How-To Guides about Lock Picking

A spare key is one of those things that never seems like a huge deal until you need it. If you've ever lost your keys, had them stolen, or locked yourself out of your house or car, you know how difficult and embarrassing it can be trying to get your door open.

Have an old bike combination lock that you can't remember the code for? If it's a simply four-digit cable lock, you can easily figure out the combination with a quick peck-and-go method. Best of all, this technique doesn't require any tools or special know-how, and let's you reuse the cable lock again versus just damaging it with bolt cutters. All you need is a bit of patience and you'll have your figure out your combo in no time.

To pick locks, one must either have an expensive lock-picking set or be skilled with whatever they have available to them. Bobby pins, soda cans, and even butter knives can get the job done, but each needs to be reworked into something more appropriate for the lock in question.

The Next Three Days is the new film by Paul Haggis (Crash), which stars Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. Laura (Banks) is accused of murder and sent to prison, and her husband John (Crowe) struggles to prove her innocence while taking care of their only child. But the system does not work for John, and he's forced to take extreme actions and attempt a prison break.

Whether you locked yourself out of your house, or just into experimenting with locks, check out this video to learn how to open a deadbolt door lock. No skill, no experience, and no professional pick tools needed -- just 2 bobby pins. Using very light torque to the tension wrench, insert another bobby pin and scrub over the pins from inside to outside. If the pins do not set after several strokes, release the tension wrench and do it again. Use a screwdriver when the plug is too tight to turn.

The fine folks at ITS Tactical made this detailed tutorial on how to make a two-piece lock pick set out of only a few paper clips and using only a multi-tool in the construction. The host begins by demonstrating how to construct the pick, then how to use it on a real lock. It is not as easy as using a real lock pick, but will still work. As the host emphasizes at the beginning of the video, these picks are only to be used in emergency situations, and NOT to break into other people's homes...

Let's say you forgot the code to your Master Lock combination padlock. What can you do besides buy another one? Well, there's a surprising abundance of ways to open a combination lock other than with just the combination, some of which will even let you reset the code. Of course, these hacks aren't limited to folks just looking to open their own locks, but let's just assume that's what you're here for.

At the recent DefCon conference in Las Vegas, researchers opened many of the top commercially available gun safes with simple tools like a straw or a paper clip, and in one case, just by shaking it a bit. The investigation began after the researchers, Toby Bluzmanis, Marc Tobias and Matt Fiddler, learned that certain Stack-On safes, issued to some law enforcement officials to secure their firearms at home, could be opened simply by jiggling the doorknob.

Have you accidentally been locked out of your mailbox, or lost the key for a cabinet holding all your important documents? For being such small locks, the ones on mailboxes and cabinets can be deceptively difficult. This tutorial shows you how to pick a four cylinder lock easily. You'll need some basic lock picking tools, scaled down to match the small size of the pick. Once you have the right tools and technique down, it's just a matter of being able to get past all the pins.

Unbeknownst to the general public, picking a lock can be a very easy process once you get the hang of it (yes, surprising AND frightening). A vibrating lock pick set takes the general ease of picking even further by speeding up the process. Now, with the help of Invent Geek, you can make your own DIY Vibrating lock pick for about a tenth of the price of a manufactured kit.

In this video, we learn how to pick a door lock with an electric pick gun. First you will need to have a locked door and an electric pick with you. Once you have these, push the electric pick into the door and turn it on as you twist the knob. Continue to do this for several tries until the door is completely unlocked and you are able to twist the door knob. After you do this, you will be able to open a door anytime you accidentally lock yourself out! Make sure the pins reset when you are...

A bump key is a method crooks use to pick locks. This idea is not new, professional theives have been using it for years, and now you can make your own.

Hacking a bike lock is something that you may need to do sometime if you forget your combination or maybe just didn't bring the key for the lock with you. You should never hack a bike lock to steal anything and should know that this tutorial is for informational purposes only. The first thing you will need to do to accomplish this task is to get a marker. Once you have the correct size marker to fit into the key hole, just stick it in there. Once it is in the lock, just press down while turning...

The locks in most houses are fairly basic, making this lock picking technique fairly easy. If your door lock has a hole in it, and functions similarly to the one in this video, check this video out! All you need is a bobby pin.

Not a great lock picker? Well, get some help figuring out how to break into padlocks and high security locks -- check out this video tutorial on how to open locks with comb picks. Comb picks are one of the best ways to hack into these common everyday padlocks. It's not a foolproof way to pick locks, but it's great when it works.

Practice locks are used by locksmiths and hobbyists to practice the art of lock picking. This one is worth a thousand others because it is user rekeyale without tools. You can set it up any way you wish.

Check out this video to see how to pick a deadbolt lock with a tension wrench and lockpick. Now, in order to pick a deadbolt, you'll be using the "lifter picking" method to do so. Just make sure you have a lockpicing set and a tension wrench and you're set. These are the lock picking basics here.

It's time to pick a few locks, but with what? Check out this video tutorial to see how to make a cheap lock pick set from saw blades. You can make any lock pick you want with saw blades, a little grinding, a little more grinding, and yes... grind, with a few finishing touches.

Ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock? Well, there's no better time than now to start learning the craft of so many locksmiths out there... lock picking. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to make tension wrenches for lock picking.

Ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock? Well, there's no better time than now to start learning the craft of so many locksmiths out there... lock picking. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to make a tension wrench for lock picking.

Ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock? Well, there's no better time than now to start learning the craft of so many locksmiths out there... lock picking. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to successfully pick a lock, for beginners.

Ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock? Well, there's no better time than now to start learning the craft of so many locksmiths out there... lock picking. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to use tension wrenches when lock picking.

Ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock? Well, there's no better time than now to start learning the craft of so many locksmiths out there... lock picking. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to bypass security wafers when lock picking.

Ever wanted to learn how to pick a lock? Well, there's no better time than now to start learning the craft of so many locksmiths out there... lock picking. Just watch this video tutorial to see how to avoid a false set when lock picking.

Do you know how to pick a lock? If you do, you know that sometimes a little lubricant can do the trick. This video tutorial will show you how to make homemade graphite powder for lock picking.

In this video I explain how to open combination locks. All combination locks can be bypassed in one way or another. This lockpicking tutorial goes over different methods.

Just like the title says, learn how to crack a master lock. Not pick the lock (picking a master lock will not get you the combo). You don't need any special tools to crack this master lock- all you need is the right technique. Crack master locks for fun only - don't use this for illegal purposes. Great trick if you lose your combination to your master lock. All you need is a little math. Learn how to hack a master lock with this lock cracking tutorial.

How to pick a lock! Lock picking is is a useful trade that should only be used when you lock yourself out. Do not use this lockpicking video to break into other peoples' homes or property. Watch this video and learn how to pick a lock next time you are in a jam.

Check out this con tutorial video that demonstrates how to make a plug spinner. The purpose of a plug spinner in lock picking is to reverse the lock picking process should you lock pick in the wrong direction. Learn how to make and use a plug spinner and start picking locks like a pro!

Check out this instructional con video that demonstrates how to make an auto tension wrench that's great for lock picking. Follow the simple instructions outlined in this tutorial video. Make a two sided tension wrench with this video and start lock picking like a pro today!

Check out this conning tutorial video that shows you how to make lock picks from hacksaw blades. Follow the simple instructions outlined in this video and learn how to make your own pick locks from hacksaw blades. Soon you can start picking locks like a pro.

Watch this video conning tutorial and learn how to pick a door lock. Maybe you locked yourself out of the house, or you're just a criminal trying to get in somewhere you don't belong. You will need a lock pick and a tension wrench. To make the lock pick in this video take a hacksaw blade and trace a lock pick onto the surface. Lock pick templates can be printed out all over the internet. Next grind it down to size either with a bench grinder or a dremel. To make a tension wrench take out the...

This video shows you how to make 2 types of tension wrenches 2 types of picks and a demonstration on how to pick a lock. All materials used, are materials one can found around his/her house.

Lock picking can be difficult with some security features. This instructional video shows you what happens when you encounter them and what to do. Break into a lock when you've forgotten your keys, but please don't sneak in anywhere you don't belong. Watch this video lock-picking tutorial and learn how to detect security pins.

See how to pick a Master Lock No. 40 with a folding lockpick set.

We may not all be Macgyver, but we can certainly channel our inner detective by bolstering our lock picking skills. And some of the hardest locks to crack open are combination locks, which have several disks are require advanced lockpicking skills.