I've always had a interest in learning how to pick locks... seems like a good challenge.

I can see from searching around on the net that a lot of different countries you are not allowed to possess lockpicks or manuals on locksmithing without a clear need to do so (basically you have to be a working locksmith)... and you can be charged under law.

Obviously I wouldn't expect anyone to know the exact details, but where would I begin to search for answers? I don't really feel comfortable walking down to the cop shop and asking :) Very suss indeed.

the state library? surely it would have some law books detailing our laws.

ask Chubb

Ask a locksmith?

Go buy some lockpicks and manuals and see how it goes?

Ask a locksmith?

Good thinking :)

I don't want to "see how it goes" and end up getting charged with intended burglary.

Well then you'll have your answer, won't you?

Why would you need to carry lockpicks and a manual outside of your own property if it was for only recreation/interest inlearning different locks?

If you want different locks to pick, bring the locks to your house and no more mr. policeman worries.

shut your mouth young lady..

Why would you need to carry lockpicks and a manual outside of your own property if it was for only recreation/interest inlearning different locks?

If you want different locks to pick, bring the locks to your house and no more mr. policeman worries.

Obviously Loki, I would be picking locks only inside my own property.

I guess as long as there wasn't a string of robberies locally and somehow the cops found out about the locksmithing... that's probably the only situation where I would be in the s***.

if it was legal.

without a doubt I would expect a heap of fat nerds to spend heaps of time indoors honing in on their lockpicking skills; congregating and discussing the latest technological development in the world of lockpicking via the internet. they would form little clubs of the sort, building up avatars and fake persona's for themselves - it would be called somthing like the queensland lockpicking guild (QLG) and would hold annual lockpicking conventions in the ANZ stadium where they would meet up and lockpick battle eachother based on the merits of their manliness. this whole underworld of lockpickers will be based around a forum where they regularly post information about lockpicking and other "RL" stuff to show their peers how cool and intouch with the world they are. being a mindless and repetative task, while surrounded by like minded individuals, they will draw comfort out of the fact they are good at somthing, rather than bad at everything.

could you imagine that? heh, what lewsors!

Since Defcon14 brought it back, it's all about bumping. Even a tiny no-nothing girl can do it.

Learn how on YouTube.

I am 300/300 lockpicking

You could ask people to hire you to try and break in, as a test of their security, like what internet security advisers do.
Then you can charge them for the practice you are getting.

I wouldn't leave your property with that gear on your person. All sorts of bad news could eventuate, and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time...

www.howstuffworks.com, look up "how lock picking works"

legally, knowing how a lock works is about as illegal as knowing how to get around your own security mesures. and you don't need to have specially made lock picks, you can make them out of a needle.

the whole thing of lockpicking is flawed because in most / all cases, there is an easier and faster way to break into the lock (bolt cutters? a large rock? etc.) but its an entertaining skill to pick up.

basically, keep it at home, and im sure you will be ok?

When I was a kid I practiced on padlocks. They can vary in difficulty quite dramatically. You can do it in your own home, and you aren't hurting anyone. If you're caught with the gear though, you could get in trouble.

I used to pick locks for fun (legally) when I was younger. Ever since I saw my first spy movie
Even won a bet of a kid in high school that I could pick the lock securing his pushbike with a tiny 2 pronged cocktail fork in under 20 seconds.

well, I did it an was + $10 richer for it!

(ps: $10 back in 1982, not this worthless piece of crap we have now)


edit: Actually, I had a house I lived in once that was quicker to bypass the front door lock with a piece of plastic cut out of an old platic coke bottle than it was to actually get a key out an use it.

Retired old aircraft mechanic from next door showed me how after I locked myself out of the house one day.

Was pretty amazing (and scary) just how simple it really was

last edited by HERMITech at 19:07:48 04/Jan/07

blah who cares about picking locks.

all that effort when you could just
google

"bump keys"

blah who cares about picking locks.

all that effort when you could just
google

"bump keys"

That's boring, the whole point of learning lock picking is for the challenge.

It seems like everything is fine (after searching a bunch of locksmith forums) in Australia as long as you don't have intent... so if I keep them at home, all is good.

i could pick the locks on those bike chains where it was 4 spinners that could be 0 through 9

If you ask me, intent laws are a crock of s***e

Retired old aircraft mechanic from next door showed me how

I so wanna be one of those old blokes that seem to know every trick in the book. Old champion fellas.

I've always wanted to learn how to lock pick after I was watching the local U/21's play one weekend when i was 9. Went down to the local footy fields with my brother and my mate, locked up bikes on a pole, went to watch the game. Had the key on a chain round my neck. Come back at the end of the day, no key. Couldn't believe it. Old hag lady came up, said 'you lost the key hey' and she took a bobby pin out of her hair, stuck it in the lock, wiggled it for about 30 seconds, pop, open. Damn. Went home, closed lock, found bobby pin, I could not for the life of me unlock it. Tried for days. Eventually threw the lock out.
/story.

I so wanna be one of those old blokes that seem to know every trick in the book. Old champion fellas

It's amazing what you can learn when you listen to someone whose willing to teach you something, specially old people

There's a moral to this story I'll translate into a language today's kids might just get:
It's a good lesson on paying a lil respect to your elders, cause you just never know when it's gonna end in a secret bonus round!

secret bonus round, that can be interpreted so many ways...lolz

yeah, good point hermi.

i could pick the locks on those bike chains where it was 4 spinners that could be 0 through 9

I remember them, they were easy. A retarded donkey could unlock one of those.

I could pick my nose, with my left thumb. Makes it harder cause i'm right handed.

Its been a while since I looked but there were elements to a charge whereby if you were located or detained at 'night' with 'instruments' of burglary, you could be arrested. Then again a bloody screwdriver could be regarded as such an 'instrument'...i believe it all hinges on when and where you are with such items upon your person.

e.g. You have to explain why you are in Mrs Thompson's back yard with your little lock pick kit and what kind of whacko are you getting your jollies out of having her underwear in your back pocket?

hehehe

(ps: $10 back in 1982, not this worthless piece of crap we have now)

s*** HERMITech my weekend job at the local servo pumping gas Friday arvo and Saturday morning only paid $28/week back then and I was doing all right too!

I also used to stuff the Sunday Sun in the Sun Paper building the the Valley on Saturday night (4hrs) $40 best casual job in Biz Vegas for a high school kid in them days!

I personally prefer picking my nose, it's much more satisfying.

I guess lock picking wouldn't have the after taste :P

after locking my keys in the car numerous times (blond much?) I figured I'd better learn how to break into my car without damaging it so as a result me + coathanger = inside my car in > 30 seconds.

s*** HERMITech my weekend job at the local servo pumping gas Friday arvo and Saturday morning only paid $28/week back then and I was doing all right too!

I also used to stuff the Sunday Sun in the Sun Paper building the the Valley on Saturday night (4hrs) $40 best casual job in Biz Vegas for a high school kid in them days!

looks up at the lovely day it is. but looks like rain a brewin. pauses .......

adjusts onion on belt.





ps. top work on the QLG little spin. had a good chuckle.

When I was a kid, I had a chain and padlock for my pushy but had no key for the padlock. I learned how to pick the lock well enough with a paper clip to not need a key.