actually in the real quote its the other way around: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” So you had the right spirit but the wrong execution.
Visited. Saw the bridge railings and gates near the river wearing armors of locks. Armors of amors you could say, because it seems like lovers put a lock for themselves on something permanent and throw the keys into the river.
That tradition is actually causing big problems. The locks, after enough of them are added, weigh down on the particular bridge; some of those locks rust easily, which can cause adjacent locks and even the bridge to rust also; and it's a fucking played out, unoriginal idea that stopped being cute after the first dozen or so locks were put on a bridge.
Seems like this is a thing in multiple countries, we have that in Germany too, and yes, they do actually add up to a lot of weight on a pretty long bridge.
Being a recently disabled man who has had to give up EVERY hobby and type of work I had learned, (there were several), I think I am going to look into lockpickong as something I can pick up and put down as my various issues pop up throu ghout my days and weeks. Thanks, LPL.
@Herbert Wingfield I see 8 thumbs-up so I'm going to go with a response of "8 people got my obscure quip , Herbert. Thanks for asking." Actually I think someone had left a related comment too but it is gone now.
Why can't you? Is there someone chasing you out. Looks like this gentleman enjoys this. Sounds like you're spending time doing something you don't. BTW, when some around you have moved on to endeavors that actually improved their life over time, IF you haven't, you'll probably know why. Just sayin".
A "loose" pin has no resistance when you push up on it with the pick; you're looking for the "binding" pin, which is simply the pin that has the most resistance when you push up on it.
Here’s a great video demonstrating the basics of lockpicking using a clear plastic core for demonstration purposes: th-cam.com/video/cjuT_63Ioig/w-d-xo.html The bobby pins are kind of silly, but the concept is still the same when you use real tools.
Think devine means for newer visitors or ones looking to get educated, no him himself. There are countless people who watch lockpicking lawyers videos who dont care about locks lockpicking or anything else related to the channel, would be neat for him to leave a link at the top of the desc for new viewers to get educated and possibly stick around
Outstanding theory. I teach a particular set of topics in an industry overflowing with "experts," who have absolutely mastered a singular tool and hammer TH-cam with their videos. The problem is, they are essentially, "one trick ponies." The repeatedly use the same tool(s) and only marginally change the circumstance they apply them in. It makes for great footage but doesn't really "teach." A new person to the topic will benefit most when they are guided towards an understanding of the bigger context. How to do that? Offer a more diverse set of tools and situations. He'll then build a more universal understanding/ experience so they can then apply that accumulated knowledge to everyday success. Thank you for reminding me about how to learn my new interest; if even briefly.
Thanks for the kind words. We all fall into our comfort zone, an resist expanding our abilities. I'm there right now in my picking, and still haven't decided which uncharted (for me) waters to explore next.
Took me many years to convince myself the best place to be comfortable is in the Uncomfortable Zone. And I still have to remind myself several times a day on most days. But LPL couldn't be more right!!!!!
i know you mean watch a movie in your house, but it's fun to me to imagine movie usher: "sir? what is this?" LPL:" it's my lock belt, I always practice picking when I watch a movie" MU: "?????????????"
You make excellent picking videos. Easily some of the best on TH-cam. However, you make even better instructional videos! Make more! The more the better! You have a very specific style, and it is quite different than the general methods (i.e. "MIT Guide to Lockpicking", light tension & binding order, etc.) I'd love to see instructional videos about any and all of your methods!!
I think this applies to learning a new skill in general. For years, I made the mistake of thinking that playing a difficult (for me) song on the piano and mastering it would make me better in general. But it doesn't work like that. You can pick up some mechanical skills from an individual song, but pretty soon, your mind starts learning how to get from one note to the next instead of "generalizing" the movement. That's why every song was just as difficult to learn as the last since I learned songs and not techniques. Learning locks instead of lockpicking is a valuable perspective. Thanks for pointing that out.
Kaitlyn Simpson keep your eye open. They do crop up. Picked up a good assortment of over 50 locks the other day for around $2 each. Some are little beat up but they all work and if, like me, you do this both for fun and for legal job applications, practising on locks that aren’t factory fresh is a good thing.
@@adamwest8711 hey man. Ive been looking on eBay for weeks now and the cheapest I can get to is $4 each. What keywords are you using or what other website are you using. If you could help I would be very thankful.
When I first started getting into lock picking, are used to take coffee at 7 to 10 at a local restaurant. I would take a lock or two down there and practice. Pretty soon my friends, were bringing in locs. Usually without keys. This had the effect of making me a fairly good Universal picker.
I occasionally drop by the storage facilities where people rent areas to store their extra stuff. If they're behind in their payments, the company just cuts the locks off. They'll often sell me a bucket of cut-off locks for a few dollars (basically what they could get for them as scrap metal). Sure, most of them are easy Master locks, but you'll generally get a handful of decent ones as well. Be ready for the "what are you going to use them for" question: I explain the general concept of locksport to them, and most of them are satisfied with that. Note, once I was late on a payment and they went to cut my locks off, but their boltcutters weren't capable of cutting a quality hasp.
I'm new to lockpicking.. like BRAND new. I just received my lock pick kit today. Already picked my front and rear door locks, and a random masterlock. All because of your videos. Thank you! Time to find more locks!
Fantastic! This idea of "mixed practice" sometimes called "interleaving" has good support in educational/psychological research and seems to be strongly tied to flexibility, retention of deeper skills, and creativity. It applies to almost all learning. Very cool.
Dear LockPickingLawyer, thank you for your introduction video of your "how to learn pickin" practice. Your honesty, your dignity to this hobby and your openness towards new skills as well as sharing that knowledge - my deep respect, trank you too and as always, have a nice day!
Excellent points! Rotation of locks is key to functional practice. I agree E Bay is a source of inexpensive locks. I have found locks for $2-3 dollars.
Very good advice. I've become very good at several different skills in my life. I refrain from saying "mastered" because I think that is not possible. There will always be something out there that you haven't encountered. Felling timber (logging) is one. I've felled many thousands of trees in my life. I've also climbed them and taken them down over multi million dollar homes and transmission lines working as an aborist. None are the same. None. When you set your saw into an individual tree it is the thousands of others that you have felled that tell you how to fell that one. Adding the risk of dying to the equation justs ups the anty. I was also a licenced plumber for 15 years. Now, a lot of people will scoff at that because they don't know what it takes to get there. Good for them. I've never killed a family by improperly venting a boiler or water heater. There is so much stuff to learn in plumbing that no one person could ever know all of it. I think our brains store this stuff, not on the top, but it is there and is accessed when we need it. I think you are spot on with your lock picking practice and I've never picked a lock in my life besides sliding a credit card through the front door of my house when I locked myself out. I hadn't locked the deadbolt. I enjoy your videos immensely. Hats off to you.
love your comment, very true 👍👍 stay save logging.. i heard it's one of the most dangerous jobs out there. i read about logging accidents all the time in the news
"I also have a lock picking club I go to once a week, where I sit around with the boys, drink beers, and pick locks while talking about whatever lock pickers talk about. We're meeting at my house next week and I'm ordering pizzas.... jokes on them though, I'm putting locks on the boxes (don't ask me how) and they get nasty luke warm/cold pizza if they can't solve it fast enough. Ah, I love lock picking club!"
I think your advice in this video translates very well into other skills, for example playing the piano. If you just play the same song, you may learning how to play that song, but not how to play the piano.
I think this is spot on. I consider myself a beginner, coming to this hobby after idly dabbling 25 years ago & losing interest. Now I'm older and a shocking hoarder, I've already built up a crate of random locks. Many are the transparent training ones but some are production. I'm sticking with pin tumblers for now but have bought some dimple locks etc for when I get more advanced. Within my collection I do exactly as you have suggested here. Pick one, move on, and I'm already finding myself improving. I would add that immersing myself in videos such as yours and Bosnian Bill's, while way out of my league with techniques & terminology, helps to bathe me in the culture, styles, enjoyment and frustration to come. Thank you!
This is exactly the approach to use for becoming better at solving math or science problems: you don't practice the same problem over and over again - or even twice in a row, for that matter. You pick a topic (= type of lock), such as solving and plotting quadratic equations (picking tubular locks) and work at one after the other. Thanks for discussing this important fundamental principle of learning as it applies to lock picking, LPL!
Hi LPL, I started watching your vids through interest & what I’ve learnt from your vids came to good use today when I forgot the keys to my tool chest & was able to pick the locks to access my tools. 👍 Thanks LPL
Thanks for the video. I appreciate your channel for remembering things that other channels don’t touch on. This video and the one you did focussing just on tension techniques were both really good watching for anyone but particularly for those who are still pretty new.
Excellent, this is why I subscribe to your channel, for these lateral thinking gems that you put out from time to time. I find that your slightly different approach very enlightening. Thanks Mike
Excellent thoughts. I am attempting the same method albeit on a smaller scale and totally agree something like this is necessary to avoid being overconfident in your skills by becoming familiar with a small selection of locks. Great video. Cheers
Thank you LockPickingLawyer. My new favorite channel and hopefully a new passion/skill to embrace. I don't want to break into anywhere, but just enjoy the discipline it's self, the mechanical fascination and joy of puzzle solving in such a form. Also will be great not to get locked out of my house again, although this has only ever happened when I'm too drunk to walk, so maybe this level of manual dexterity will be quite beyond me. There must be some very funny stories about this kind of thing.
Just started picking and went back into your video catalog and this video really helped. In just one day I got noticably better from just picking through multiple locks in a single session. Thanks!
This just a perfect new found hobby for me. !!! I am a retired carpenter and have a lot of time now, I would prefer to do small shop woodworking projects but my back won't allow it,, I love a challenge and have a lot of patience, and I can do this sitting down at my workbench. I can't wait to get started with this. !!! Thank you Sir. !!!! Watching your videos really inspired me. !!! You are just awesome!!!! 😎✌i
Great idea, well executed. It's exactly the opposite approach to starting with one repinnable lock. You can vary the pins but the natural binding order will always be the same.
Thanks. Like I said in the video, everyone seems to have a different approach to picking and practice, and some people swear by those purpose-built practice locks. That said, I think that you zeroed right in on one of the two main weaknesses of them... the binding order (though that can be changed with security pins) and the fact that it can be a royal PITA to repin the lock dozens of times per practice session.
I have a carabiner full of locks. I go through each lock as if it was the first time and in random order. I’m also always adding to my collection. Thanks for validating my efforts! Keep up the great work... 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
Another great video. I think most pickers tend to get 'stale', they get hung up or frustrated occasionally, these type videos are a very helpful tool, help regain some focus and concentration and relax, like a fresh start. This helps me to allay some frustration sometimes, it's a 'feel good' thing. Thanks for sharing ;-)
I learned from betrayal at Krondor. Computer game from the 90's. I wonder if the lockpicking lawyer can pick a Webber lock. If anyone can do it, it's him!
Probably watched dozens of your videos and just noticed that I wasn’t even subscribed. Made sure I subbed this time. Thanks for your informative videos. This hobby is useful for developing my concentration, patience and problem solving skills.
Great info! I don't own much locks, but I'm blessed with a local locksmith that lend me lots of stuff, so at one point, I was doing the same, getting 5-10 different lock a week, picking them, bringing them back and so forth! Helped me a lot.
I 100% agree, the 1 point I would add is that is when you pick the same style of lock(not the same lock)you can pick useful techniques like tension amounts.
I totally agree with this philosophy of learning. I taught music in the same way. I was a guitar teacher but what I was actually trying to teach was understanding the music and how to engage with it using the instrument, not just how to memorise what finger to put where. If you understand what's happening and why then you can come up with different approaches from other challenges, and blend things, without just copy and pasting from elsewhere.
Now I know exactly how this feels. I constantly reach for my pics and locks while I'm watching TV, so I can pick while I watch. Really loving this new hobby. Thanks, Harry! Well, except the whole 'carabiner of locks' lmao
you know this is exactly the same way you teach a machine-learning algorithm to classify data. If you give it one data set and make it learn it over and over again, it will learn that very well but wont generalize. On the other hand, if you have hundreds if not thousands of datasets you make your model generalize to most datasets. Interesting video.
Thanks for the video. What you say sounds super logical and I'm glad that I watch your videos before I started practicing myself. I'm going to get myself some more locks right now.
Thanks for the tip. Just started picking YESTERDAY when my practice lock arrived. Since then been looking all over the house for padlocks and will buy some online!
After buying a Sparrow lock picking set and a dummy plastic lock, I find what you said to be correct. I've picked that training lock several times, and an old Master lock a few times. I've also found that tension is much more important than picking. Thanks for your heart of a teacher, and keep up the great videos. I also equate locks to that of law, just because you're good at one type of law, doesn't mean that you're good at all of them.
Thanks for this great video. Your fantastic skills proof that you are right with this kind of workflow. You have more locks in one Set you showed, then I have in my whole collection. ;-) Of we go to ebay.
I realize I am commenting on an old video, but thank you for making this. This is a great approach and is giving me a lot of good ideas. I am new to picking but old to following the hobby. I have seen almost all your videos and Bills videos. I have been buying used lock lots on eBay because right now it is a cheap way to get 5 or more locks, but I love the idea to resale them, I think I am going to do just that.
I dont remember how I came acrossed your videos, but TH-cam must know me better than I know myself cause it really peaked my interest. It would of never even dawned on me people picked locks for a hobby. Now I'm going to try and learn myself. I've watched alot of your videos now and really enjoy them. I enjoy your voice and manner of speaking too it's very calming. You're like the Bob Ross of lock picking. 😂 in any case thanks for making these videos and sharing with the world.
Solid info bud! This is a gem of a non picking instructional video on TH-cam. The analogy in the back of my mind has always been that these locks are a kin to easy chicks from the bar... lol, hit it once or twice and be done. But I've never thought about having a harem to randomly pick through ;^)
@@Uocjat If you instead go case-sensitive, base-62, encoded with all the lower-case letters first, then the upper-case, then "Yes" works out to 231536 decimal.
Its a great hobby. I've been practicing on some locks, on my own door in the appartment complex and a flatmate wondered if I could pick his lock. Took some time because, like you said: it was new and I picked the same locks for giggles. But I managed and my flatmate got kinda scared. Assured him its just a COVID lockdown hobby. The patience required, a calm mind and learning the feeling of a set pin... its great!
Can you recommend any locks or training locks that would be available in the UK that can be re-pinned for practising different configurations without having to keep buying locks all the time? Plus, where I could get pins of varying types and security levels to use in said lock? Thanks.
Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with locks in the UK to make a recommendation. As for security pins, when I use commercial security pins, I usually get them from clksupplies.com ... not sure if they ship overseas.
I'm also in the UK, there's a great Canadian lock picking company called Sparrows that ship to the UK (postage cost about a fiver for me) and they sell a repinnable brass practice lock with a window into the lock body to see the pins which is great for practice. They also sell a 'reload kit' which includes loads of security pins and springs etc with all the stuff you need to repin a lock. All in all it cost me about £35 with postage and it's been great for helping me practice
I got my first picks and a transparent practice lock from UKbumpkeys.com. They have a wide variety of locks and prices including repinnable locks which come with a box full of pins and springs for you to fiddle with. (The cheaper locks can probably also be repinned but you'd need to put some work in to access and then resecure them, not sure if the payoff is worth it.) They also have reduced prices on various items, it's the one site I've signed up for the (rare) news mailings and I've not regretted it. Only complaint I have is that the first lock I bought was far too easy to open with a simple rock & rake, which gave me a false sense of how easy a hobby this is, but it is marketed as a starter lock so has no security features; going back to first principles and doing some SPP helped me get my money's worth out of it. Another good source for practice locks is friends and work colleagues. I found some old padlocks at work that we'd lost the keys for so could never use, and have been happily playing with them for a while now; this really helps you learn how to approach a lock blind, work out how many pins or wafers it has, etc.
This is some really good advice. I myself take is a step further. I don't buy a whole lot of locks. Instead I find them. Literally on the side of the road. You might be surprised about how many you might find. People forget to lock them up or set them on their trailers and they just fall of after a period of time. The locks themselves are usually scratched up. Sometimes they are broken, but majority of the time they are just fine. As a note I'm not condoning walking into traffic just to get a hunk of metal. I advise people to be safe when making your own decisions. Cheers!
Deviant Ollam has stated that he has some locks he actually does this with. Not the good locks for stuff that needs to be really secure, but he has some he uses in less critical applications, where it's more about tamper evidence or even just needing to technically count as "locked", where he threw away the keys years ago, but kept the locks, because picking/raking them is easier than messing with the actual key.
I had a car once that was quicker to open with a coat hanger than the actual key. Especially in the winter. I used the key anyway. Too many questions the other way.
@@ceoyoyo I can imagine- “Hey, what are you doing?” *starts calling police* “Breaking into my car.” “You’re locked out?” “No.” “Then why are you breaking in?” “It’s faster to pick it.”
:( There don't seem to be any big sets of cores on ebay anymore. Man, I've looked. Ill look again right now. -edit: apparently I am an idiot. While I was looking for padlocks I overlooked the veritable sea of just cores that exist on ebay.
eh, its back to basics for me. I've been spoiled on padlocks. About half of them are Yale C keyways (I think). I've picked everything else but Im having difficulty with the warding there. Would it be easier with 15 thousandths picks? Mine are mostly sparrows 25 thousandths.
htomerif or a 18 thousandths, might try a offset diamond also like peterson for that. My sparrows i use on others, and southord on others yet. The 15 thousandths bend pretty easy, even the gov steel, so if you are heavy handed!
care to give me some search terms? or maybe there is a setting in ebay where you can search for used only that im missing... if i search for 'used', i just get a bunch of cutaway locks edit: actually, i have found a couple listings with about 10 lock cores and about $2 per lock which id love to buy (they typically have 'lot' in the name). but those are all in the US and the shipping doubles/triples the price. im thinking of paying a visit to some local locksmiths and seeing if they collect locks they have removed.
It looks like, after LPL got popular, people have flooded the market with overpriced cores. I can't find these for sale for less than five. Usually "LOCKSPORT PACK OF FIVE CORES: FOURTY DOLLARS"
![[188] My Approach to Lock Picking Tension](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9O-CJEwcQnY/mqdefault.jpg)
![[188] My Approach to Lock Picking Tension](/img/tr.png)
![[480] The Top Ten Nastiest Keyways (In My Collection)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GncYzuRMtb8/mqdefault.jpg)
I just say "This is the lock picking lawyer" and locks pop open.
Works every time.
has tried, can confirm
holy shit i've been trying to open this 5 pin master lock no. 1 for hours and the moment I said that the lock popped
am I doing it wrong? mine don't open until I say "and what I have for you today"?
jemsncrystals 😂
i just say "i dont really know whats keeping this closed" and after 3 seconds its open
”I fear not the man who has practiced picking one lock 10,000 times, but I fear the man who has practiced picking 10,000 different locks.”
actually in the real quote its the other way around: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
So you had the right spirit but the wrong execution.
@@jesse578 I think he knows and he purposely reversed it so that it would apply to lockpicking.
Nerd.
LMAO Bruce Lee the lock picker
@@jesse578 nerd
@@jesse578 ackshuallulyyy
Oh you must be a joy at the movie theater with your carabiner of locks
At home...
haha yeah I can imaging someone walking in a movie theater with their massive clanking ring of locks, then minutes later is escorted out.
whats all that clanging?!?! Sounds like a freaking cat burglar!!!!!
you could superglue locks together so they don't clang :D
Aawhahahhaaa, I hope the lawyer didn’t get upset - love the passion!
I can imagine being mrs.Lawyer and watching a movie and hearing "little click out of 1, 2 is binding, click out of 2"
I'd be more worried when they go out, he has two hundredweight of locks in his pockets, backpack etc
"This is the skillet wielding wife, and what I have for you today is a cracked skull if you don't quit binding and clicking during chick flicks..."
@@MadScientist267 HAHAHAHAHA!
I wonder if he has ever picked a chastity belt?
@@peepingmig He did boyo
If you live in Paris, there's multiple bridge with thousand and thousands of locks
Visited. Saw the bridge railings and gates near the river wearing armors of locks. Armors of amors you could say, because it seems like lovers put a lock for themselves on something permanent and throw the keys into the river.
That tradition is actually causing big problems. The locks, after enough of them are added, weigh down on the particular bridge; some of those locks rust easily, which can cause adjacent locks and even the bridge to rust also; and it's a fucking played out, unoriginal idea that stopped being cute after the first dozen or so locks were put on a bridge.
They removed the locks from the bridges after one of the railings fell down into a river and almost hit a boat because the locks were so heavy
@@alexk6839 sounds like the government would actually appreciate you picking and taking the locks then.
Seems like this is a thing in multiple countries, we have that in Germany too, and yes, they do actually add up to a lot of weight on a pretty long bridge.
Being a recently disabled man who has had to give up EVERY hobby and type of work I had learned, (there were several), I think I am going to look into lockpickong as something I can pick up and put down as my various issues pop up throu ghout my days and weeks. Thanks, LPL.
From the sound of it you could also become a lawyer.
Good luck going through this!
@@RoamingAdhocrat the thought has crossed my mind over the years. Thanks for the kind words, they are appreciated.
@@thatrealba I'm from the future, how has lockpicking been for you
BA Hey man, Idk if you ended up doing it, but good luck. Hope you find something that gives new meaning to your life 😃
@@Cynsham not yet, but hopefully soon. Too much going on atm for anything new haha. And thanks!
Besides being a expert at lock picking, but also an expert at eBay bargain hunting?
Damn, good trait good sir.
Don't forget that he also passed the Bar to become a lawyer.
100 Lockpicking, 90 Speechcraft.
He’s also a TH-cam with millions of subscribers 🤯
i use my lockpicking skills to get the best bargain of them all: 100% off
"Nothing on two.... little click out of three... Thanos has another infinity stone... nice deep false set on four...."
"SHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
peterthinks underrated comment
@@scooterdosh777 it's only underrated because the likes are at 666
This has got to be one of the best TH-cam comments I've ever seen
incredible comment my friend
imagine sitting down to watch a movie with this guy and he just pulls out all his locks and start picking
He is the movie.
Lmfao I'd be like "Are you done?"
Would be like "Click on 1... Click on 2... Nothing on 3" lol
@@elbuena "Nice click on 4..."
The comment I came to see
Me) what you up to?
Him ) Netflix and lock-picking
Me) yeah same
Guess no lock is strong enough either
netpicks and chill
hello Saitama watcup doin'?
I have the opposite problem. I got about 200 keys and 0 locks.
Then learn how to pick a key... duh
Keymaster, I believe Zuul is looking for you.
@Herbert Wingfield I see 8 thumbs-up so I'm going to go with a response of "8 people got my obscure quip , Herbert. Thanks for asking." Actually I think someone had left a related comment too but it is gone now.
NoMoreTagsLeft I was going to say that it really isn’t that obscure a reference, then I remembered what year it is... This getting old lark isn’t fun.
@IamMe Someone is always discovering something new on good old TH-cam.
if i could only have a quarter of his dedication at the gym...
Just do what he does with locks and just do one rep of every machine in the gym and go home. 😂😂😂
Just start going to the gym
Go to the gym at night time.. pick your way in and out... kill two birds with one stone.
There are a ton of locks to practice on over at the gym. Is that what you meant? :P
Why can't you? Is there someone chasing you out. Looks like this gentleman enjoys this. Sounds like you're spending time doing something you don't. BTW, when some around you have moved on to endeavors that actually improved their life over time, IF you haven't, you'll probably know why. Just sayin".
"while you were watching movies, I was studying the lock"
Huge waste of money buying locks, people just leave these things everywhere: sheds, lockers, luggage
@@croxion you aren't looking hard enough just go into the neighbors back yards you'll find at least 1 a neighborhood (at least in the suburbs)
I actually laughed out load reading this. :-D
@Etcetera idk about you but the areas I've lived have plenty of locks
@@croxion Check white houses and sheds near a black neighbourhood
Hahahahaha.
Can you please make a video explaining the terms you use in your videos like “false set” what it means when a pin is “loose” etc. just an idea
A "loose" pin has no resistance when you push up on it with the pick; you're looking for the "binding" pin, which is simply the pin that has the most resistance when you push up on it.
Here’s a great video demonstrating the basics of lockpicking using a clear plastic core for demonstration purposes: th-cam.com/video/cjuT_63Ioig/w-d-xo.html
The bobby pins are kind of silly, but the concept is still the same when you use real tools.
Think devine means for newer visitors or ones looking to get educated, no him himself. There are countless people who watch lockpicking lawyers videos who dont care about locks lockpicking or anything else related to the channel, would be neat for him to leave a link at the top of the desc for new viewers to get educated and possibly stick around
This is a great thread - Following!
I agree! All these videos and nothing on the basic basics like terms, etc.
This is like a professional athlete going through their routine
Yup. Major dedication
People watching movies
normal people: popcorn, pepsi
lockpickinglawyer: carabiner locks
Outstanding theory. I teach a particular set of topics in an industry overflowing with "experts," who have absolutely mastered a singular tool and hammer TH-cam with their videos. The problem is, they are essentially, "one trick ponies." The repeatedly use the same tool(s) and only marginally change the circumstance they apply them in. It makes for great footage but doesn't really "teach." A new person to the topic will benefit most when they are guided towards an understanding of the bigger context. How to do that? Offer a more diverse set of tools and situations. He'll then build a more universal understanding/ experience so they can then apply that accumulated knowledge to everyday success. Thank you for reminding me about how to learn my new interest; if even briefly.
Thanks for the kind words. We all fall into our comfort zone, an resist expanding our abilities. I'm there right now in my picking, and still haven't decided which uncharted (for me) waters to explore next.
Took me many years to convince myself the best place to be comfortable is in the Uncomfortable Zone. And I still have to remind myself several times a day on most days. But LPL couldn't be more right!!!!!
@@nothankyou5524 a year later...and this is the series of comments that makes me take the plunge into single bevel knives. So thanks for that
This video is just him flexing on us with the amount of metal pieces in a plastic box he has.
LPL at the checkout:
Lock'd! I forgot my purse, can I pay in lockcylinders ?
That bastard
i know you mean watch a movie in your house, but it's fun to me to imagine
movie usher: "sir? what is this?"
LPL:" it's my lock belt, I always practice picking when I watch a movie"
MU: "?????????????"
The lock belt stays ON during sex
Lock or be unlocked...
"How I Practice Lock Picking"
*Cut to LPL breaking into someones house at midnight*
Lol
You make excellent picking videos. Easily some of the best on TH-cam. However, you make even better instructional videos! Make more! The more the better! You have a very specific style, and it is quite different than the general methods (i.e. "MIT Guide to Lockpicking", light tension & binding order, etc.) I'd love to see instructional videos about any and all of your methods!!
Thanks... I have a few more ideas for some unique/fresh instructional content. Stay tuned.
@@lockpickinglawyer :P
@@redwarrior2963 :P
@@MCHamii :P
@@cursedharold4475 :P
I think this applies to learning a new skill in general. For years, I made the mistake of thinking that playing a difficult (for me) song on the piano and mastering it would make me better in general. But it doesn't work like that. You can pick up some mechanical skills from an individual song, but pretty soon, your mind starts learning how to get from one note to the next instead of "generalizing" the movement. That's why every song was just as difficult to learn as the last since I learned songs and not techniques.
Learning locks instead of lockpicking is a valuable perspective. Thanks for pointing that out.
Excellent idea. Excellent points. Time to find the bargains.
Thanks, and good luck... just don't bid against me!
LOL ~
The bargains, they are all gone!
Kaitlyn Simpson keep your eye open. They do crop up. Picked up a good assortment of over 50 locks the other day for around $2 each. Some are little beat up but they all work and if, like me, you do this both for fun and for legal job applications, practising on locks that aren’t factory fresh is a good thing.
@@adamwest8711 hey man.
Ive been looking on eBay for weeks now and the cheapest I can get to is $4 each. What keywords are you using or what other website are you using.
If you could help I would be very thankful.
This is one hell of a flex. 😂❤️
When I first started getting into lock picking, are used to take coffee at 7 to 10 at a local restaurant. I would take a lock or two down there and practice. Pretty soon my friends, were bringing in locs. Usually without keys. This had the effect of making me a fairly good Universal picker.
"Can you borrow a padlock?"
-"ain't got any" (laughing inside)
Lmao
I occasionally drop by the storage facilities where people rent areas to store their extra stuff. If they're behind in their payments, the company just cuts the locks off. They'll often sell me a bucket of cut-off locks for a few dollars (basically what they could get for them as scrap metal). Sure, most of them are easy Master locks, but you'll generally get a handful of decent ones as well. Be ready for the "what are you going to use them for" question: I explain the general concept of locksport to them, and most of them are satisfied with that. Note, once I was late on a payment and they went to cut my locks off, but their boltcutters weren't capable of cutting a quality hasp.
What did you use?
What did I use for what?
Your quality hasp lock?
I was an American lock, from before they got bought by Master.
The only person to put more time into his hobby than his law degree.
I'm new to lockpicking.. like BRAND new. I just received my lock pick kit today. Already picked my front and rear door locks, and a random masterlock. All because of your videos. Thank you! Time to find more locks!
Fantastic! This idea of "mixed practice" sometimes called "interleaving" has good support in educational/psychological research and seems to be strongly tied to flexibility, retention of deeper skills, and creativity. It applies to almost all learning. Very cool.
Dear LockPickingLawyer,
thank you for your introduction video of your "how to learn pickin" practice. Your honesty, your dignity to this hobby and your openness towards new skills as well as sharing that knowledge - my deep respect, trank you too and as always, have a nice day!
Teacher: What are your hobbies?
LockPickingLawyer: I love picking locks, one day it will be my proffession
Teacher: Calls police
Excellent points! Rotation of locks is key to functional practice. I agree E Bay is a source of inexpensive locks. I have found locks for $2-3 dollars.
Thanks.
Also a way of finding the wrong site and losing your
Very good advice. I've become very good at several different skills in my life. I refrain from saying "mastered" because I think that is not possible. There will always be something out there that you haven't encountered.
Felling timber (logging) is one. I've felled many thousands of trees in my life. I've also climbed them and taken them down over multi million dollar homes and transmission lines working as an aborist. None are the same. None. When you set your saw into an individual tree it is the thousands of others that you have felled that tell you how to fell that one. Adding the risk of dying to the equation justs ups the anty.
I was also a licenced plumber for 15 years. Now, a lot of people will scoff at that because they don't know what it takes to get there. Good for them. I've never killed a family by improperly venting a boiler or water heater. There is so much stuff to learn in plumbing that no one person could ever know all of it.
I think our brains store this stuff, not on the top, but it is there and is accessed when we need it. I think you are spot on with your lock picking practice and I've never picked a lock in my life besides sliding a credit card through the front door of my house when I locked myself out. I hadn't locked the deadbolt.
I enjoy your videos immensely. Hats off to you.
love your comment, very true 👍👍
stay save logging.. i heard it's one of the most dangerous jobs out there. i read about logging accidents all the time in the news
"I also have a lock picking club I go to once a week, where I sit around with the boys, drink beers, and pick locks while talking about whatever lock pickers talk about. We're meeting at my house next week and I'm ordering pizzas.... jokes on them though, I'm putting locks on the boxes (don't ask me how) and they get nasty luke warm/cold pizza if they can't solve it fast enough. Ah, I love lock picking club!"
the first rule of lock picking club, is, don't talk about lock picking club.... :-)
for pickers on a budget with a limited amount of locks I would suggest shuffling pins top and bottom to change things up.
That's always an option, but also a serious PITA.
+LockPickingLawyer that's why it's important, like picking, pinning takes practice too.
you can go to paris and lockpick all the locks you want on the bridge althought lockpicks are illegal there
I think your advice in this video translates very well into other skills, for example playing the piano. If you just play the same song, you may learning how to play that song, but not how to play the piano.
I think this is spot on. I consider myself a beginner, coming to this hobby after idly dabbling 25 years ago & losing interest. Now I'm older and a shocking hoarder, I've already built up a crate of random locks. Many are the transparent training ones but some are production. I'm sticking with pin tumblers for now but have bought some dimple locks etc for when I get more advanced. Within my collection I do exactly as you have suggested here. Pick one, move on, and I'm already finding myself improving. I would add that immersing myself in videos such as yours and Bosnian Bill's, while way out of my league with techniques & terminology, helps to bathe me in the culture, styles, enjoyment and frustration to come. Thank you!
What you explained here is the reason why you are so good at it 😊
This seems to be good advice for any new skill. Thanks for showing us the actual work you put in maintaining your skills.
This is exactly the approach to use for becoming better at solving math or science problems: you don't practice the same problem over and over again - or even twice in a row, for that matter. You pick a topic (= type of lock), such as solving and plotting quadratic equations (picking tubular locks) and work at one after the other.
Thanks for discussing this important fundamental principle of learning as it applies to lock picking, LPL!
Hi LPL, I started watching your vids through interest & what I’ve learnt from your vids came to good use today when I forgot the keys to my tool chest & was able to pick the locks to access my tools.
👍 Thanks LPL
Thanks for the video. I appreciate your channel for remembering things that other channels don’t touch on. This video and the one you did focussing just on tension techniques were both really good watching for anyone but particularly for those who are still pretty new.
I can just hear LPL sitting in the movie theater quietly saying, “click on one, nothing on two, three is binding...”
Every new picker needs to watch this video. Really glad I found it. Thanks, LPL.
Thanks, glad you like.
Excellent, this is why I subscribe to your channel, for these lateral thinking gems that you put out from time to time.
I find that your slightly different approach very enlightening.
Thanks
Mike
Thanks... I have a few more videos along these lines in mind, but need to noodle the content a bit more. Thanks for the sub, and stay tuned for more.
LPL, you have given great credence to an old adage “ Practice makes perfect”
Excellent thoughts. I am attempting the same method albeit on a smaller scale and totally agree something like this is necessary to avoid being overconfident in your skills by becoming familiar with a small selection of locks. Great video. Cheers
Thanks.
This is how I got really good at picking my nose.
Excuse me sir/maam. Can I pick your nose for practice.
You never pick the same nose more than once in a row?
Hahahahahah
LPL, it's so nice to see some of your larger collection, and learn some of what's involved to maintain your skills. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you LockPickingLawyer. My new favorite channel and hopefully a new passion/skill to embrace. I don't want to break into anywhere, but just enjoy the discipline it's self, the mechanical fascination and joy of puzzle solving in such a form. Also will be great not to get locked out of my house again, although this has only ever happened when I'm too drunk to walk, so maybe this level of manual dexterity will be quite beyond me. There must be some very funny stories about this kind of thing.
phrase - "it can be done, without breaking the bank" - have a different tone coming from a man with such skillset... :))))
"Good morning your honour, I am defending my client who was caught outside the warehouses because he was RUBBISH"
Just started picking and went back into your video catalog and this video really helped. In just one day I got noticably better from just picking through multiple locks in a single session. Thanks!
This just a perfect new found hobby for me. !!! I am a retired carpenter and have a lot of time now, I would prefer to do small shop woodworking projects but my back won't allow it,, I love a challenge and have a lot of patience, and I can do this sitting down at my workbench. I can't wait to get started with this. !!!
Thank you Sir. !!!! Watching your videos really inspired me. !!! You are just awesome!!!! 😎✌i
Thats his Netflix and chill.
Netflix and pick
Great idea, well executed. It's exactly the opposite approach to starting with one repinnable lock. You can vary the pins but the natural binding order will always be the same.
Thanks. Like I said in the video, everyone seems to have a different approach to picking and practice, and some people swear by those purpose-built practice locks. That said, I think that you zeroed right in on one of the two main weaknesses of them... the binding order (though that can be changed with security pins) and the fact that it can be a royal PITA to repin the lock dozens of times per practice session.
I have a carabiner full of locks. I go through each lock as if it was the first time and in random order. I’m also always adding to my collection. Thanks for validating my efforts! Keep up the great work...
🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
Another great video. I think most pickers tend to get 'stale', they get hung up or frustrated occasionally, these type videos are a very helpful tool, help regain some focus and concentration and relax, like a fresh start. This helps me to allay some frustration sometimes, it's a 'feel good' thing. Thanks for sharing ;-)
Thank you... One thing I didn't mention is that these practice sessions are very relaxing for me. My own little Zen getaway!
I learned to pick locks playing the elder scrolls. level 100
And how many of those locks have you come across in the world? 😂😂😂
Same.
i learned from fallout.
SmallFries01 lol
I learned from betrayal at Krondor. Computer game from the 90's. I wonder if the lockpicking lawyer can pick a Webber lock. If anyone can do it, it's him!
That's awesome. This is why you are one of the best. So much practice.
Probably watched dozens of your videos and just noticed that I wasn’t even subscribed. Made sure I subbed this time. Thanks for your informative videos. This hobby is useful for developing my concentration, patience and problem solving skills.
Great info! I don't own much locks, but I'm blessed with a local locksmith that lend me lots of stuff, so at one point, I was doing the same, getting 5-10 different lock a week, picking them, bringing them back and so forth! Helped me a lot.
A supportive local lock locksmith can be a real asset. You are very locky. ;-)
+LockPickingLawyer guess how I got that scorpion ;)
I 100% agree, the 1 point I would add is that is when you pick the same style of lock(not the same lock)you can pick useful techniques like tension amounts.
Thanks.
I totally agree with this philosophy of learning. I taught music in the same way. I was a guitar teacher but what I was actually trying to teach was understanding the music and how to engage with it using the instrument, not just how to memorise what finger to put where. If you understand what's happening and why then you can come up with different approaches from other challenges, and blend things, without just copy and pasting from elsewhere.
Now I know exactly how this feels. I constantly reach for my pics and locks while I'm watching TV, so I can pick while I watch. Really loving this new hobby. Thanks, Harry!
Well, except the whole 'carabiner of locks' lmao
He used to be slow back in the day. Watch at 1.25x speed for 2021 lpl.
you know this is exactly the same way you teach a machine-learning algorithm to classify data. If you give it one data set and make it learn it over and over again, it will learn that very well but wont generalize. On the other hand, if you have hundreds if not thousands of datasets you make your model generalize to most datasets. Interesting video.
Thanks for the video. What you say sounds super logical and I'm glad that I watch your videos before I started practicing myself. I'm going to get myself some more locks right now.
Thanks for the tip. Just started picking YESTERDAY when my practice lock arrived. Since then been looking all over the house for padlocks and will buy some online!
I do it a bit differently. Instead of having a tote full of locks, i have a large neighborhood full of homes that are oddly quiet and dark at night.
Did the judge agree that it's a hobby?
When hes mad he goes to the paris bridge and picks all the locks
omg! that is brilliant xD
With only a tension bar , a shim and a WAVE RAKE
After buying a Sparrow lock picking set and a dummy plastic lock, I find what you said to be correct. I've picked that training lock several times, and an old Master lock a few times. I've also found that tension is much more important than picking. Thanks for your heart of a teacher, and keep up the great videos. I also equate locks to that of law, just because you're good at one type of law, doesn't mean that you're good at all of them.
These videos are great. I really needed a new focus in life and I can't wait to get my first lock picked. Top man! 👍
Are you picking medecos and assa twins now?
Great video, definitely a good way to improve your random picking skills.
Keep it up.
Thank you.
Thanks for this great video. Your fantastic skills proof that you are right with this kind of workflow. You have more locks in one Set you showed, then I have in my whole collection. ;-) Of we go to ebay.
Thanks. Ebay is a godsend for us pickers.
I realize I am commenting on an old video, but thank you for making this. This is a great approach and is giving me a lot of good ideas. I am new to picking but old to following the hobby. I have seen almost all your videos and Bills videos. I have been buying used lock lots on eBay because right now it is a cheap way to get 5 or more locks, but I love the idea to resale them, I think I am going to do just that.
I think this is my favorite videos of yours. Thank you soooo much for this insight
This guys not getting through airport security with his version of a fidget spinner :-)
I'd love to see you in a 3 star restaurant waiting for your food to arrive.
Nicely done!
The strength of the effort is measured in the result. There is never a mistake in the result.
I dont remember how I came acrossed your videos, but TH-cam must know me better than I know myself cause it really peaked my interest. It would of never even dawned on me people picked locks for a hobby. Now I'm going to try and learn myself. I've watched alot of your videos now and really enjoy them. I enjoy your voice and manner of speaking too it's very calming. You're like the Bob Ross of lock picking. 😂 in any case thanks for making these videos and sharing with the world.
Oh, more locks.
00:03 Oh ... a plot twist.
The other day I was at the movies and someone behind me was muttering "nice click out of 1, 2 is binding..."
Solid info bud! This is a gem of a non picking instructional video on TH-cam. The analogy in the back of my mind has always been that these locks are a kin to easy chicks from the bar... lol, hit it once or twice and be done. But I've never thought about having a harem to randomly pick through ;^)
LOL. Thanks.
You’re a commitment at your hobby is inspiring
Other lockpickers: so how many locks do you have
Lockpicking lawyer: Yes
Silly meme
"Yes" in ASCII converted to binary to decimal makes 89 101 115
so just shy of 90 million, feels like a fair estimate
@@Uocjat The more you know.
@@Uocjat "yes" is also base-36 for 44596 decimal.
@@Uocjat If you instead go case-sensitive, base-62, encoded with all the lower-case letters first, then the upper-case, then "Yes" works out to 231536 decimal.
Training for free: pick love locks on the next bridge :D
Its a great hobby. I've been practicing on some locks, on my own door in the appartment complex and a flatmate wondered if I could pick his lock. Took some time because, like you said: it was new and I picked the same locks for giggles. But I managed and my flatmate got kinda scared. Assured him its just a COVID lockdown hobby. The patience required, a calm mind and learning the feeling of a set pin... its great!
I've been following you for about 3 years you are 100% thank you😊
3:00 To myself and most fellow locksmiths that is literally porn 😛
Can you recommend any locks or training locks that would be available in the UK that can be re-pinned for practising different configurations without having to keep buying locks all the time? Plus, where I could get pins of varying types and security levels to use in said lock? Thanks.
Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with locks in the UK to make a recommendation. As for security pins, when I use commercial security pins, I usually get them from clksupplies.com ... not sure if they ship overseas.
Lnxyy no.... just no
I'm also in the UK, there's a great Canadian lock picking company called Sparrows that ship to the UK (postage cost about a fiver for me) and they sell a repinnable brass practice lock with a window into the lock body to see the pins which is great for practice. They also sell a 'reload kit' which includes loads of security pins and springs etc with all the stuff you need to repin a lock. All in all it cost me about £35 with postage and it's been great for helping me practice
I got my first picks and a transparent practice lock from UKbumpkeys.com. They have a wide variety of locks and prices including repinnable locks which come with a box full of pins and springs for you to fiddle with. (The cheaper locks can probably also be repinned but you'd need to put some work in to access and then resecure them, not sure if the payoff is worth it.) They also have reduced prices on various items, it's the one site I've signed up for the (rare) news mailings and I've not regretted it. Only complaint I have is that the first lock I bought was far too easy to open with a simple rock & rake, which gave me a false sense of how easy a hobby this is, but it is marketed as a starter lock so has no security features; going back to first principles and doing some SPP helped me get my money's worth out of it.
Another good source for practice locks is friends and work colleagues. I found some old padlocks at work that we'd lost the keys for so could never use, and have been happily playing with them for a while now; this really helps you learn how to approach a lock blind, work out how many pins or wafers it has, etc.
locksaway is great. Im beginner and currently picking one with removable pins. Definitely helps.
The amount of dedication you have is admirable.
This is some really good advice. I myself take is a step further. I don't buy a whole lot of locks. Instead I find them. Literally on the side of the road. You might be surprised about how many you might find. People forget to lock them up or set them on their trailers and they just fall of after a period of time. The locks themselves are usually scratched up. Sometimes they are broken, but majority of the time they are just fine. As a note I'm not condoning walking into traffic just to get a hunk of metal. I advise people to be safe when making your own decisions. Cheers!
Sometimes I wonder if the LPL has keys or just walks around with a lock picking set on his key ring instead
Deviant Ollam has stated that he has some locks he actually does this with. Not the good locks for stuff that needs to be really secure, but he has some he uses in less critical applications, where it's more about tamper evidence or even just needing to technically count as "locked", where he threw away the keys years ago, but kept the locks, because picking/raking them is easier than messing with the actual key.
@@JohnDoe-nq4du I know that guy too. I feel oddly proud by that fact.
I had a car once that was quicker to open with a coat hanger than the actual key. Especially in the winter.
I used the key anyway. Too many questions the other way.
@@ceoyoyo I can imagine-
“Hey, what are you doing?” *starts calling police*
“Breaking into my car.”
“You’re locked out?”
“No.”
“Then why are you breaking in?”
“It’s faster to pick it.”
6666
Dear LPL,
Looking on Ebay, I can't find lock cylinders for anything close to 30 cents each. Any tips?
Ty,
LockDoc
MariposaDoctor you suck
@@lefty3565 thanks very helpful
a whole year late but check out local flea markets
Wow! What an inspiring video! Seeing and hearing you explain is like sitting with a teacher!
I would LOVE to have seen this completed but I also have ADHD and totally understand lost interest. Whatever you choose, I enjoyed your videos on it.
:( There don't seem to be any big sets of cores on ebay anymore. Man, I've looked. Ill look again right now.
-edit:
apparently I am an idiot. While I was looking for padlocks I overlooked the veritable sea of just cores that exist on ebay.
:-) Good luck with them.
eh, its back to basics for me. I've been spoiled on padlocks. About half of them are Yale C keyways (I think). I've picked everything else but Im having difficulty with the warding there. Would it be easier with 15 thousandths picks? Mine are mostly sparrows 25 thousandths.
htomerif or a 18 thousandths, might try a offset diamond also like peterson for that. My sparrows i use on others, and southord on others yet. The 15 thousandths bend pretty easy, even the gov steel, so if you are heavy handed!
care to give me some search terms? or maybe there is a setting in ebay where you can search for used only that im missing...
if i search for 'used', i just get a bunch of cutaway locks
edit: actually, i have found a couple listings with about 10 lock cores and about $2 per lock which id love to buy (they typically have 'lot' in the name). but those are all in the US and the shipping doubles/triples the price.
im thinking of paying a visit to some local locksmiths and seeing if they collect locks they have removed.
It looks like, after LPL got popular, people have flooded the market with overpriced cores. I can't find these for sale for less than five. Usually "LOCKSPORT PACK OF FIVE CORES: FOURTY DOLLARS"