One of the first things most people notice when they get their first set of lock picks is that their kit typically does not come equipped with many turning tool options. Fortunately, turning tools are the easiest tools to make yourself. Why do you need multiple turning tools? Bottom vs. Top of Keyway The most common turning tool is used in the bottom of the keyway, and therefore called a “bottom turner.” The business end that enters the keyway is typically around 1/2″ (12mm). If you’re picking a lock with a very short keyway, you may not have the room for a turning tool and your pick to ..read more

One of the first things most people notice when they get their first set of lock picks is that their kit typically does not come equipped with many turning tool options. Fortunately, turning tools are the easiest tools to make yourself. Why do you need multiple turning tools? Bottom vs. Top of Keyway The most common turning tool is used in the bottom of the keyway, and therefore called a “bottom turner.” The business end that enters the keyway is typically around 1/2″ (12mm). If you’re picking a lock with a very short keyway, you may not have the room for a turning tool and your pick to ..read more

When someone is unfamiliar with the security community and sees lockpicking tools, they usually think of a shady guy wearing a ski mask trying to break into their front door. Once they are persuaded to drop that stigma and think about locksport as a constructive activity, they probably are still wondering, “Is this stuff even legal?” The answer to this question is…. Well, it depends.  In most states, lockpicks and related tools are completely legal to own and carry but can be used as evidence against the carrier if they end up accused of a crime. Whether or not it is up to the state t ..read more

Willa picking a door lock. (Photo by Heather Lawrence) Today we’re are so happy to be able to share this conversation about locksport we had with TOOOL Orlando Chapter Lead, Willa Riggins. Willa comes from the InfoSec world with a background as a system, software, and security engineer. We are thrilled she is an addition to the lockpicking world and has shared some of her experiences and stories with us. Christine: How did you first become interested in lockpicking? Was there a moment you found your interest in it had sparked? Willa: Somehow, despite being in the information security field fo ..read more

Our second interview in our “Women in Locksport” series comes from Grace Nolan, a New Zeland native who has given talks at security conferences such as CrikeyCon, OzLockCon, Linux.Conf.Au, and CHCon. Grace was previously a web developer but is now currently a security engineer at Google working on the detection team in Sydney. I first was introduced to Grace when she emailed me the previous year in search of information relating to women’s role in the history of locksmithing. I was so excited to not only hear of another female lockpicker, but one who was actively trying to research the history ..read more

Update to Christina’s most recent work (June 2020): Lockpick Extreme is proud to carry a new 12-piece lockpick set designed by Christina. To purchase a set of your own, visit our shop. If you’d like to read more on her research and design process, check out her “Lockpick Recommendations” website. Sometimes, especially when just starting out, it can be hard to find others who share an interest in picking locks. I have always felt that community is such a large part of lock picking and is something positive to celebrate, especially when there are seemingly so few of us. Personally, I have found ..read more

We Hear This All The Time… “This is encouraging criminals.” “You shouldn’t be sharing this kind of information on the internet.” “It should be illegal to buy lockpicks.” Whether it’s in person or a comment on Facebook, we hear this kind of talk all the time. After all, I do think it’s a natural first response for someone who has never encountered the idea of lockpicking as a mechanical puzzle, a mind and motor skill challenge, or a hobby. The truth is that our first response isn’t always the best or most logical response. Last year LockEx attended a large ComicCon event in Phoenix. It was ou ..read more

Love Locks have become more and more popular over the years. They’re also a pretty controversial topic among lockpickers, city officials, and concerned citizens. If you are unfamiliar with Love Locks, the idea is that a couple will take a padlock and write their names and sometimes a short message expressing their undying love for each other. This can be as simple as taking a sharpie to a cheap padlock or as elaborate as using a kiosk machine that will laser engrave your lettering and a photo. These locks are then taken and attached to some kind of public structure with other love locks ..read more

Once you’ve been introduced to the idea of lockpicking, hopefully, you’ve also learned about the Golden Rules of Lockpicking. (If you’re not familiar with them, check out our post on them! Also, check out our other blog post, “Is Lockpicking Legal?”) If you do recall the two Golden Rules of Lockpicking, you’ll know that rule number two is, “Don’t pick locks that you rely on or that are in use.” When thinking about this rule, it often begs the question of what locks we should pick and where to get them. In fact, it’s probably one of the most common questions that Bob and I hear as lockpicking ..read more

One of the founding principles of Locksport is educating the public about security. Usually, this is physical security, but today I want to discuss public health. I saw a post this Friday from a California Health care company that displayed a profound ignorance of the risks of lead exposure in keys. Keys are a dangerous child’s toy for two reasons. The primary reason is lead exposure. The secondary reason is contamination by lock lubricants that can leave residue on our keys such as Triflow, WD-40, powdered graphite lubricants, etc. Brass contains lead. Touching brass, including keys exposes ..read more