How to Pick a Lock with a Bobby Pin in Five Easy Steps?

Picking a lock with a bobby pin isn’t tough if you know the right steps. You don’t need to pay someone to help you get inside your house.

Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Vincent Zhu

What is Picking a Lock with a Bobby Pin?

Want to figure out how to pick a lock with a bobby pin? Create a lever and a pick using bobby pins. Place the lever on the bottom part of the keyhole. Turn it like turning a key. Insert the pick with a bent end. Look for the jammed pins and push them. Turn the lever and open the door.

Picking a lock with a bobby pin isn’t tough if you know the right steps. You don’t need to pay someone to help you get inside your house. Instead, a hairpin lock pick can help you get in.

How Does a Basic Lock Work?

While there are many other types of locks, this guide will focus on the pin tumbler lock mechanism, which makes up nearly 90% of the locks used today.

This means if you master picking these locks, you stand a good chance at picking most of the locks out there!

The Pin Tumbler

The basic pin and tumbler lock have six main elements: the plug, driver pins, key pins, springs, the shear line, and housing to hold everything together. While each part has an important role, we will mostly concern ourselves with the “shear line.”

The shear line is the physical gap separating the plug from the housing and, using the pins, is why a lock won’t turn without the correct key.

When the correct key is placed into the lock, it lifts the key pins flush with the shear line, forcing the driver pins out of the plug.

When the difference between the key and driver pins is the same as the shear line, we can rotate the plug and disengage the lock. The animation below better explains this.

So, lock picking aims to mimic the key by pushing the pins flush with the shear line, thus allowing us to rotate and disengage the lock.

But how do we keep the pins from falling back into the plug once we have lifted them?

The Plug: Manufacturing Flaws

A simple reality is that nothing can ever be produced perfectly. When a lock is made, an acceptable error tolerance is allowed during production. It is these imperfections in the lock that allow us to pick them.

Let’s look at one common flaw that makes lock picking possible.

During the production of the plug, holes are drilled to hold the pins. These holes would all run down the true center line with perfect alignment in a perfect plug. But because nothing can ever be produced to perfection, there will always be variations to where these holes are drilled.

This variation can be as slight as a thousandth of an inch, and because of this tiny distortion, we gain our ability to pick locks.

So why is this important? Every pin is a different distance from the plug’s true center line.

This means when we apply rotational tension to the plug, one pin will bind between the housing and the plug before any other pins. This pin is what lock pickers refer to as the “binding pin” and is defined as the pin furthest from the plug’s true center line.

By now, we should understand two important concepts.

1. First, we must lift all the pins to the shear line to disengage a lock.
2. Because of manufacturing flaws, pins will bind in a specific order, starting with the pin furthest from the plug’s true center line.

Now that we understand these two basic concepts, we must craft our tools and pick some locks.

What do You need to Pick a Lock with a Bobby Pin?

To pick a lock with a hairpin, there are specific items that you need to have first. These items are not difficult to find. They can be easily found inside your toolbox. If you don’t have these items, you can purchase them online or visit the nearest local store.

1. Bobby pins

The bobby pins will serve as a pick and a lever so you can successfully open the door. When choosing the bobby pins, ensure they are sturdy so they won’t break once you pick the lock. The size of the bobby pins will also depend on the size of your lock. Make sure that they fit perfectly inside.

If the bobby pins have rubber knobs, remove them using a wire cutter or your teeth. This will prevent the pick and the lever from being stuck inside the lock, and at the same time, it will help you to move the pick freely.

You can use two paper clips as alternatives if you don’t have bobby pins. Those made of metal are preferred, so you will prevent them from breaking as you pick the lock. Also, they must be flexible so you can bend them.

Another option is a metal wire. However, they must be thick enough to push the pins and won’t break and get stuck inside the lock. Just be careful in handling them to prevent cuts.

2. Pliers

You will need a pair of pliers to bend the bobby pins easily. The best pliers for bending metal wires are a pair of needle-nose pliers. It is commonly used in bending jewelry and other handicrafts. When choosing needle-nose pliers, they must have a comfortable handle to give you a good grip.

You can use your hands to bend the bobby pins if you don’t have pliers. However, this could take a little time and effort. Also, be careful in bending them to prevent acquiring any cuts.

3. Wire Cutter

You will need a wire cutter to remove the rubber knobs from the bobby pins. There are different kinds of wire cutters that you can choose from. One of them is a pair of shear cutters. It can make the smoothest cuts on metal wires.

However, don’t press too hard since it may dull the cutter’s blades.

A pair of side cutters can also be used in addition to shear cutters. These are typically used for cutting copper and aluminum. The only downside is that they can leave a sharp spike once the metal has been cut.

4. Gloves (optional)

Wearing gloves can give you a good grip, especially if your hands are wet or sweaty. It can also protect you from cuts if the pick slides out of your hands. However, you must choose the right kind of gloves to prevent encountering any hassle while doing the tutorial.

If you are allergic to latex, you can use non-latex gloves. Leather gloves are also fine since they are light to wear and allow a good grip. Also, the gloves must perfectly fit your hands–not too tight, as this would be uncomfortable, and not too loose, as this would cause distraction.

How to Pick a Lock with a Bobby Pin Step by Step?

Picking a lock with a bobby pin is easy, and let’s try to learn how to do it in five steps:

Step 1: Create a lever and a pick using bobby pins

Create a pick by bending a pin back to look like a long metal wire. Insert one centimeter of the pick inside the lock, with the flat side facing upwards. Slightly bend the end of the pin and push the rest to the left. Make a loop out of the other side of the pick.

Use a pair of pliers for the lever to bend one half of the other pin at a right angle. Its purpose is to be like a key, making it easier for the pick to push the pins at the same height.

Step 2: Place the lever in the bottom part of the keyhole, then turn it like a key

Place the bent end of the lever on the bottom part of the keyhole, as low and as deep as possible. Turn the lever lightly as if you are turning a key. If you are not sure where to turn, try both directions. If the lever is in the wrong position, it will make a clicking sound.

It would help if you also had the lever in this position for the whole process. The pressure that you must exert must not be too heavy. Straining the lever against the lock will make it difficult to push the pins upward.

Step 3: Insert the pick with a bent end and feel the pins

Now, insert your pick with a bent end and feel for the pins by moving them upwards and downwards. Ensure you have felt all of them to determine which pins are jammed and which are not. If the pins have no movement at all, it means that you are exerting too much pressure on your lever. Try to lighten up the pressure.

Step 4: Look for the jammed pin and push it up

After determining the moving pins, look for the jammed pin. It would be best to exert consistent pressure on the lever while trying to push the seized pin upward. Once the pin’s split part lines up with the barrel and is out of the way, you will hear a clicking sound.

Step 5: Repeat the process for other jammed pins

Some other pins may seize up after one gets out of the way. This will help you determine the next pin that you should push up. Repeat the process as you did for the first pin until your lever can turn the lock completely and successfully open the door.

If you still have questions about how to pick a lock with a bobby pin, please check the following video:

How to Pick a Lock with a Bobby Pin?

Conclusion

Did you enjoy our tutorial on picking a lock with a bobby pin? By following the steps carefully, you can open your house’s door if you are locked out.

Also, this tutorial can guide you to pick a file cabinet lock with a bobby pin. Just prepare the items needed if you are looking for quality locks for your home. You can refer to the detailed guides on the top-rated interior door locks and the most popular bedroom door locks.

If you think this article is useful, please share it with your friends and loved ones. You can also share your experiences with us while doing the tutorial. Just leave a comment below.