LockSport

 

 

 

 

Locks have fascinated me forever. Figuring out how locks work and using that information to develop the skill to defeat them is a compelling activity. Partly it's the tech, partly it's the physical skill involved, and partly it's the buzz from knowing what you're not "supposed" to know - how to open locking systems without keys.  I got a cheap (my middle name) lock picking set that comes with a bunch of picks, rakes, and wrenches as well as three clear plastic practice locks.  The teaching locks allow you to see the pins get set (or over-set as it happens quite a bit at first.) and it allows you to fix your errors.. Very very very handy.. especially to new practitioners like me who have neither lock-picking skill or the knowledge about what I'm hearing or feeling when attempting to set pins..  As soon as I got the practice set, I started asking around to see if I could borrow real locks to practice on..  My elder brother lent me a couple and my neighbor lent two of hers (with the provision that I was not going to turn to a life of crime.. hah).  My skill level at this point (after a couple weeks of practicing) is rudimentary (and that might be overstating the case a bit..).  I can pick a lock now, but often I do not know what I am feeling or hearing and so I completely and pleasantly surprised with a lock opens.. And - (and) - when I go back and pick the very same lock again, 9 out of 10 tries will result in failure.. Still - it's a rush when a lock pops open in your hand.. Lock picking plays to a personality quirk of mine that needs to know, no, demands to know, about things that are "supposed" to remain hidden - whether it's people and their backstories, or a stubborn Master padlock.. My mind is drawn to those situations like that face-hugger alien in the movie Alien.. An hour can go by and many times I will have nothing to show for it.. All the locks will just be sitting in front of me looking all smug and unopened..   But then there's that 1 out of 10 times when I hear that click of the last pin being set, the barrel turns, and that lock opens.. woof. There's tons of great content on the Youtube about lock picking.. The LockPickingLawyer and the Lock Noob are two of my favorites..  Speaking of favorites - my favorite lock to pick so far is a laminated Belkin padlock which is so straightforward and has such a roomy key way that it nearly opens itself....  My least favorite (read - most challenging)  to pick is a Master Lock 140. This has at least one security pin in it that can make life very frustrating for a beginner like me.. I've only been successful in picking it a couple times.. The last time I did it, I had the good sense to record the momentous occasion with a picture..

 

 

 

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