I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address] -
I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice My biggest question: As a newbie, how do I tell if a given padlock is a good one to learn on, or really difficult?
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice I follow for the lock picking. Keep it up!
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R relay@relay.an.exchange shared this topic
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@alice My biggest question: As a newbie, how do I tell if a given padlock is a good one to learn on, or really difficult?
@aly check out https://lpubelts.com/#/locks
Find the category of locks that are fairly easy for you, then look to practice one tier higher.
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice very excited about this!
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R relay@relay.publicsquare.global shared this topic
-
I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice I’m very interested in what you have to teach.
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@alice I’m very interested in what you have to teach.
@meltedcheese check out the hashtag, and let me know if you have questions about anything; I'll try my best to answer.
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice You missed a bit in section #8 Alice is awesome.
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@alice You missed a bit in section #8 Alice is awesome.
@diverdutch I could include a couple short testimonials for good measure
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice ngl I've opened dozens of locker locks and a few big-ish padlocks with just scissors and some bruteforce in anything in between 5 secs and a couple of minutes (I was the one to open random lockers in my HS for ppl who forgot the key when the headmaster, who had the master key, wasn't available). You can go a long way with macgyver tools in lockpicking lol. I really appreciate fedi lockpicking content!
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice knowledge does not take space so having a long-form version available at some point would be nice. Noting this and the hashtag for future reference, too!
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@diverdutch I could include a couple short testimonials for good measure
@alice Only apropos
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@diverdutch I could include a couple short testimonials for good measure
@alice @diverdutch "Alice shares her passion clearly and makes learning fun, unlocking potential wherever she goes"
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice I would love to see this! An updated zine would be awesome. Have you seen Schuyler's from like 20 years ago? https://www.locksport.net/files/LSI_Guide_To_Lockpicking.pdf
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
---
# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]I had no idea you were into lock picking.
I don't suppose you do or would consider a total beginners' course?
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I'm making a #LearnLockpickingWithAlice zine for Fedi, and to hand out at an upcoming conference where I've been asked to host a lockpicking village.
It's intended to answer "what should I know about lockpicking (and Alice) in the first 5 minutes?". Then I can explain concepts, teach techniques, and run hands-on demos from there.
If Fedi is excited about this, I'll likely do more in-depth ones on specific aspects of lockpicking and related skills, like: improvised tools, decoding combo locks, slipping latches, etc.
I'll make the finished versions available on my Codeberg page for free.
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# 1 Alice Watson's Itty-Bitty Intro to Lockpicking
## 2 Picks
Slim teardrop-tip short hook for small keyways, sturdy gem-tip medium hook for bullying, a w-rake for luck, and several turning tools. I've opened 10x more locks with those three picks than all others combined.
Sketches: each of the 3 pick profiles, and a double-ended wiper-insert turning tool
## 3 Lock Types
Warded: wards stop wrong key from turning
Wafer: flat wafers prevent core turning
Pin-tumbler: pin stacks prevent core turning
Tubular: pin-tumbler, but circular arrangementSketches: a key and keyway for each of the 4 lock types, a wafer, and the inside of a pin-tumbler lock
## 4 Pins Types
A pin-stack consists of a spring, driver, and a key pin. Driver pins have different shapes, key pins have different lengths (bitting).
Standard: plain cylinder
Spool: like a thread spool, causes false-sets
Serrated: like standard pins, but clickierThere are many others, but they're much rarer.
Sketches: each of the 3 pins
## 5 Techniques
Torsion: rotates core, use just enough force to balance a few coins on your fingertip
Single-pin picking: find binding pin, set it, repeat
Raking: generate random bitting guesses—try rising, falling, flat, and rocking motionsSketches: turning tool & pick setting pin in cutaway pin-tumbler lock, raking motions
## 6 Practice Locks
Clear: good for first 10 minutes, terrible feedback
Laminated Master: good until trivial
Master 140: has spools, good until trivialSketches: each of the 3 padlocks
## 7 Bypasses
Keys (TSA007, CH751): they just work
Combs: open some locks as fast as the key
Shims: good for cheap padlocksSketches: TSA007 & CH751 keys, comb, padlock and door shims
## 8 About Alice
Alice is a love-lock enthusiast, professional lockpicker, and lockpicking instructor who has been in the sport for nearly a decade. In that time, Alice has taught at several security conferences, hosted workshops, become a brand ambassador for Red Team Tools, and opened many thousands of locks.
Sketches: Alice's profile pic, heart-shaped love lock
LGBTQIA.space/@alice
[email address]@alice YES!!!!
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@alice @diverdutch "Alice shares her passion clearly and makes learning fun, unlocking potential wherever she goes"
@Nikkileah I'm not a girl, but I like the sentiment
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@alice I would love to see this! An updated zine would be awesome. Have you seen Schuyler's from like 20 years ago? https://www.locksport.net/files/LSI_Guide_To_Lockpicking.pdf
@Sempf ooo, that's good! Way bigger than what I want to make (I'm aiming for a 5-minute primer to cover the most FAQ I get, that'll fit in a pocket), but I'm going to share that one with folx too.
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R relay@relay.infosec.exchange shared this topic
