Sunday, April 1st, 2007...10:04 am
Bump Keys - Why You Need An Alarm In Your Home
I don’t believe in security through obscurity. If a problem exists you either fix it or you find a way to minimize its effect.
Most of you will never have heard about bump keys. A bump key is an ordinary key that has had its grooves cut or filed down to the lowest level. On professional key cutting machines this is level 9. When the key is inserted into a lock and bumped/tapped with something like the handle of a screwdriver the lock opens. It works on most conventional locks and is so simple a five year old can be taught to do it.
I’d forgotten all about bump keys until I came across this video. It explains how a bump key is created and demonstrates how it is used to open a lock.
For some further reading Snopes has a good write up and of course there is Wikipaedia’s entry on lock bumping.
7 Comments
April 1st, 2007 at 10:58 am
Also, this is not an april fools joke.
Just in case you were wondering.
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:52 am
That’s seriously disturbing - when I first started watching the video I assumed it would open a standard type doorknob style lock - but a deadlock like the one in the video - heck.
I particularly liked the part where he said “any of you who have picked locks before …” maybe my life is too boring.
I bet there are many people including “this is not an april fools joke on their posts from yesterday.
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:42 am
I seem to always be around when friends of mine lock themselves out of their houses so I’ve been able to observe quite a few locksmiths open doors and I’ll tell you, this isn’t the only technique that is so simple.
An alarm is a must have these days. Either that or some unconvential locks.
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:58 am
Shame the lads who tried to kick in my front door didn’t know about this - I wouldn’t be awaiting a replacement now.
April 3rd, 2007 at 7:10 am
Vics they might have known about this, but it’s just so much fun kicking in doors.
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:05 am
Funny you should mention this - I caught this actually being done on the show “The Riches” last night - when one of the characters broke into a school office.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
Coach Coco that is probably the very first time too.
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