How to Pick a Pin Tumbler Padlock
Master single-pin picking on a practice padlock using a tension wrench and hook pick, feeling for binding pins to rotate the plug smoothly.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Short hook lock pick
- ✓ Bottom-of-keyway (BOK) tension wrench
- ✓ Top-of-keyway (TOK) tension wrench
- ✓ Small bench vise or clamp
- ✓ Safety glasses
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Cutaway or clear acrylic practice lock
- ✓ Standard 4-pin or 5-pin brass practice padlock
- ✓ Lock graphite lubricant
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Practice strictly on locks you own that are uninstalled and not securing property.
- • Wear safety glasses to protect against metal pick snapping under improper leverage.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Secure Practice Lock in Vise
Clamp the practice lock body securely in a tabletop vise with the keyway facing directly toward you. Angle the keyway slightly upward so pins rest downward into the plug under gravity. Ensure the keyway is unobstructed and stable.
- • Lock body held firmly in vise jaws with keyway aligned vertically or tilted slightly upward
- • Clamping the lock too tightly across the core, binding the internal plug
Insert Tension Tool into Keyway
Insert the short end of a bottom-of-keyway tension wrench into the lowest part of the keyway. Ensure the flat blade seats deeply without rubbing against the lowest pin stack. Rest your index finger lightly on the long arm of the wrench.
- • Tension wrench seated firmly in the bottom edge of keyway with long arm extending outward
- • Inserting tension tool so high that it blocks access to the first pin
Apply Light Rotational Tension
Apply very gentle rotational pressure in the direction the key normally turns (typically clockwise). The force should be no heavier than resting a single coin on your fingertip. Maintain this steady, delicate rotational bias throughout the picking process.
- • Index finger applying subtle, steady torque without bending the wrench arm
- • Applying heavy wrench pressure that locks all pins rigidly in place
Probe and Identify the Binding Pin
Slide the short hook pick into the keyway with the tip pointed toward the pin stacks. Lightly touch each pin from front to back to test for resistance. Locate the single 'binding pin' that feels stiff and resists upward motion, while loose pins spring freely.
- • Pick shaft parallel with keyway floor, tip making contact with individual pin chambers
- • Jamming the pick tip violently against warding grooves instead of pins
Lift and Set the Binding Pin
Lever the tip of the hook upward against the binding pin using the bottom of the keyway as a pivot. Push gently until you feel a subtle click and a tiny rotational movement (a 'shear line drop') in the core. The pin will now feel stationary and set, freeing another pin to bind.
- • Subtle clockwise micro-rotation of the plug as the pin shears
- • Oversetting the key pin past the shear line into the upper cylinder
Cycle Remaining Pins and Open Plug
Repeat the probing process for the remaining unset pins, locating the new binding pin each time. Lift each binding pin until it clicks at the shear line. Once the final pin sets, the tension wrench will rotate freely and pop the shackle open.
- • Lock plug rotates fully 90 degrees and padlock shackle pops upward
- • Dropping tension accidentally right before the final pin is set
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by ArS — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Bottom-of-keyway (BOK) tension wrench? Wiper blade insert steel strip bent into an L-profile
- No Small bench vise or clamp? Handheld grip resting against a non-slip rubber mat