Thread: I'm not dead...

Hey guys, I know I'm not a major player here but I realize that life has pulled me away and I've been shirking my participation around here for several months. Just wanted everyone to know I'm not dead...I'm just swamped with real life.

Plus another couple of hobbies are vying for time, an old one and a new one. I bought my first set of REAL professional grade lock picks to retire the home made jobbers I have been using for 10 years (the old hobby www.toool.us) and the new hobby is my new E-Flite Blade CP micro size electric RC helicopter.

I'm still faithfully checking my messages and occasionally lurking through the forums but I promise once things settle down a touch I'll get back to actively posting and pondering with you guys again.

I am glad to hear everything is allright.
Did you have a chance to try the Thistle yet?

Btw out of curiosity: can't you get into trouble for having lock picks?
EDIT: I forgot that you are in law enforcement. I guess you would not get into problems carrying picks.

When we bought our house, the very first thing we did was to let a professional locksmith install Mul-T-lock cilinders in the doors to the outside.
Not only did he change the cilinders, but he installed new handles and tamper resistant lock plates to prevent anyone from applying power tools to the cilinder.

Not yet, I've been faithfully wearing out my Easy Aces honed by JoshEarl. God I gotta get me a pasted paddle. And of course I found out today Tony has a new $85 horsehide strop I think I simply HAVE to have. I'm going to have to get a second job to support all my addictions I'll get to try it when I have more time, but for now I'm working 6 days a week and I'm lucky I can find the time to strop up and shave with a blade I KNOW works well, let alone trying unknown razors with all the other crap getting stuffed into my one day off.

Actually the sad thing about picking and picks is that they're all but completely useless to the criminal element really. One of my coworkers complained that people shouldn't be allowed to purchase picks because "you can break into anyplace you want to with them so they shouldn't be legal". My response is always "you can buy bricks legally...and rocks are free". Remember...bypassing a lock takes skill and time...breaking a window is EASY!

Unfortunately that logic isn't always noted by lawmakers, in fact logic in general is usually IGNORED by lawmakers which means there are many laws regarding things like lock picks, and even here in Texas they could land you behind bars. The problem is proving INTENT to use them in an unlawful act. Just because I HAVE them doesn't mean I'm going to USE them to do something wrong. Luckily I also have the cop thing to fall back on...in MY world they're a tool with which I make a living. Plus they're the key to the worlds largest collection of puzzles Locks are VERY cool!

The helicopter on the other hand is frustrating as hell, but with the potential of being a VERY entertaining hobby once I actually learn how to fly. For now it's killing my spending money in repair parts to fix things I break when I crash. Hopefully before too long I can post a video of it

Originally Posted by Bruno

Btw out of curiosity: can't you get into trouble for having lock picks?

They're just a tool. If they're used in a crime then the criminal is the human using them, not a mindless piece of metal. And they're really only used by movie criminals (and private detectives) anyway. When some thug tried to break into my truck he used a screwdriver and a hammer, not a lockpick.

I keep mine with all the other tools in the toolbox in case I need to open something for which I've lost a key. I've only ever needed it for the lockable suitcase, though.

On the plus side the lockpicking mini-game on TESIV is unintentionally hilarious.

Has anyone ghetto-rigged their lock-picks? I tried using a bobby-pin (with the round end cut off) and a small flathead (on my front door, no illegal activities here lol).

I really would love to get a set of lock-picks to learn on. I think it would be a great skill to have. Unfortunately, there is that legal thing. Not law enforcement, so I can't get a set without taking the chance of incriminating my self.

Matt

Law shmaw .....

I have a small set that cost me $25 I think, maybe cheaperthandirt is where I got them.

It's one hell of a fun game and doesn't hurt anyone.

Picking a lock isn't what you see on tv. It can take anywhere form a minute or two to hours if you don't know what the hell you are doing, like me.

The best bet for a criminal is to rake the lock if they really want to pick it, but that is hit and miss.

Getting each pin positioned right can be incredibly frustrating and to be honest, if most criminals had that level of patience they could just get a job and wait for a check on Fri.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm

I've always wanted a real set. When I was 16 I made a tension wrench from an old curtain hook, and used bent safety pins and later ground down an old saw blade to lift the tumblers.
Are homemade kits more incriminating the real ones?
I just used it to break into the lock on my desk. When I went away I would slide the keys into the drawer after I locked it knowing that no member of my family knew how to pick locks!
Kids will do anything to hide stuff from their parent won't they!
Nick

I was unaware of there being anything illegal about possessing or using a lock pick set, provided of course that you owned the set and the lock and whatever it was the lock was locking… maybe this is a States/Europe difference? My neighbor had a set a few years ago he got while at a gun show or something, it helped me get back in my house once when the folks locked the doors and I didn’t have my key. It is unnerving how easy a five pin deadlock opens, especially considering I have no skill at picking whatsoever…

-Michael

I must say this post has reawakened something from my past. Being a former carpenter, of course I was always working with locks and re keying and re-warding etc. As a matter of fact I still have dozens of old locks here at home in all sorts of various states along with a key cutting machine and hundreds of different blanks etc I was not aware that there were even forums out there teaching one how to pick locks, but I suppose why wouldn't there be a forum for every possible subject it just a matter of finding them.

The picking tools do certainly interest me though, I wonder if they would be illegal to ship here to OZ? I shall have to inquire, I'm quite fascinated now

Cheers
John