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So you’ve fallen down the YouTube rabbit hole watching someone silently open a padlock with two tiny pieces of metal, and now you want to know how to do it yourself. Welcome to locksport — one of the most satisfying hobbies you’ve probably never heard of.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started in Australia, without the fluff.

What Actually Is Locksport?

Locksport is the hobby of picking locks as a skill — think of it like a puzzle hobby, but the puzzle fights back. It’s practised by hobbyists, security enthusiasts, and locksmiths worldwide. There’s a whole community around it (more on that below), competitions, and a surprisingly deep rabbit hole of technique and lock knowledge.

The key word is hobby. You’re picking locks you own. No one’s breaking into anything.

Is Lock Picking Legal in Australia?

Short answer: yes, as a hobby — but with a few things to keep in mind.

Lock picks are legal to own in most Australian states for hobbyist use. The critical caveat — and this applies everywhere — is the golden rules of locksport:

Never pick a lock you don’t own or don’t have permission to pick.
Never pick a lock that’s in use or that you rely on.

In some states, carrying picks in public without lawful excuse could attract attention, so keep them at home for practice. If you’re ever unsure about your specific state’s rules, a quick check with local legislation is worthwhile. As a hobby practised at home on locks you own, you’re on solid ground.

What Gear Do You Actually Need?

This is where beginners often overthink it. You need two things to start:

1. Lock picks
These come in two main types:

• Hooks — used to manipulate one pin at a time. More skill required, but works on more locks.
• Rakes — rock in and out to quickly set multiple pins at once. Great for beginners.

For Australians picking common locks (Lockwood, Master Lock, standard padlocks), a .023″ thickness is the best all-round starting point. It fits most local keyways without being too floppy or too chunky.

2. Tension wrenches
These apply rotational pressure to the lock core while you pick. You’ll use two types — TOK (top of keyway) and BOK (bottom of keyway). Most kits include both. Don’t skip on tension tool quality — bad tension control is why most beginners struggle.

What you don’t need to start: a massive 32-piece set. Seriously. More picks just means more things to get confused by.

What Lock Should You Practice On?

Start with a basic Master Lock No. 3 or a cheap Lockwood padlock — something with 4 pins and a wide keyway. Pick it hundreds of times. Once you can open it reliably, move up. The Bare Bones Beginner Questions page has a great guide on what locks to buy and in what order.

Why Buy Australian Picks?

This is worth a mention because a lot of beginners go straight to overseas sites like Sparrows (Canada/US). Here’s the real-world maths:

The Sparrows Tuxedo Set — a popular beginner recommendation — is USD $32. Add ~USD $15 international shipping to Australia, and you’re already at ~USD $47. At today’s exchange rate (roughly AUD $1 = USD $0.70), that’s around AUD $67 before any customs charges or import delays.

Compare that to picking up a local kit from Bare Bones Lock Picking — made right here in Australia from 301 stainless steel — for from AUD $46, shipped fast, no currency conversion, no customs lottery, and a local warranty if anything goes wrong.

When you’re just starting out, that difference matters.

Where to Actually Learn

Once you’ve got picks in hand, the fastest way to learn is:

1. Read the basics — check out the Bare Bones Beginner’s Guide for a solid rundown of lock types, pick types, and tension technique.
2. Watch YouTube — check out Other Resources for the Aussie channels –  Thousands of hours of free content.
3. Join the community — r/lockpicking on Reddit has a belt ranking system that’ll keep you progressing for months.
4. Practice, practice, practice — seriously, it’s a feel-based skill. No amount of reading replaces reps on a lock.

Ready to Start?

If you want to skip the guesswork, check out the Bare Bones kit range — all picks are manufactured in Australia from 301 high-yield stainless steel, built for both Australian keyways and the budgets of people who aren’t sure if this hobby is for them yet.

Have questions before you buy? The Beginner Questions page covers the most common ones — thickness, which kit, where to start — all in plain English.

Welcome to locksport. You’re going to love it.