Locksmithing
Locksmithing began as the science and art of making and defeating locks. A lock is a mechanism that secures buildings, rooms, cabinets, objects, or other storage facilities. A key is often used to open a lock. Means of opening a lock may include two-factor authentication for greater security, such as requiring both something you know (a combination) and something you have (a key or keycard).
Locksmithing is one of the earliest forms of security engineering.[citation needed] Lock picking was one of the first methods of cracking security systems.[citation needed] The oldest known lock was approximately 4,000 years old and was of Egyptian make. It was found in the ruins of the Emperor Sargon II's palace in Khorsabad. It used the same pin tumbler principle employed by many modern locks.
Terminology
A "smith" of any type is one who shapes metal pieces, often using a forge or mould, into useful objects or to be part of a more complex structure. Locksmithing, as its name implies, is the assembly and designing of locks and their respective keys.
Work
Historically, locksmiths actually made the entire lock, working for hours hand cutting screws and doing much file-work. Today, the rise of cheap mass production means that this is no longer true, and, though a few expert locksmiths are also engineers and capable of sophisticated repairs and renovation work, the vast majority of locks are repaired by swapping of parts or like-for-like replacement, or upgraded to modern mass-production items. Until more recently, safes and strongboxes were the exception to this, and to this day large vaults are custom designed and built at great cost, as the cost of this is lower than the very limited scope for mass production would allow, and the risk of a copy being obtained and defeated as practice is removed. Although fitting of keys to replace lost keys to automobiles and homes and the changing of keys for homes and businesses to maintain security are still an important part of locksmithing, locksmiths today are primarily involved in the installation of higher quality lock-sets and the design, implementation and management of keying and key control systems. Most locksmiths also do electronic lock servicing, such as making keys for transponder-equipped vehicles and the implementation and application of access control systems protecting individuals and assets for many large institutions. In terms of physical security, a locksmith's work frequently involves making a determination of the level of risk to an individual or institution and then recommending and implementing appropriate combinations of equipment and policies to create "security layers" which exceed the reasonable gain to an intruder or attacker. The more different security layers are implemented, the more the requirement for additional skills and knowledge and tools to defeat them all. But because each layer comes at an expense to the customer, the application of appropriate levels without exceeding reasonable costs to the customer is often very important and requires a skilled and knowledgeable locksmith to determine.
Employment
Locksmiths may be commercial (working out of a storefront), mobile (working out of a vehicle), institutional (employed by an institution) or investigational (forensic locksmiths) or may specialize in one aspect of the skill, such as an automotive lock specialist, a master key system specialist or a safe technician. Many (not all) are also security consultants, but not every security consultant has the skills and knowledge of a locksmith. Locksmiths are frequently certified in specific skill areas or to a level of skill within the trade. This is separate from certificates of completion of training courses. In determining skill levels, certifications from manufacturers or locksmith associations are usually more valid criteria than certificates of completion. Some locksmiths decide to call themselves "Master Locksmiths" whether they are fully trained or not, and some training certificates appear quite authoritative. It may be noted, however, that in some countries a particular level of qualification or membership of an organization is required before one can adopt the term Master Locksmith.[citation needed]
The majority of locksmiths also work on any existing door hardware, not just locking mechanisms. This includes door closers, door hinges, electric strikes, frame repairs and other door hardware.
Legitimate locksmiths can be accredited through the Associated Locksmiths of America. (ALOA)
Locks
In the general case, a lock will not keep out an absolutely determined intruder with unlimited resources, skills, knowledge and time. However, even a minimal lock can delay a typical intruder for a time, and the disturbance generated in circumventing a high-quality lock, for example by breaking windows or doors, can deter many attackers, causing them to direct their attacks against weaker targets.
When combined with secure containers, or document destruction systems, or electronic access or alarm systems, locks can provide much higher levels of security. Some locksmiths possess these skills, and others form business relationships with companies or individuals with these specialties.
'Full disclosure'
The issue of full disclosure was first raised in the context of locksmithing, in a 19th-century controversy regarding whether weaknesses in lock systems should be kept secret in the locksmithing community, or revealed to the public.
According to A. C. Hobbs:
A commercial, and in some respects a social doubt has been started within the last year or two, whether or not it is right to discuss so openly the security or insecurity of locks. Many well-meaning persons suppose that the discussion respecting the means for baffling the supposed safety of locks offers a premium for dishonesty, by showing others how to be dishonest. This is a fallacy. Rogues are very keen in their profession, and know already much more than we can teach them respecting their several kinds of roguery. Rogues knew a good deal about lock-picking long before locksmiths discussed it among themselves, as they have lately done. If a lock, let it have been made in whatever country, or by whatever maker, is not so inviolable as it has hitherto been deemed to be, surely it is to the interest of honest persons to know this fact, because the dishonest are tolerably certain to apply the knowledge practically;and the spread of the knowledge is necessary to give fair play to those who might suffer by ignorance. It cannot be too earnestly urged that an acquaintance with real facts will, in the end, be better for all parties. Some time ago, when the reading public was alarmed at being told how London milk is adulterated, timid persons deprecated the exposure, on the plea that it would give instructions in the art of adulterating milk; a vain fear, milkmen knew all about it before, whether they practiced it or not; and the exposure only taught purchasers the necessity of a little scrutiny and caution, leaving them to obey this necessity or not, as they pleased.
-- From A. C. Hobbs (Charles Tomlinson, ed.), Locks and Safes: The Construction of Locks. Published by Virtue & Co., London, 1853 (revised 1868).
Locksmithing is a traditional trade, and in most countries requires completion of an Apprenticeship. The level of formal education required varies from country to country, from a simple training certificate awarded by an employer, to a full Diploma from an Engineering College (such as in Australia) in addition to time spent working as an apprentice.
Lock picking
Lock picking is the skill of unlocking a lock by analyzing and manipulating the components of the lock device, without the original key. Although lock picking can be associated with criminal intent, it is an essential skill for a locksmith. Lock picking is the ideal way of opening a lock without the correct key, while not damaging the lock, allowing it to be rekeyed for later use, which is especially important with antique locks that would be impossible to replace if destructive entry methods were used.
Lock picking is only made possible by unavoidable mechanical machining errors in the fabrication of locks.
The move towards combination locks for high security items such as safes was intended to remove the weakest part of the lock: its keyhole.
In normal situations it is almost always easier to gain access by some means other than lock picking; most common locks can be quickly and easily opened using a drill, bolt cutters, padlock shim, a bump key or a hydraulic jack. The hasp, door, or fixture they are attached to can be cut, broken, unscrewed or otherwise removed, windows can be broken etc. Therefore a lock that offers high resistance to picking does not necessarily make unauthorized access more difficult, but will make surreptitious unauthorized access more difficult. Locks are often used in combination with alarms to provide layered security.
Some people enjoy picking locks recreationally. This may also be referred to as Locksport.
Pin/Tumbler and Wafer Pick sets
The tools for lock picking Pin/Tumbler type locks and wafer type locks can be improvised from common items, or machined at home with relative ease. This is also the case with warded locks. These type above cover the vast majority of American and European domestic locks, the UK being an exception where five lever mortice locks are a requirement for home insurance. A different tool set is required for more complex locks such as mortice locks which are not as easily fabricated.
The process of picking pin/tumbler and wafer locks is concerned with causing the two sets of pins (upper or driver pins and bottom pins) to separate such that the cylinder will turn. The point at which the pins properly separate when the lock is unlocked is called the shearline.
Lock pick kits can be purchased openly via the Internet. Many different selections are present. Nine-piece sets and a 32-piece set equipped with a Pick Gun for example differ in value and price greatly. However, many lock pickers state that for most simple locks, a basic set of five picks is enough; therefore it is unnecessary to carry around a wide variety of professional lock picks.
Torsion wrench
Often called a torque wrench or a tension wrench, a torsion wrench is a tool used in picking locks. Typically shaped like a letter "L" (although the vertical part of the letter is elongated in comparison to the horizontal part), it is used to apply torsion to the inner cylinder of a lock, in order to hold any picked pins in place, while the other pins are shifted. The tension wrench is then used to turn the inner cylinder and open the lock.
Despite its popular name, the tool provides torsion, not tension. A tension wrench would be, by definition, a tool that stretches something. A torsion wrench would be a tool that twists.
Some torsion wrenches (called "Feather Touch" wrenches, among other names) are coiled into a spring at the bend in the "L", which helps the user apply constant torque. Some users, however, maintain that such wrenches reduce torsion control and the feedback available to the user.
Other torsion tools, especially those for use with cars resemble a pair of tweezers and allow the user to apply torsion to both the top and the bottom of the lock. These would commonly be used with double sided wafer locks.
Also, high tech torsion tools exist which sit over the lock face allowing the user to see a display of the amount of torsion applied. This aids with the process of feeling when a pin has set.
The torsion tool is just as important, if not more so, as other tools in the set, but is often neglected and is rarely represented in fiction.
For avoidance of doubt, it is not possible to pick a pin/tumbler or wafer lock without a torsion tool, even with the use of a pick gun.
Half-diamond pick
Perhaps the most basic and common pick, this versatile pick is included in all kits and is mainly used for picking individual pins, but can also be used for raking and for wafer and disk locks. Each of the ends of triangular 'half diamond' of this pick can be either steep or shallow in angle, depending on the need for picking without neighboring pins, or raking as appropriate. A normal set would comprise around three half diamond picks and a double half diamond pick.
Hook pick
It is similar to the half diamond pick, but has a hook shaped tip rather than a half diamond shape. The hook pick is sometimes referred to as a 'feeler' or 'finger' and is not used for raking. This is the most basic lock picking tool and is all that a professional will usually need if the lock is to be picked in the traditional sense rather than opened by raking or using a pickgun. A variety of different sized and shaped hooks will be available in a normal set.
Rake picks
These picks, such as the common snake rake, are designed to 'rake' pins by rapidly sliding the pick past all the pins, repeatedly, in order to bounce the pins until they reach the shear line. This method requires much less skill than picking pins individually, and generally works well on cheaper locks.
When the pins are excited they bounce all around the shear line and with the skillful application of a torsion tool this is the easiest way to pick a lock. This is also how beginners begin. Advance rakes are available which are shaped to mimic various different pin height key positions and are considerably easier to use than traditional rakes.
Slagel pick
A rarely used pick mainly used for opening electronic locks. It is often made with small magnetic regions. The Slagel pick is named after James Slagel, who is a leading security technician for IBM. The Slagel pick works by selectively pulling internal parts of the lock to the correct positions.[citation needed]
Warded pick
A warded pick, also known as a skeleton key, is a device for opening warded locks. It is generally made to conform to a generalized key shape relatively simpler than the actual key used to open the lock; this simpler shape allows for internal manipulations. This style of pick can also be used to 'rip' the lock. This is where the pick is placed at the back of the lock and then pulled out in one sharp fast 'ripping' action.
The keys for warded locks only require the end section which is the one which actually open the locks. The other parts are there to distinguish between different variation of their locks. I.e if you have a chest of drawers with a warded lock you can make a skeleton key for that type of warded lock by filing away all but the end of the key.
Pick guns
Often seen in movies and in the tool box of locksmiths, manual and electronic pick guns are a popular method used today for quick and easy ways of opening doors. The higher-end electric pick guns are usually made of aircraft aluminum and hard steel. The pick is operated by simply pressing a button that vibrates while the normal tension wrench is being used. A manual pick gun (or Snap gun) is used in a similar way but usually has a "trigger" that creates an upward movement that must be repeated rapidly to open the lock.
These operate on the same principle as Newton's cradle. They transfer sudden upwards energy to the bottom pins which communicate this to the top pins causing those pins only simultaneously to jump. A pick gun is used in conjunction with a torsion tool and the only skill required here is learning the timing.
Anti picking methods
To prevent picking of locks numerous methods have been employed throughout history including the firing of spring loaded knives and electrocution as well as locks which will need to be reset with a master key if they have been unsuccessfully picked.
Today anti picking methods include the use of side wards (which obstruct the key way) and security pins. These are pins which are shaped like a spool, mushroom, or barrel with the effect that they feel as though they have set when in fact they have not. Overcoming these pins involves reverse picking (the process of first setting all pins above the shear line and gradually reducing torsion.
Legal status
United States
In the United States, laws concerning possession of lock picks vary from state to state. Generally, possession and use of lock picks is considered equivalent to the possession of a crowbar or any other tool that may or may not be used in a burglary. Illegal possession of lock picks is generally prosecuted as a felony under the category of possession of burglary tools or similar statutes. In many states, simple possession is completely legal as their statutes require proof of intent.
In California, locksmiths must be licensed by the state.[1] However possession by laymen may be legal there and in most states, as illegal possession must be coupled with felonious or malicious intent.[2] This is also the case in Utah,[3] Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Washington, DC,[4] and New York.
Canada
In Canada, possession of lock picking tools, with the exception of key duplication tools, is legal. Lock pick tools fit in the same category as crowbars or hammers, meaning they are legal to possess and use unless they are used to commit a crime or if it is shown there was "intention to commit a crime" in which case "Possession of tools with the intention of committing a crime" applies - which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.[5]
European Union
Most countries of the European Union don't regulate the possession of lock picks. All responsibility concerning criminal or legal acts using the picks is taken by the user of the lock picks, when the owner of the lock picks may be involved in the jurisdiction or legal process as an accomplice or witness.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, owning lock picks is legal, but using them on someone else's locks without permission is not. There is a lock picking championship, the Dutch Open (organised by TOOOL), which was reported on in the newspapers.[6]
Poland
In Poland according to Article 129/1 of the Criminal Code:
1) possessing, producing or obtaining a lockpick by a person whose profession and occupation doesn't require it;
2) delivering a lockpick to a person whose profession and occupation doesn't require it;
3) […]
is punishable with arrest, freedom limitation or fine. Paragraph 3 says that a lockpick is forfeited even if it wasn't a property of the principal.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a person who carries a lock pick set (even a home made one) can be charged with the offence of "going equipped to commit theft", unless they have a good reason for carrying them.[7] The penalty for this can be upward of 5 years' imprisonment. The arresting officer must have "reasonable cause".
New Zealand
In New Zealand lock picking tools are not illegal, but possession with the intent to use them for burglary carries a potential penalty of three years in prison.[8]
Media
When lockpicking is shown in movies and television shows, the torsion wrench is almost always omitted. Picking a pin and tumbler lock without torsion is impossible unless there is a major defect in the lock.
In some modern dramas (such as Fox's 24) in which realistic depiction of events is favored, the pick-and-wrench technique is fully shown (albeit often executed in a second or two, which doesn't accurately reflect the luck involved with raking an unfamiliar lock).
Although there do exist raking tools in which a single element may be used to open a lock (such as automobile "tryout" keys), these are rarely used in media depictions, and almost as rarely used in real life. The broad width of these picks allows for the necessary application of torque, just as an external source of torque is not required when using a standard key.
Key relevance
In master locksmithing, key relevance is the measurable difference between an original key and a copy made of that key, either from a wax impression or directly from the original, and how similar the two keys are in size and shape.[1] It can also refer to the measurable difference between a key and the size required to fit and operate the keyway of its paired lock.
No two copies of keys are exactly the same, unless they were both made from key blanks that are struck from the same mould or cut from the same duplicating/milling machine with no changes to the bitting settings in between. Even under these favorable circumstances, there will be minute differences between the two key shapes, though their key relevance is extremely high.
In all machining work, there are measurable amounts of difference between the design specification[2] of an object, and its actual manufactured size. In locksmithing, the allowable tolerance[3] is decided by the range of minute differences between a key's size and shape in comparison to the size and shape required to turn the tumblers within the lock. Key relevance is the measure of similarity between the key and the optimal size needed to fit the lock, or it is the similarity between a duplicate key and the original it is seeking to replicate.
Key relevance cannot be deduced from a key code, since the key code merely refers to a central authoritative source for designed shapes and sizes of keys.
Typical modern keys require a key relevance of approximately 0.03 millimetres (0.0012 in) to 0.07 millimetres (0.0028 in) (accuracy within 0.75% to 1.75%) in order to operate.[4]
Other applications
"Key relevance" may also be applied to types of electronic locks when used to refer to similarities in magnetic signatures or radio codes, though truly digital-coded radio signals do not have key relevance ratings because they must have precise unlocking codes, with no degree of difference whatsoever in order to operate.
The term has also occasionally been co-opted by broader mechanical engineering to refer to the similarity of fit between two interlocking machined parts, although "tolerance" or "backlash" has gained far wider adoption and acceptance in usage.