Locks – Pr0t0's Adventures in …

Gutted my yellow American Lock 1100

At first glance, this 1100 does not appear as though it should be any more difficult to pick than the blue one I was working on earlier but it has proven to be a challenge for me. Normally, I would wait until I could pick the lock 3 times. Worked on trying to pick it, on and off, for about two weeks when I threw in the towel and decided to gut it. It has what you would expect:

Three standard key pins
Two serrated key pins
Two serrated spool drivers
Three serrated drivers

I will start progressive pinning it and work it like I did the blue one. Here we go!

Green Belt Submission

Uploaded my first video to YouTube!

Yikes! That’s basically how I’m feeling about this one. This is my first attempt at recording, editing and uploading video so we’ll see how this goes. The purpose of the video is for my Green Belt submission over on lpubelts.com. Hopefully it’s good enough to pass. Well, here it is:

Gutted, absolutely

My blue American Lock 1100 spilled its guts

Finally got the blue 1100 opened a few times, so felt it was time to open her up. Now I know why this thing kicked my butt for two weeks. Of the key pins, four were serrated. The driver pins? Well, the first one was a serrated spool and the rest were serrated pins. All those serrations were a royal pain for this newb. Now that I got it opened up, I’m going to start progressive pinning it. Starting with the first pin stack then eventually adding more on until I get them all back in. Then it’ll be time to move on to my yellow 1100!

Patience finally pays off

After what seemed to be eternity, but was actually about two weeks, I have finally picked my first American Lock 1100! Ended up using a Barebones .020 deep hook and a Barebones ergo TOK tension wrench.

The pick is from the Bare Bones “Three Bones” 3-piece Deep Hook set purchased from lockpickersbench.com

Classic Blunder: Be Aware of your surroundings

Make sure you keep an eye on that core!

So….made a slight mistake. Got a little ahead of myself while messing around with one of my newest additions to the collection, an American 1100. Well curiosity got the best of me and I decided to pull the core out and have a look. In my haste, I completely missed that I had pulled the key and somehow managed to rotate the plug and out came the key pins! Kinda forced myself into gutting a lock. Now I just gotta wait for my new pin tweezers and follower so I can put it back to gether. Look before you leap, folks!

LPU Yellow Belt Submission

I recorded and posted my first video for my yellow belt submission on Discord with the LPU community. It’s also my first video posted on my new YouTube channel. Scary!

Unlocking Mastery: The Lock Pickers United Belt System

From White to Black—A Journey in Pins

In the shadowy realm of lock picking, where tension wrenches whisper and tumblers guard secrets, there exists a path—a path marked not by footsteps but by colored belts. Welcome to the Lock Pickers United (LPU) Belt System, where locks become puzzles, and skill progression mirrors the martial arts dan system. Imagine it as your journey from a novice to a master, one pick at a time.

The Belt System: A Colorful Quest

The LPU Belt System is our compass—a tiered classification that quantifies achievements in lockpicking and related skills. Like the colored belts in karate, each level signifies mastery. Here’s a glimpse of the journey:

White Belt: You’re a fresh-faced picker. Your mission? “Open any lock with any tool.” Simple, right? But it’s the foundation—the first tumbler’s turn.
Yellow Belt: Now we’re talking. You’ve conquered locks like the ABUS 55/30, Master Lock No. 140, and Kwikset Classic. Keep those picks dancing.
Orange Belt: ABUS 65/40, Master Lock No. 150, FAB 100—they’re your companions now. Show us your finesse.
Green Belt: The ABUS 72/40, Master Lock No. 410, and American Lock 1100 await. But there’s a twist: gut and reassemble a lock. Dissect its secrets.
Blue Belt: ASSA 700, DOM Plura, Medeco BiLevel—they’re your next challenge. And here’s the twist: build and share a challenge lock. Craft your puzzle.
Purple Belt: ASSA Desmo, Mul-T-Lock Interactive, Schlage Everest. But it’s not just about pins—it’s about helping others. Be a mentor.
Brown Belt: ASSA d12, KABA Gemini, WEST 916. And now, create a specialized tool. Innovate.
Red Belt: Abloy Classic, ABUS EC700, EVVA 3KS. Mentor another advanced picker. Share wisdom.
Black Belt: Abloy Protec, ASSA Twin 6000, Goal V18. Here, you’re a lock whisperer. Dive into advanced skills, tackle “Master’s Projects.”

Remember, this isn’t just about belts—it’s about growth. Each lock you conquer, each challenge you embrace, adds a pin to your map. And when you reach for that elusive black belt, you’ll know: you’ve unlocked more than locks—you’ve unlocked your potential.

Track your progress at LPUBelts.com. Let’s pick our way through the rainbow! 🗝️🌈