None of us can be Batman. It’s a hard truth, but it’s one we need to accept. That said, though, it doesn’t hurt us to learn about the hardware that surrounds and that we rely on. And in the case of locks, learning how they work and operate just so happens to be a good way to learn how to pick them. And this clear acrylic lock will help you learn how to open deadbolt locks. For a door lock that nobody will be able to pick, you should also read our Schlage LiNK system review.
Clearing Locks
The principles are pretty simple; it’s just your standard lock in a variety of different pins. Standard pins, spool pins, and serrated pins can all be ordered; if you’re not into locks, standard pins are, well, the standard that you’ll find in most locks. Spool pins and serrated pins are a little harder to pick; they’re designed to frustrate attempts to pick them by locking at the “shear line”, or where the cylinder of the lock lines up and lets you turn it to unlock.
Serrated pins are particularly nasty to pick; their edges have, as you might have guessed, serrations that can hook on the shear line and make picking a lock more or less impossible unless you start all over again. So being able to see exactly what happens is a good way to learn how these locks work… and diagnose how the lock on your door is misbehaving.
Locked Out
Clear locks won’t teach you lockpicking in a day, but it will help you learn about the locks that surround you and, when they break, allow you to fix them without calling the locksmith. And you can feel like you’re Batman as you learn how to manipulate locks, pick them with ease, and otherwise engage in locksports. And hey, it’s as close as most of us will get to superheroics.
