Locksport References

Guides

• OFC Guide to Lock Picking (Tristan Guédel & Alexandre Triffault 2015)
• LSI Guide to Lock Picking (Paul Wragg & Josh Nekrep 2006)
• MIT Guide to Lock Picking (Ted the Tool 1991)
• Lock Diagrams and Animations (Deviant Ollam 2010)
• Lock Picking Slides and Videos (Deviant Ollam 2010)
• Notes on Picking Pin Tumbler Locks (Matt Blaze 2003)
• Notes on Picking and Torque Tools for Pin Tumbler Locks (Matt Blaze 2003)
• LSA Tech Manuals (list of service manuals, catalogs, and guides)
• Raking Techniques (Christina Palmer 2017)
• Lock Pick Metallurgy (Christina Palmer 2021)
• Lock Pick Recommendations (Christina Palmer 2020)
• Driver Pins SVG Drawing (Christina Palmer 2024)

Videos

• Locks: Basic Operation and Manipulation (Schuyler Towne 2011)
• BosnianBill • LockPickingLawyer • Lock Noob • LegalLockPicker
  LockpickingDev • Lockfall Labs • HelpfulLockPicker • Artichoke2000
  ∅ • legendofthesamurai • AMonitorDarkly • Daz Evers • idanhurja
  tumbl3r • kokomolock • wizwazzle • red • huxleypig • Schuyler Towne

Books

• Locksport: A Hackers Guide to Lockpicking, Impressioning, and Safe Cracking
  (Jos Weyers, Matt Burrough, Walter Belgers, BandEAtoZ, Nigel Tolley 2024)
• Practical Lock Picking (Deviant Ollam 2010, second edition 2012)
• Modern High-Security Locks: How to Open Them (Steven Hampton 2002)
• High-Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference (Graham Pulford 2007)
• The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing (Bill Phillips 2005)

Groups

• Lockpicking Reddit • Keypicking • UK Locksport • Lock Picking 101 (online forums)
• SSDEV - Germany Chapter List (Sportsfreunde der Sperrtechnik - Deutschland e.V.)
• TOOOL - Netherlands Chapter List (The Open Organization of Lockpickers)
• TOOOL - USA Chapter List (The Open Organization of Lockpickers)
• TOOOL - SF Bay Area (join our Google group for meeting announcements)
• LI - USA Chapter List (Locksport International)
• Longhorn Lockpicking Club - Austin, Texas (A chapter of Locksport International)
• FALE - Winston-Salem, North Carolina (FALE Association of Locksport Enthusiasts)
• FOOLS - Bloomington, Indiana (Fraternal Order Of Lock Sport)

Tools

• LockPickExtreme (the starter pick set is practical and inexpensive)
• TOOOL (the starter pick set is practical and inexpensive)
• Multipick (German ultra premium picks, current state of the art)
• Covert Instruments (premium picks, jackknife pick and bypass tools)
• JimyLongs Locksport Tools (outstanding high performance hooks)
• Peterson (premium picks, flat turning tools, thin tools for narrow keyways)
• SouthOrd (big selection, beautiful handle finish, nice hooks)
• Southern Specialties (big selection, many handle styles, inexpensive)
• Lock Pick Pros (carbon fiber handle picks, flat turners)
• Mad Bob (British practical pick profiles, Peterson Pry Bar clones)
• Dangerfield (British Praxis set, dual thickness picks)
• Bare Bones Lock Picking (Australian MadBob clones, dual thickness picks)
• Law Lock Tools (British picks and Peterson Pry Bar clones)
• UK Lock Pickers (British lever tumbler tools)
• Sparrows (Canadian tools in their own unique style)
• Picklocks.com (Swick jackknife pick set)
• SerePick • SereKit (Bogota sets made by Southern Specialties)
• Spooxe (German pick bags made from recycled nuclear fallout shelter cloth)
• Pickology (British tools including unique sinusoidal rakes)
• Tag 5 Industries (Peterson Pry Bar clones and old school pick profiles in stainless steel)
• Ouverture Fine (French Corbeau "Raven" asymmetric handles)
• Alwood Locksport (tactical size galvanized carbon steel picks)
• Pro-Lok (old school pick profiles in stainless steel)
• GOSO/KLOM (Asian tools not designed for Western markets)
• HPC • Rytan • LAB • Majestic • A1 • DINO • Falle-Safe (distributor only)
• BangGood (Chinese reseller, 14 piece dimple turner set)
• CLK Supplies (pinning and rekeying supplies)
• Red Team Tools (penetration testing supplies)

Starter Sets

• Lock Pick Extreme 12 piece set
  (301 high yield stainless steel picks) the best bang for the buck
• TOOOL Necessary Nine set v2
  (301 high yield stainless steel picks) similar set with double ended turners
• Multipick MP3PNS18 13 piece beginner set or
  Multipick MP3PNS19 27 piece intermediate set or
  Multipick MP3PNS20 40 piece advanced set
  (hardened 400 series stainless steel picks) when money is no object
• TOOOL Necessary Nine v1 and Southern Specialties sets are deprecated
  for using metal with half the strength of the recommended picks
• I designed these tools, but do not profit from their sale,
  see Lock Pick Recommendations for more information

Custom Sets

• The Multipick Elite Turning Tools are a great starting point,
  all of the picks are available separately from their catalog
• Peterson Nylon Tri-fold Case (great double tier design)
  or US PeaceKeeper P21111 Small Punch Roll (budget case)
• Southern Specialties Tension Tool 2500 Series Set (single ended)
  or Southern Specialties Longhorn Tension Set (double ended)
  these are usually warped, but can be straightened by hand
  or SouthOrd TW-01, TW-22, TW-60S, TW-61S, TW-62S, TW-63S
  ToK blades will need to be cut to 1/4", TW-22 is not really ToK,
  but a thin windshield wiper insert can serve as a substitute
• Peterson Pry Bar No Teeth .050" and .040" (hardened 420 stainless steel)
  can be modified to look like the examples in Lock Pick Recommendations,
  or make your own from cheap steak knives and the example drawings
• Peterson Government Steel picks (hardened 420 stainless steel)
  get a variety of hooks in .025", .018", and .015" thicknesses
• Peterson Wonder Waves (hardened 420 stainless steel)
  or TOOOL Wicked Waves (301 high yield stainless steel)
  the Wicked Waves need heat shrink tubing on the handles
• SouthOrd MAX picks (301 high yield stainless steel)
  the .025" hooks are good, and have a nice range of heights

Practice Locks

• 7 Pin Ultimate Adversary Practice Lock includes security pins
• Ebay is a great source for new and used locks and security pins
• Lockpicking Reddit has a long list of locks categorized by difficulty
• Lock Pickers United has a long list of locks categorized by difficulty
• Progressively pinned lock sets are teaching tools, not practice locks
• Do not use transparent plastic locks, they do not behave like real locks
• Panavise 350 or Manfrotto Super Clamp or Harbor Freight vise for holding locks
• Houdini Lock Lube for cleaning and short term lubrication of dirty locks
• AGS Graphite Powder for long term lubrication of clean locks

Mechanical Safe Manipulation

• Safecracking for the computer scientist (Matt Blaze 2004)
• Safecracking for Everyone (Lock Manipulator video series)
• Group 2 Safe Manipulation Course (Spinning Dials video series)
• A Beginner's Guide to Safe Manipulation (Michael Maynard video)
• Big Red CDL-3 mounted cutaway (The nicest mechanism)
• S&G 6730 mounted cutaway (The classic mechanism)
• Sparrows Challenge Vault (Poor mechanism, but includes training fences)
  The poor mechanism has been excoriated by skilled safe manipulators,
  but the training fences (levers) may appeal to some beginners
• Sparrows Challenge Vault Instructions (Not linked on the Sparrows site)
• Crack Master Combination Locks in 8 Tries (The Master Lock algorithm)

Notes ⚠

• Only pick locks you own or have permission to open, and do not rely on
• Lock bumping can permanently damage lock mechanisms and plug faces
• The barbed harpoon shaped tool in some pick sets is a broken key extractor, not a pick
• DIY picks and turning tools can be superior to commercial tools, learn to make them
  from windshield wiper inserts, feeler gauges, bicycle spokes, and steak knives