To understand the different types of lock picks, you’ll first need to know the fundamentals behind what it means to open a lock. If you understand the basics, you can easily navigate all the different varieties of picks that you might face for the various odd entries. This is the surest way to understand the different types of lock picks and their methods.
Single-Pin Picking
When you’re first starting out with this skill, you will have to understand how the mechanism of your trade works. Most locks have a system of pins that you must traverse in a set sequence before you can undo the lock. Single-pin picking is the act of picking the pins that have fallen into place to set the lock individually. This will help you with your manual skill in figuring out the best way to unlock any items or areas.
Knowing the Hooks
The second style of picking is known by most as hooking. It’s named for the style of picks that are specifically designed for this practice. These picks are shaped like hooks so that you can individually pick a pin and hold it in place while sending another hook out behind it to unlatch the subsequent hooks. This continues until you make it to the final pin that unlocks the lock. This skill requires a little more technique, as you have to juggle multiple picks, but it isn’t as time-consuming as single-picking can be.
The Art of Raking
This version of picking really serves to manipulate as much of the lock in the quickest amount of time possible. In this method, the pick rakes out multiple pins at once. The idea is that if you rake the lock enough in the right order, you will have the ability to open the lock quickly. You might need to acquire certain tools that are designed for the type of work needed in raking to help you get around all the pins at once.
Learning a new skill can be hard, especially when it’s a skill as technical as lockpicking. This is a skill that may help you out of a bind or a dangerous situation, so it is a necessary skill everyone should have. Therefore, it’s important to understand the different types of lockpicks so that you can master this skill and have it in your repertoire.