Lock picking

Lock picking, “ganzuado” in Spanish, is opening a lock without its key by using a pick and a tensioner. It is a non-destructive method: if it succeeds, the lock keeps working and shows almost no marks to the naked eye.

It works because no cylinder is made perfectly. The small gaps between parts are what make it possible to manipulate the pins. The cheaper and looser the cylinder, the easier it is.

How it is prevented:

• A cylinder with security pins, such as mushroom or spool pins.
• Narrow, complicated key profiles that leave little room for the tool.
• Additional locking systems that do not rely on the pins alone.
• An escutcheon that covers the cylinder properly.

We locksmiths use it for door openings when the lock allows it, because it avoids breaking anything. For your own door you want the opposite: a cylinder that makes it hard. Take a look at our security cylinders.