools. My first attempt picking a lock, and took about 10 minutes of fiddling.

I put a big latch and padlock on it afterwards, with a bit of steel plate on the rear side of the latch so it can't be crow-barred off too easily - no doubt only adding another couple of mins for a determined and skilled burglar, but the Yale cylinder was ridiculously easy to overcome.
 
I've always found the easiest way is to get a key that fits in the lock and rack up and down and twist. Normally gives up in less than 5 mins. Same thing seems to apply to uPVC doors too.
Can you explain the ‘rack up and down bit’ please @Arv
 
It's move it back and forth and turn at the same time. There is a knack to it.
 
It's scary how easy it is to pick a standard front door Yale type lock with the right tools. A few years ago I had to call out a locksmith to get me into my house after the front door lock completely failed. He opened my side door ( same type of lock ) with what looked like a small battery powered drill that vibrated rather than rotated, in about 5 seconds. Cost me about £95 for the call out iirc.
That’s why when I had my front door made I had Ingersoll London Line locks fitted, good luck picking them or kicking the door in.
Just get a crow bar and lever my sash windows up if you want to get in😂🫣
 
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