Lock Picking Simplified

by Desert Publications

Desert Publications Softcover. Learn all the basics of lock picking in one book.

25 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1974

Reviews

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this lock picking book years ago and this is the second time I have read it. Like many of the Desert Publications books put out in the 70's, this one is a no nonsense manual that gets right down to the nitty-gritty. Unlike some books that are more like a shop manual with more information than you will ever need, this explains the concept and is supported with simple drawings which are better than some of the close-up photographs I have seen in other works. Yes, there are only 25 pages here, but in this case you can quickly find that page you are looking for without searching an index, a table of contents, or just thumbing through in the hope of coming across what you are looking for by sheer luck.

Briefly but thoroughly covered, as a way of introduction, are such topics as the construction of pin tumbler locks, pics, pick guns and snap picks. They even explain how to make your own picks and set up a lock for practice. Now a locksmith out there might find fault with this book, which is really not much more than a pamphlet, and say that you need years of schooling, expensive tools, and be bonded, but this book wasn't written to make you a competitor. It just explains how certain locks work. And if you are in need of research for a story you are writing, this is an excellent piece of reference material.