How to Make a Paperclip Lock Pick that Works

Awesome post. I quickly made my initial tools as shown in the video. However, I wanted to point out that it is quite easy to construct several other popular pick styles. I made a rounded half diamond tip which seems to work super fast on standard dead bolt locks. Also, try tweaking the tension rod design: make the tip wider by wedging a small flat tip screwdriver in the fold at the tip. This made a little stronger and wider tension tool.

Reply

Thought I would tell you about my experience trying to pick a lock using paper clips. As background, I have never picked any lock. Never even tried. However, I recently saw something on picking on the internet that interested me. I began to read about how to pick locks and decided I wanted to buy a set of picks and give it a try. While I was deciding what picks to buy, I continued to read about lock picking and came across your video on how to pick a lock using just paper clips. Up until then, everything I read online said newbees should not waste their time trying to use ‘office supplies’ to pick locks. “Too frustrating!” “Movie fiction. Can’t be done.” However, you did it in your video and it looked like it couldn’t be simpler. I had the paper clips and in short order, a little longer than it took you, I had the required ‘tools’. My pick had more gentle curves than yours but that seemed OK since one comment to your video suggested the problems you had picking your lock may have been due to the steeper curves. Anyway, I had the tools and I now needed a lock.

The only unused lock I could find around the house was a padlock I had used 2-3 years ago to lock the gate at the end of the driveway. It was used only one season because in the winter, the lock froze. Almost everyday that winter, I had to use a cigarette lighter to thaw the lock. Not fun at sub-freezing temperatures in the dark before sunrise. I did not have any anti-icing compounds so I finally tried pouring some olive oil in the lock. It worked for a day or two but I eventually had to go back to the cigarette lighter. Repeated the oil treatment a couple of times but always had to resort to fire. The lock eventually got shoved into the glove compartment and forgotten. When I found the lock yesterday, I could not find the key. Thus, I had no way of knowing whether the lock would even work. What the hell. I would give it a try anyway. I figured I would try for an hour or so to open the lock. I expected that I might have to put more time in later. I also foresaw that I would probably be mucking around with the lock while I watched television for the next few nights. I was prepared to be patient. So, I followed your video as best as I could even though I had no idea what I was doing. I was raking, sawing, jiggling, bumping, whatever. After a minute or so, I began wondering what was happening. I stopped torturing the lock and eased off on the tension and distinctly heard a ‘click’. I interpreted that to mean that I had set one or more pins. I was encouraged and went back to work. It couldn’t have been a minute more and the lock popped open. I was stunned! Since then, I’ve repeated this dozens of times. My fastest time was less than 10 sec with several other times of under 30 seconds. What was the lock, you ask? It was a Master padlock that had ‘Kryptonite’ written on a plastic waterproof wrapper. The only writing actually on the padlock was ‘ 40 MM’. No doubt, this lock is probably THE EASIEST lock to pick in the entire world. Nevertheless, I’m impressed and still somewhat stunned about how easy it was.

Thought you might be interested to hear a virgin’s attempt to pick their first lock. Thanks for the video.

Reply