1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,180
Welcome to the Lockpick Village.

2
00:00:03,180 --> 00:00:12,020
We are the open organization of lockpickers, an international non-profit organization dedicated to teaching hobbyist lockpicking, sometimes called locksport.

3
00:00:12,020 --> 00:00:19,980
This is the tool introduction to lockpicking talk, where we will teach you real lockpicking over the course of the next 20 to 25 minutes.

4
00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,060
To begin with, though, we have some rules.

5
00:00:23,060 --> 00:00:29,180
Because we are the good guys, the white hat hackers, ethical locksporters, we have two rules that we're very serious about.

6
00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:35,600
First, don't pick locks that you don't own, which includes the locks in your apartment or the other institutions that you're at.

7
00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,380
And also, don't pick locks upon which you rely.

8
00:00:38,380 --> 00:00:46,500
We want lockpicking to improve your safety and improve your ability to control your surroundings, not damage the locks or damage your personal safety.

9
00:00:46,500 --> 00:00:52,360
So follow those two rules, help us improve the impression of lockpickers, and help yourself stay out of trouble.

10
00:00:52,960 --> 00:01:00,220
The type of lockpicking we're talking about today is pin tumbler lockpicking, and it has two tools involved.

11
00:01:00,220 --> 00:01:02,220
Not one, not three or more.

12
00:01:02,220 --> 00:01:07,100
It's two hands with two different tools doing two different tasks inside the lock.

13
00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:13,700
In Hollywood, you'll see them stick any old thing, a piece of chewing gum, a pen, inside the lock, and what do you know?

14
00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:14,780
It just falls open.

15
00:01:14,780 --> 00:01:19,920
In the real world, though, picking this type of lock takes two different tools with two different tasks.

16
00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:26,740
I show you this slide here so that you can see it at least once right before we talk about how it's actually done.

17
00:01:26,740 --> 00:01:37,300
As for the type of lock, that pin tumbler lock, well, that's the famous lock profile that you've seen just about every day if you're in North America and many places outside North America.

18
00:01:37,300 --> 00:01:52,240
Whether you see that shape in a deadbolt or a padlock or any time that you see that familiar curvy shape, that's the pin tumbler lock, and since about 1865, it has been what we mean when we say lock in North America.

19
00:01:52,420 --> 00:01:57,620
You're used to seeing it from the outside, which you're probably less used to seeing is the inside.

20
00:01:57,620 --> 00:02:00,300
Let's go past that front face and look behind it.

21
00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:01,900
Here's your x-ray view.

22
00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,440
And some vocabulary terms.

23
00:02:04,820 --> 00:02:06,340
There's a lot of terms here.

24
00:02:06,340 --> 00:02:13,580
The one I want you to focus on is that one right in the middle, that blue pin, which we call the driver pin.

25
00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:26,840
Obviously, they're not red and blue in real life, and we can't really refer to them as one pin, two pin, red pin, blue pin, nor can we refer to them as top and bottom pin because in Europe, when they have these types of locks, they can often be inverted.

26
00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,640
And since they've been doing this longer than we have, they win.

27
00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:30,820
We don't call them top and bottom.

28
00:02:30,820 --> 00:02:32,460
We give them functional names.

29
00:02:32,460 --> 00:02:37,180
And the driver pin, the driver pin's job is to push down on that key pin.

30
00:02:37,180 --> 00:02:44,020
The key pin holds the driver pin up, and the spring makes sure that gravity doesn't affect what happens with those pins.

31
00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:52,860
If you want to think about it, the driver pin is the lock because it's the piece that's half in and half out of that plug, that yellow plug that turns.

32
00:02:53,440 --> 00:03:06,460
If the driver pin sits right there, then the lock stays locked in the spring, and the key pin are just there to make sure that unless and until the proper key is entered, that driver pin is in the way.

33
00:03:07,060 --> 00:03:09,260
We talked about the driver pin being in the way.

34
00:03:09,260 --> 00:03:13,380
What we mean is it's at this dotted line called the shear line.

35
00:03:13,380 --> 00:03:15,380
The shear line isn't a part of a lock.

36
00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:23,100
It's a place or it's really an absence of thing, which is the separation between, again, the plug that turns and the housing that doesn't.

37
00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:29,500
As long as there's something at that shear line, usually the driver pin, the lock is locked, won't turn, and won't open.

38
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:36,420
Here's what it looks like when you try to turn the lock with the driver pin still in place.

39
00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,120
It wobbles a little bit, but it doesn't open.

40
00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:45,680
Think of that driver pin as saying, no, no, still no, try again, I'm locked.

41
00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,560
The way to change that is with a key.

42
00:03:49,560 --> 00:04:03,700
All the key's job is to displace, fill up that space, so that the key pin rises up, which in turn pushes the driver pin up, and as soon as the driver pin is past that shear line, and there is nothing at the shear line, i.e.

43
00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:13,700
the key pin is all the way in and the driver pin is all the way out, there's nothing blocking the plug, the plug can turn, and the lock can open.

44
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:27,300
If you take multiple driver pins, multiple key pins, and multiple springs, and you all put those in a lock body, you have a real honest-to-goodness, bought-it-at-the-hardware store lock.

45
00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:29,580
This is the lock at rest.

46
00:04:29,580 --> 00:04:31,220
A few things you'll notice about it.

47
00:04:31,220 --> 00:04:38,680
First, the driver pins are all in line at the shear line, and they're all identical.

48
00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:46,700
Also, the springs are all identical up here, even though they look like they're different sizes, they're just doing what springs do in filling up space.

49
00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,100
The key pins are where the difference comes in.

50
00:04:50,100 --> 00:04:52,500
Key pins, some are short, some are tall.

51
00:04:52,600 --> 00:05:00,940
That's where the variation lock-to-lock comes from, and by definition the key for that lock is the reciprocal of each of those key pins.

52
00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:22,800
Notice that the pins don't fall all the way down to the bottom of the lock, because the hole that each pin is drilled into is just the right size to make sure that even though this area down here looks like it's just empty space, it's actually a little notched so that the pins don't fall all the way down to the bottom and that there's room for the key.

53
00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:34,540
Now, if you have the right key for the lock, it slides in, you'll watch the driver pins go up and down, the key pins go up and down, and when it's finished, there's a nice, clear shear line.

54
00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:39,800
You pull the key back out, everything returns to its resting state, and the lock is locked again.

55
00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:50,580
One more time, the springs give way, and then they push everything back down to its new resting state with a clear shear line.

56
00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:55,780
If you have a key that is almost right, you have a lock that is almost locked.

57
00:05:55,780 --> 00:06:10,240
In this case, this key is right in the first position, third, fourth, and fifth position, but the second position, it doesn't lift the key pin quite high enough, which means the driver pin isn't lifting quite high enough, and there is still one driver pin at the shear line.

58
00:06:10,260 --> 00:06:14,160
This lock is almost open, but almost is not good enough.

59
00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,480
It's still locked.

60
00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:24,680
You can have the alternate problem, where now we have a key that is a little too high in that second position, which means it's pushed that key pin up above the shear line.

61
00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:30,420
Key pins are just as happy as driver pins to block the shear line and prevent that lock from opening.

62
00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,340
But of course, where we're going, we don't need keys.

63
00:06:35,340 --> 00:06:38,780
So if you came here just to learn about keys, then you can go.

64
00:06:38,780 --> 00:06:41,260
You know everything there is to know about pin tumbler keys.

65
00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:47,940
If you want to learn about lockpicking, then kick your brain into overdrive, because this is the complicated part here.

66
00:06:48,740 --> 00:06:52,480
In a perfect world, lockpicking would not be possible.

67
00:06:52,480 --> 00:07:04,980
Now, that wouldn't be a perfect world for all of us that love teaching lockpicking and love doing lockpicking, but when I say a perfect world, I mean mathematically perfect, where things roll off the production line exactly the way they were designed.

68
00:07:04,980 --> 00:07:06,840
Here is a schematic view of a lock.

69
00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:14,200
We've taken that plug, and we've taken all the springs, key pins, and driver pins out of it, and we're just looking at the holes that they go into.

70
00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:33,140
You'll notice that those holes are perfectly in line, which means when you try to give that plug a turn after you've filled it with springs, driver pins, and key pins, each one of those driver pins that is right on the shear line, every single one of them says together and in unison,

71
00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:39,240
no, stop, go no further, the right key isn't in here, this lock will remain locked.

72
00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,040
And they agree on that.

73
00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:59,000
And that would be great if such a lock existed, because it would be unpickable, reason being the only way to open the lock would be to lift each and every one to the right height at the right time, and if you can do that, then you have what's called a key.

74
00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:05,480
In the real world, however, no lock is perfect.

75
00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,180
So what you see here is the downsides of mass production.

76
00:08:10,220 --> 00:08:17,640
Cheap locks, not bad locks, just inexpensive locks built with different priorities in mind, cost effectiveness being one of them.

77
00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:26,320
So here you see the chipping, the marring, the misalignments, the rusting, that comes from a real world piece of equipment.

78
00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:34,180
As a result, if you put keypins into it, then you'll see that they don't all align.

79
00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:42,640
In fact, up here at the top, the holes have drifted fairly far to the left, and down here at the bottom, the holes have begun to drift to the right.

80
00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:50,880
Of these one, two, three, four, five, six pins, only about one of them is in the center where it's intended to be.

81
00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,680
All the rest of them wobble a little bit.

82
00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,180
So, here's what it looks like in the real world.

83
00:08:58,180 --> 00:09:05,500
We've taken this plug again, and we've redrawn it to be schematic of what you'd see in a real lock in the real world.

84
00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:08,740
It was manufactured off a real manufacturing line.

85
00:09:08,740 --> 00:09:14,400
And you'll see that all the holes are still there, but now they wander a little bit.

86
00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:23,280
We put this dotted line here to make it a little bit more obvious, and you can see that the one, two, three, fourth pin here is the most out of line.

87
00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,620
If they are not perfectly in line, then by definition one of them has to be the most out of line.

88
00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:46,260
In this case, in this particular example of a lock, it's the fourth pin that is the furthest to the right, which means if we were to give that plug a turn, well, it wouldn't open because it's not that bad, but what it would do is it would stop on the one and only one driver pin that is actually in the way,

89
00:09:46,260 --> 00:09:47,960
which is the one furthest to the right.

90
00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:57,040
So you can think of it as five pins, but now instead of agreeing whether the lock should stay closed, four of them are silent.

91
00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,860
They don't even notice the plug is being turned.

92
00:09:59,900 --> 00:10:03,380
One and only one of them is saying stop, go no further.

93
00:10:03,420 --> 00:10:14,560
In other words, you've paid for five pins worth of security, and you're only getting this one pin worth of security right now because of manufacturing tolerances in the lock.

94
00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:31,680
So it stands to reason that if this is the one and only one pin that is blocking your progress, if you could reach inside the lock with some sort of lock pick and lift up on that key pin, it would lift up on the driver pin, and if you managed to get that driver pin above the shear line,

95
00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:35,280
then nothing would be stopping the lock from turning, and it would turn.

96
00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:36,440
How far would it turn?

97
00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:37,480
Not a lot.

98
00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:42,380
Just until it stopped at the next pin that was in the way.

99
00:10:42,380 --> 00:10:44,880
On this diagram, it might be the first one.

100
00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,120
You have to figure that out for yourself.

101
00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,600
Lock by lock, pin by pin.

102
00:10:49,660 --> 00:10:51,900
Remember, these are not intentional.

103
00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:57,620
These are manufacturing defects or manufacturing tolerances, but that's the nature of hacking.

104
00:10:57,620 --> 00:11:01,940
Given an inch, or given a fraction of a millimeter, we will take a mile .

105
00:11:01,940 --> 00:11:07,160
This allows us to pick each pin individually using only one lock pick.

106
00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,980
So let's go look back at that attempt without a key .

107
00:11:11,980 --> 00:11:17,160
If you turn the plug, the plug turns a little bit and then stops on that driver pin.

108
00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,200
We call that the binding pin.

109
00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:24,360
If you can find the binding pin, then your job is to solve the binding pin.

110
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:32,480
Lift up on it just enough such that the key pin pushes the driver pin above that shear line, and watch what happens.

111
00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:33,560
Something magical.

112
00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:38,840
The plug turns under the driver pin, and the driver pin can't go home again.

113
00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:40,960
One more time.

114
00:11:41,260 --> 00:11:48,200
Once the driver pin goes above the shear line, the door closes behind it, and it traps it up there.

115
00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,760
In other words, it's mechanical autosave.

116
00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:53,880
It's like a ratchet mechanism.

117
00:11:53,940 --> 00:11:55,800
Not designed that way.

118
00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:06,840
It's an effect of the manufacturing tolerances, and we're going to exploit the heck out of it to allow us to set multiple pins in a row until there are no more to set and the lock falls open.

119
00:12:07,980 --> 00:12:09,860
Here's what it looks like in practice.

120
00:12:09,860 --> 00:12:12,300
We're first going to tension the lock.

121
00:12:12,300 --> 00:12:17,520
If there's no tension, then you're not picking the lock, you're just lifting up pins and they'll fall right back down.

122
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,880
You need to tension the lock to create that bind in the first place.

123
00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,680
Once you've created the bind, your next job, find the bind.

124
00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:40,440
Go through the pins sequentially, lift up on each one until you find one that has a little bit of a grind , crunch, creak, something , anything other than the squishiness that says it's not the binding pin, it's just the spring.

125
00:12:40,580 --> 00:12:46,620
This may take a little bit of practice, keeping track of where you are in the lock and learning how to feel the subtle differences between the pins.

126
00:12:46,620 --> 00:12:48,340
That's the skill of lock picking.

127
00:12:48,580 --> 00:13:00,160
But as you get better at it, you'll be able to find each binding pin , push it up just the right amount, get the click, get the feedback, get the little bit of turn of the lock that tells you it's set, and then you'll go on to the next one.

128
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:06,080
Do that for as many pins as there are in the lock, and the lock will just fall open.

129
00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:16,800
This is not like a big safe lock where you've got it open at the end, because you've been turning since the very beginning and taking away each and every obstacle to the turning.

130
00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:32,600
So, if you just put the tension in, start turning, that same constant steady pressure will serve you all the way through the end, and every time you set a pin , the lock will turn just a little bit more, until when you've removed all the pins in the way,

131
00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,220
it will just fall open.

132
00:13:36,260 --> 00:13:44,640
Now let's take a look at one of the most common problems in lockpicking that will stop you cold, especially if you don't know to be on the lookout for it.

133
00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:52,540
We call it overlifting, and that's when you replace one problem with another by putting the key pin up above the shear line, where the driver pin normally is.

134
00:13:52,540 --> 00:14:07,620
You see, this person picking along had a short one in the fourth position, and another short one in the third position, which means when it comes time to pick the last one with a little bit taller key pin, they lift it too high and it gets bound above the shear line.

135
00:14:07,620 --> 00:14:14,340
The only way to get out of this position is to release your tension down here, shake the etch-a-sketch, and lose all your progress.

136
00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:22,980
So, just like getting a haircut or salting the soup, you can always go back and do more, it's very hard to go back and do less.

137
00:14:22,980 --> 00:14:30,500
So, light hands, small movements, remember how small these pieces are, and avoid overlifting, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble.

138
00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:38,440
And of course, if you do get stuck, that's okay, shake it out, shake your hands out, shake the lock out, start over, you'll do better next time.

139
00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:48,540
We've talked a lot about what this hand is doing, using the lock pick, but let's talk about the unsung hero, the turning tool.

140
00:14:48,540 --> 00:15:03,800
A lot of very intelligent pickers will tell you very seriously that in all practicality, the turning tool is what picks the lock, because the turning tool is responsible for putting that all important, constant, steady pressure on the lock.

141
00:15:04,780 --> 00:15:19,840
As far as how to apply that pressure, well, first, we like using that big finger, the precision digit, and put it far out on the turning tool, so that you can use leverage and amplify any feedback you get.

142
00:15:20,060 --> 00:15:22,900
Next question, how much turning pressure?

143
00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:29,180
And I will tell you, honestly, there is good reasons to do light pressure, and there's good reasons to do heavy pressure.

144
00:15:29,180 --> 00:15:33,140
And someone who tells you one or the other isn't wrong, they're weighing different things.

145
00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:37,760
We at the Lock Pick Village tend to tell novice lock pickers, start off with light pressure.

146
00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:44,600
That has a lot more to do with not damaging the locks or the equipment than it does with being the most effective way to pick locks.

147
00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:51,200
A lot of very good lock pickers tend to use quite heavy tension, but very carefully modulated heavy tension.

148
00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,820
They use the right amount of tension to get the feedback from the lock.

149
00:15:54,820 --> 00:16:02,840
So, experiment with the tension levels, but most importantly, don't put on more than you can confidently, comfortably, and safely use.

150
00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:08,040
As for the type of picks, you'll probably have a lot of picks in your kit.

151
00:16:08,900 --> 00:16:10,520
We call this one the hook.

152
00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,460
We call this one the half diamond, because apparently triangle is too hard to say.

153
00:16:14,460 --> 00:16:17,080
This is sometimes called a rake, a snake rake.

154
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,380
There's lots of varieties of cool little wiggly ones.

155
00:16:20,380 --> 00:16:33,820
When you're just starting off, we recommend starting with these two, either the half diamond or the hook, because they tend to promote the best practice and give you the most accuracy in picking one pin at a time.

156
00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:42,940
Now, as you're starting off, there's a tendency to figure out how you want to lift in the lock.

157
00:16:42,940 --> 00:16:46,920
You can put it against the bottom, you can put it against your finger, you can float it in midair.

158
00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:54,600
Whatever works for you, mindful of the task that you're trying to do, which is feel very small things in a lock and get it to turn.

159
00:16:54,600 --> 00:17:01,880
So don't add any more friction to the lock than you need to and don't rub up against the sides or other material in the lock more than you need to.

160
00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,720
But mostly it's a matter of personal choice.

161
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:11,100
Except that, if you're doing something like this rocking lifting, I want you to make sure that lifting doesn't turn into crowbar.

162
00:17:11,100 --> 00:17:25,540
These are precision tools, and if you're really digging, especially if you're using really heavy tension, and you start getting really firm binds, there's a tendency to start crowbarring and the pick starts to bend, which means it's no good for anyone.

163
00:17:25,540 --> 00:17:29,360
If these are your tools, then that's too bad because you're out of tools.

164
00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:38,000
If there are tools, it's almost worse because then not only can we use it, but no one else can use it either, and it makes it harder to put on lockpick villages like we love to do.

165
00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,700
So , as you're picking, be gentle.

166
00:17:41,700 --> 00:17:43,320
Remember these are precision tools.

167
00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:56,240
I put up a picture of the bunny here, not because I think you're children, but because I know I've thrown a lot of complex information at you, and if I show you a picture of a crying bunny, you'll remember, be gentle, ease up, use the tools with precision.

168
00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:04,140
Now, if you're just starting lockpicking, there's a great activity that everyone would benefit from, and that's this.

169
00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:06,060
Pull the turning tool out of the lock.

170
00:18:06,060 --> 00:18:08,500
Just for this one time, don't try to pick the lock.

171
00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:10,620
What I want you to do is feel the tension.

172
00:18:10,620 --> 00:18:15,580
Think of this as a tension taste test, or as a springiness taste test.

173
00:18:15,580 --> 00:18:21,920
Reach into the lock with the pick of your choice, and on that one pin, just lift up on that pin.

174
00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:27,280
This is especially great if you have a lock where you've taken all the other pins out, and there's just one to focus on.

175
00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:29,920
But you can do it with other locks, too, with a little bit of cleverness.

176
00:18:29,940 --> 00:18:35,000
Just lift up on that pin and feel what a springy pin feels like without any tension.

177
00:18:35,260 --> 00:18:40,440
Then, and only then, add the turning tool so that you have a little bit of tension.

178
00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,760
And now, if there's only one pin in the lock, you've created a binding pin.

179
00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,440
Now go in and try that one on for size.

180
00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:51,860
Feel that binding, grinding, crunching, scraping.

181
00:18:52,360 --> 00:19:02,300
Characterize it however you want, but being able to tell the difference between that binding pin and the unbinding pin without tension is the essence of lockpicking.

182
00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,880
And zeroing in on that feeling will make you a much better lockpicker.

183
00:19:06,060 --> 00:19:16,060
Of course, the most important part of lockpicking is practicing, and at Tool, we've gone to a lot of effort to create practice locks specifically designed for learning lockpicking.

184
00:19:16,340 --> 00:19:23,720
If you're at one of our lockpick villages, we have multiple locks that have some of the pins pulled out of them.

185
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:28,140
So you can go from a one-pin lock all the way up to a six-pin lock and learn as you go.

186
00:19:28,140 --> 00:19:30,480
But you don't need tool locks to practice.

187
00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,580
You can get locks at your hardware store.

188
00:19:32,580 --> 00:19:34,520
You might find padlocks like this.

189
00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:35,680
They work fine.

190
00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,660
They're cheap locks, but they'll teach you enough about lockpicking.

191
00:19:38,660 --> 00:19:42,760
You can also find just regular door deadbolt locks.

192
00:19:42,820 --> 00:19:51,000
It doesn't matter what type of locks that you get as long as you sit down with them, you practice with them, and you have enough of them that you have the variety.

193
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,180
So you're not learning how to pick a particular lock.

194
00:19:53,180 --> 00:19:55,000
You're learning how to pick locks in general.

195
00:19:55,040 --> 00:20:00,220
Because you're at home, I wanted to run you through some frequently asked questions that we often hear.

196
00:20:00,220 --> 00:20:02,460
See if we can get you set up on the right path.

197
00:20:02,660 --> 00:20:05,380
Preston, how do you hold the lock?

198
00:20:05,380 --> 00:20:13,120
What we like to do is turn the lock so the top part is deep in the web of your hand, and then you can close these two knuckles here over the lock.

199
00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:22,680
Holds it fairly gently, but securely, and then if you stick out that index finger, the turning tool will just rest right against that index finger, giving you the right amount of pressure.

200
00:20:22,780 --> 00:20:24,100
How do I hold the pick?

201
00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:25,860
Well, think of it like a scalpel.

202
00:20:25,860 --> 00:20:28,360
This is a surgical tool, so hold it like a scalpel.

203
00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:30,660
That pencil grip works great.

204
00:20:32,380 --> 00:20:41,580
This one doesn't work so good because you've got a little bit too much grip, and people tend to start digging too hard.

205
00:20:41,580 --> 00:20:44,020
And then, of course, holding it like a shiv is right out.

206
00:20:44,020 --> 00:20:45,480
That's dangerous and weird.

207
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:46,500
Avoid that.

208
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:59,340
And if you happen to have locks that are out of their housing, so that you can see the back of the lock, which people don't typically see, we want to make sure that you know that the pick goes in this part, this shiny silver front.

209
00:20:59,340 --> 00:21:02,560
If you can see the back that looks like that, that's the wrong end of the lock.

210
00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:03,520
Go in the front.

211
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,320
You'll have a lot more luck.

212
00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,640
Now, lock picking, not supposed to be easy.

213
00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:09,880
This is new.

214
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:15,160
This is a skill-based exercise that Evolution has done nothing to prepare you to.

215
00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:19,040
So, I want to make sure that as you're doing this, be nice to yourself.

216
00:21:19,300 --> 00:21:19,880
Relax.

217
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,480
If you want to have a beer, talk to somebody.

218
00:21:23,860 --> 00:21:25,140
That's all part of the fun.

219
00:21:25,140 --> 00:21:27,300
That's what we do when we're doing tool meetups.

220
00:21:27,380 --> 00:21:31,400
We sit around, we chat with each other, we relax, we have fun with it.

221
00:21:31,740 --> 00:21:37,460
And if you don't know what that animal is, now you have seen a baby wombat and your day is better.

222
00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:47,340
And then, traditionally in lock sport, no matter what the lock is, whether it's a practice lock or it's a project lock that you've been working on for weeks, when you get it open, say open.

223
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:48,160
Own it.

224
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:48,960
Celebrate it.

225
00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,560
All locks you open are worth celebrating, and we want you to have fun with it.

226
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:57,520
Lastly, if this sounds like fun to you, we are a membership organization.

227
00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:03,320
We have members all over the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and many other countries.

228
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:09,800
We would love you to join, be a part of the organization from your home or in person as soon as we can.

229
00:22:09,820 --> 00:22:25,120
So go check out members.tool.us And of course, if you can't wait to get lockpicking and you want to get your hands on lockpicking gear as soon as you can, then tool.us slash equipment has exactly the gear that we like to train people on, and we'd love you to get started on it too.

230
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:32,300
So, happy lockpicking, practice, be gentle, celebrate your wins, and we'll see you at the next Lockpick Village.