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Beginner’s Guide

How to Start Lock Picking in Australia: A Beginner’s Guide

This page is a quick-start overview of the basics: lock types, pick material, thickness, tension tools, and pick styles. Each section links through to a full guide if you want the deeper detail.

Understanding Lock Types

Most locks you’ll encounter fall into one of three categories:

  • Pin tumbler locks typically have a vertical keyway and the telltale “saw tooth” key profile. Very common in doors and padlocks, and the type most beginners should start with.
  • Dimple locks typically have a horizontal keyway with a rectangular key that has small divots (“dimples”) cut into the widest face. Most common in European countries, but found in doors and padlocks here too.
  • Disc detainer locks typically have a large horizontal keyway and a thick rectangular key with notches cut into the edges. Most common in automotive and chain locks, and some padlocks.

Pick Material

Commercial-quality lock picks are made from 301 high-yield stainless steel, chosen for the thin profile it allows at maximum strength, and its ability to handle repeated use without permanently bending. Lower-quality picks often use cheaper metal blends with a higher iron content, which bend more easily and give worse feedback.

If a pick set doesn’t clearly state its material, ask the supplier. If it isn’t at least 301 stainless steel, expect a poor picking experience.

Full comparison: 301 Stainless Steel vs Titanium →

Pick Thickness

The most common thicknesses, and a rough guide to what they suit:

  • 0.025″ (25thou): suited to large, open keyways like the Lockwood C4
  • 0.023″ (23thou): suits large open keyways as well as medium keyways. The best all-round starting thickness for most Australian locks
  • 0.020″ (20thou): less suited to wide-open keyways, aimed at medium keyways
  • 0.015″ (15thou): unsuited to wide-open keyways, but ideal for narrow and medium European-style keyways (like ABUS)

Full guide: Lock Pick Thicknesses, 15thou vs 20thou vs 23thou →

Tension Tools

Tension tools apply light rotational pressure to the lock while you pick, and come in two main styles: BOK (bottom of keyway) and TOK (top of keyway). BOK is the more common default and generally works better for raking, since it stays clear of the raking motion. TOK leaves more open working room and some pickers prefer it for hooks on tighter keyways.

Full guide: What Is a Tension Tool, and How Do You Use One? →

Hooks vs Rakes

Lock picks are broadly divided into two styles:

  • Rakes emulate the profile of a key, moving in and out of the lock to bump multiple pins at once. Easier to learn and effective against lower-security locks, which makes raking a common choice for speed-picking competitions.
  • Hooks manipulate one pin at a time (single pin picking). Harder to learn, but often the only reliable way into higher-security locks designed to resist raking.

Full comparison: Rake Picks vs Hook Picks →

Where to Go Next

Show Me The Picks!
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