The need and desire to safely secure your belongings has existed for thousands of years and locks have been the primary way of securing a container, door, safe, and other ways of containing items. For as long as locks have existed, locksmiths have been asked to carefully open them. Before you assume that there is a malicious intent, take into consideration the circumstances a locksmith would be needed.
Most locks are comprised of two major parts, the actual lock itself and the key, locks that require keys to be opened are susceptible to one major design flaw; a key to open them must be used. The vast majority of locks used, from cars to homes and even small safes use keys. This is a flaw because the key should be kept in a different physical location then the lock for safety reasons, which also greatly increases the chances it could be lost, forgotten or stolen. Keys are also susceptible to damage, wear, tear and even bending, so they may not work when you go to use them because using more drastic measures to remove the lock, such as cutting it off, may not be available at hand and if the lock needs to be used again, a qualified locksmith is needed to open, or pick the lock.
One of the easiest ways to pick a lock is using a technique called key bumping. Lock bumping was invented in the 1970′s when a locksmith discovered a way to manipulate the complex pin and tumbler system inside utilizing a near blank key. The technique is among the most effective for common locks but you don’t need to be a trained locksmith to effectively bump a lock.
A specific key is used for lock bumping that will allow you to get the upper pins inside a cylinder lock to rest on the sheer line allowing the plug to turn inside the cylinder and unlocking the lock. When you bump a key into the cylinder the kinetic energy is transferred to the upper and lower pin that causes them to separate. This technique is not as simple as putting a key in and turning it, but with a little practice you could expect to get a lock opened in a minute or two. This is nearly all technique and not brute force, so you can damage your bump key, get it stuck inside the lock or do permanent damage to the lock. In order to utilize this technique properly you must practice and have a fair amount of patience, it’s not something you can easily rush into. It’s suggested to start on new locks that aren’t secured to anything in the event you do damage the bump key or lock, you won’t ruin anything.
Bump lock keys are made for and sold only to professionals, however they can be found on several websites. While no special permit is required to buy them and they are not illegal in anyway, using one in an manner to illegally access something could be a crime.
If you have any further questions about this article or locksmithing please visit my Fort Myers Locksmith website
