(1280) Review: Knog Strongman Bicycle Lock

[@bradw0535]

Makes me feel good that I'm not the only one who sees a hefty product, and imagines a way for it to double as some sort of weapon or destructive tool, as Bill jokingly pointed out its fender bashing qualities! Looks like a neat product from an interesting company, thanks Bill!

[@bosnianbill]

As a member of the male portion of our species, I tend to weaponize all of my toys.

[@pulvermachertrever]

I think the same way I probably would keep the lock on my handlebars easier to access. To weaponize it

[@Crazywaffle5150]

I think sex toy.

[@LogicBob]

I believe LockPickingLawyer has a longer disk detainer pick.

[@bird718]

they all look the same to me

[@rastas000]

Size matters???? :)

[@lockpickinglawyer]

Logic Bob Yup, I’ve run into this many times, so when I cobbled together a new one, I gave it 22mm of reach, IIRC. That’s barely enough for super deep locks, like the Kryptonite Evolution s4.

[@ewatfred]

LockPickingLawyer you should try this knog lock! I've had mine six years and I'd be super interested to see how it stands up :)

[@RPRosen-ki2fk]

LockPickingLawyer I think the glove has been ... thrown down. I look forward to watching the vid!

[@ewatfred]

I've got one of these! Had it for six years and it's survived so many attacks. Looks beat up as hell. The shiny end over the shackle is actually plastic, but it's durable as all hell. Survived a few hammer blows. Send it to the Lock picking Lawyer! I messaged him ages ago to get one and he said he was interested.

[@ocdtechtalk]

I would love to see you try to pick. I've changed out all my locks, once I saw how easily you pick them; I felt like I might as well leave the doors opened. I have no interest in ever picking a lock. I enjoy your skill and I wish with my heart that the industry pays attention to you and makes drastic changes.

[@jksmellie]

Shawn Tartaglia Get a lock that can't be cut through because the average thief can't pick locks and wouldn't waste time trying even if they could.

[@gavclarke6435]

Where that’s usually the case Joshua, it doesn’t take much skill to rake or shim a lock, which most common thieves know, so as much as I agree the average idiot thief isn’t a skilled lock pick, it’s still helpful to know which locks need skill to pick, and can’t be raked or shimed open in a few seconds!

[@Jack_The_Biker]

You got a bargain for $48 their site has them listed for $99.95US

[@Macabri_2k10]

it's €106.00 ($126.00) in Europe

[@send9]

Nice to see a quality Knog product. I think bike locks is what they're known for. If you remember, you did a video some years back on a (discontinued) pad lock they made. One piece of steel but a wafer core.

[@Talatharas]

Bosnian bill.. your grasp of the metric system.. never change.

[@funny-video-YouTube-channel]

The silicone makes it a bit more resistant to weather and bad tools.

[@DonzLockz]

Looks good to me. Send it to LPL, he will use the Ramset to sort out that epoxy hurdle.😁🍺😎

[@JoebobbedGaming]

Love me some ramset

[@rupedog]

He picked it in no time, after making a suitable tool.

[@AlbertLebel]

I agree, very nice. They really thought it out and made a quality product. Attention to detail. Thanks for the share B’Bill...

[@zekekyoku338]

Maybe this has been said, but I feel as though you now have the right disk picks to pick this. I'd say it deserves a second video. Otherwise, looks like a fantastic lock!

[@AlwayzPr0]

LPL needs this next, time for destructive testing!!!

[@jeremiahkennedy1683]

You had me at"you can put it on any body part"lol great review Bill

[@Narinjas]

THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU... If i find this in Romania i will buy it on the spot!

[@jamesstrain7062]

Awesome lock. I’d buy that. Warning: do not watch video in 3D after 8:10.

[@ofekpearl]

James Strain lol, clumsy Bill

[@adrianmcintosh3523]

Nice review once again Bill also im working on some technology you havent seen before I'll be sending those soon.

[@frankfreeman1444]

Sir: McMasterCar has a set of 6 hardness tester files in their catalog for $108. These files are surprisingly accurate and will text in increments of 5 Rockwell. Love the videos by the way. (You can tell I'm an old fart by the fact that I spelled that out!)

[@choochoochooseyou]

If it gets Bill's seal of approval, that's good enough for me.

[@idkidk4334]

The locker lock with the wafer core is "grandmas house" level security

[@DoRC]

The shipping might not have been too much of a rip depending on where you're located. I do a decent amount of selling on ebay and shipping has been pretty crazy lately.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

USPS jumped up substantially around a year ago, perhaps a bit more. Shocking amounts sometimes.

[@LPDChannel82]

The first question that comes to mind. Is it a sure thing that lock tensions on the first disk or can it be tensioned from the last disc

[@LT7Racing]

I know this is a bit late, but a cheap stop gap for a Rockwell tester is hardness testing files, about $120 on eBay

[@pulvermachertrever]

Looks like a good bike lock I've been looking for a new U-BAR lock.

[@TheAustralianMade]

THANK YOU for giving us the weight of the lock in kilograms, so many KZbinrs neglect to do this, forgetting that the majority of the world is metric.

[@awagentx]

what about the new ikea bike lock? got to play with one of those yet bill?

[@namrednop]

Question: I 'know' that this lock is billed as being for a Bicycle. But would it also work on a Motorcycle?

[@jimbo5635]

Gas or electric?

[@powerfulk9790]

seems like a great design for the money, quality mount and tools/accessories included and its less than the kryptonite evo I got on Amazon

[@makeintoschu]

I am curious if it has the disc retaining ring that can be easily defeated with a screwdriver

[@daviddittmar9450]

Nice video bill.. I have a question I see you doing a lot of reviews on different types of pics I was just wondering can you do a review of the RCS jackknife thank you

[@harrychung433]

They must have been watching your videos, Bill. They definitely took the time and thought to design it almost perfect. If nothing else, that mounting bracket is great. Like to see if that strap stretches after a while. Have a feeling, you're still trying to figure out how to pick it.

[@ewatfred]

Harry Chung can guarantee this lock is older than this channel, I've had mine for six years now!

[@lockpickingbelfast]

They use to call it the "Knog Bouncer" wonder why the changed the name of it?

[@notaname8140]

The Bouncer is the cheaper version of this, you can still buy it

[@BD90..]

I had the same problem a master lock u lock and a Rolson Chain lock.

[@davidriley7659]

re picking - if they become popular then i'm sure someone will machine a suitable pick. Just like how there was that "unpickable" lock a few years back that ended up being easily bumped.

[@edgeforlife08]

Hey, Bill. I'm new to your channel, and new to lockpicking. I was wondering why you pick pin tumbler locks from the back of the keyway to the front, instead of starting at pin 1. I've found that I'm much more successful picking the same way, and I can rarely get anything open picking from pin 1 back. Keep up the killer videos!

[@bosnianbill]

No reason, just personal preference. You can start wherever you want but will end up at the same place: the binding pin.

[@edgeforlife08]

Seems to work out better for me too. Thanks for the reply!

[@ollieb9875]

Did you get a new microphone? It sounds rather good.

[@dcalsbeek5831]

Just a quick note that there seemed to be a "technical" issue when I tried to enter the giveaways. Since I made a couple-three attempts to finally get the "entry processed" notice there is a chance that more than one attempt was sent. Hopefully my entries will continue to be accepted. thnx.

[@bosnianbill]

No worries. My webmaster filters out the duplicates before drawing the winner. One or two is ok, but many more than that might get you banned.

[@SilentBob4x4]

Morning Bill, did you get my challenge lock? Tracking shows it was delivered last Saturday?

[@bosnianbill]

I just picked it up from the PO box this morning, thank you!

[@SilentBob4x4]

Good, I'm working on another one, that will be a little more aggressive.

[@PeregrineBF]

I've seen disc detainer locks with front tension discs or rear tension discs. I wonder why none of them put the tensioning disc somewhere in the middle. That would make pick design a lot harder.

[@TalasDS]

Not really. Thinking about it, it wouldn't require much thought to design one, as it would be awfully similar to a rear tensioning one. Maybe such cores exist, and maybe such tools do to. It's a novelty, until the Chinese manufacturers start doing such things by the bulk. Haha

[@zMeul]

what's up with audio levels so low?

[@leegrant1800]

One quick question how much does the lock way by the way great video.

[@bosnianbill]

Did you watch the video? I stated the weights at 1:19, check it out.

[@cthulpiss]

as for the hardness test: try googling Hardness Tester Checker File HRC40-HRC65

[@waynosfotos]

How does this rate to the forever lock you rated pretty highly

[@bosnianbill]

I'd actually prefer this one over the Forever lock for a few reasons. First, the build quality is better, as is the attention to detail. Second, getting replacement keys is easier with the Strongman. Third, the silicone makes the strongman much more bike-friendly. Last, locking/unlocking the strongman is MUCH faster and easier than the multi-stepped process on the forever lock. Securitywise, I think they are about equal.

[@waynosfotos]

bosnianbill Thanks, I did purchase the forever lock, and it is great for work as you can leave it there, but I have locked it and unlocked it many times and it is always a bit of a fiddle, as you say and the silicon is not over the whole lock, so you need to be careful on a carbon bike, I use a added rag. It is also pretty heavy. I reckon it would slow down most thieves, but the Knog would be faster and quicker for multi stops and be almost as good and has that bike frame attachment, for taking it with you, yeah a nice bit of kit! I got two keys two coffins and a blank, so I don’t think replacement keys would be a problem unless you wanted multiple people to access

[@aHondaaa]

ah the days before the pick that BosnianBill and I made

[@paulysci925]

This vs abus 540 and granit extreme?

[@yusufmirgoul3541]

people suggesting to send it to lockpickinlawyer , yes do that please Bill

[@pault5179]

Add a 110dB vibration sensitive cheap alarmed padlock e.g. thru disc brake (also a different key type)

[@Memes-XD]

so i just participated in the contest, but thought is it possible to ship in to Finland

[@bosnianbill]

No problem, I've send several things to winners in Finland. It is near Australia, right? ;)

[@Memes-XD]

ok good, thanks. hahah, sure near australia ;)

[@40Found]

They do sell longer DD picks...

[@bird718]

i wonder how it does against dirt marks?

[@ohjolt2]

That's a sweet lock!

[@guillermocaban4768]

But it's still a cool looking lock thank Bill for showing that to us.

[@chaolee3605]

Inflated shipping charges are to get around eBays % cut from the selling fee...

[@bosnianbill]

Yeah, I understand but it just seems a bit deceptive. I would have still bought it even if they marked up the price of the lock and were a bit more honest on the shipping charge. It just leaves a bad taste when I paid $18.14 for shipping and the postage sticker said a bit over $7.

[@Crazywaffle5150]

Bosnianbill You got it at a good price over all.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Also...if a refund becomes an issue the amount involved is much lower if shipping is inflated. I hate this kind of silliness. And I am a seller!

[@johnhoward7298]

I'm getting a ebike @ will need a good lock. Thanks for the recommendation ! Please ck. out some of the battery locks built-in on the ebikes @ the abus cafe locks on some of them too . thanks

[@niskaa78]

You can get a set of hardness test files for 100 USD or so - that is no too bad I think. They are not super accurate, but totally fine for your purpose :).

[@Black3ternity]

Hey Bill, thanks for the video. I was a bit sad when you didn't do anything to the lock. Not destroying it, but unveiling some misteries about that. I love your "Junk" Videos where you show the crap, that manufacturers sell as security equipment. But I would really, really love an extension of these videos. You showed us a couple of junk-bike locks in the past. Now you showed a good one - but I wish there was more. Show the physical differences, show us some tips on what to look for, BEFORE buying junk. I know, you don't want people screaming at you for trusting you to buy a lock that failed. But I would love more insight on your process of choosing a right lock for the job. I.e. you show how crap Masterlocks are for securing your shack. And then you show us a lock that you personally would trust, the reason why and a few points to watch out for. I can't run through the shop with my trusty hacksaw to cut every shackle just to see if it is hardened - so any general tips there? Keep up the amazing job.

[@junkman8742]

Did you watch the same video I did? He went piece by piece describing what makes it a better lock

[@Brandon-wh8hr]

jest checked there website and the MSRP of this lock is $99.95 USD

[@pascalinours]

You could buy a set of hardness testing files.

[@robertoswalt319]

If you know someone with a small metal lathe they could probably knock out a new detainer part for you in no time. All they would need is the basic dimensions

[@ShinobiDiabolik]

send this lock to Lockpicking Lawyer, he will take good care of it :-) I hope he will say with his very calm voice and very carefully measured words, let's do down into th garage, and in that garage locks die. If a lock survives a visit in LockPicking lawyer garage, it can be considered tough, strong and secure.

[@raincoast2396]

BB's nod goes to the knog!

[@overbuilts10]

As far as a cheap hardness tester look in to the file set I bought mine from McMaster Carr.

[@madzyadzy07]

BTWIN 700 D Lock looks like the same lock for GBP19.95

[@khronosgauntlet2257]

Great video

[@WineScrounger]

The test of it is; how fucked is the hacksaw blade after that?

[@justininfrance]

Very interesting lock but seems very narrow and restrictive, even more than a standard U-lock? Utterly useless on my bulky ebike.

[@NimsChannel]

EBay states all charges upfront. Unless you purchase overseas, then it's possible to get hit with customs charges. Anyways, you should have read the listing fully and not just clicked on the cheapest price. (Twenty dollars less than other sellers no doubt).

[@bosnianbill]

Yes, I was fully aware of the $18.14 shipping but chose to order anyway because these locks are difficult to find. As As I said in the video I don't feel ripped off for paying $48 for the lock, but DO feel the seller overcharged for shipping rather significantly. The postage on the box was only $7.60, so he pocketed the extra.

[@wades623]

@@bosnianbill some sellers charge more for shipping because there is not an ebay fee on shipping charges. it used to be a lot more common for the cost of it to bee all shipping and the item be a penny

[@bkthrill]

I think that bike lock was the first to pass all the tests.

[@00lightning]

hey Mr bill, I have an assa abloy 341 disk detainer lock with out a key that I have no need for. interested in a trade?

[@greg2092]

Looks good

[@Polite_Cat]

I might be of an unpopular opinion here, but I have a different idea for the funding of the channel. I think instead of paying money to buy all these kits you graciously and constantly give away, (besides any donated ones) you should spend the money on various locks and equipment for the channel itself. I would like to see more retail locks. For instance, LPL almost always has a different lock to pick on his channel. I find the same old challenge locks to be a bit repetitive. I believe that if people are interested in the lockpicking sport, they will buy a lockpicking set on their own using one of the many reviews you've done. There's no way you can donate enough kits to as many people to keep the sport going in the future. You will reach tons more people through the youtube channel alone and putting the info out there. Love your vids as always!

[@bosnianbill]

ForthyPremonition I appreciate your comments but think you may have made a couple of incorrect assumptions, specifically: 1. Practically ALL of the giveaway items ARE donations. Other than postage, they cost nothing. 2. Donations have averaged less than $200/month over the past year, despite my best efforts at fundraising. I use ALL of it to buy review items and locks. Everything beyond the donations I've paid out of pocket. The channel is not yet self-supporting, unfortunately, and I do this because I enjoy it and it is fun. 3. I've done over 1200 videos and believe I've covered most of the available commercial locks. I'm sure there are still a few out there that I may have missed, especially the expensive ones, but I've done my best to cover most of them. If you have one you'd like to see, let me know and I'll try to get one. 4. Insofar as the challenge locks, I ENJOY seeing what creative innovators come up with and challenge locks are a good way to showcase that. Lock manufacturers have also commented that they are finding new ideas to improve the security of their products. 5. Attracting new pickers to LockSport is the future of our hobby, and the equipment donors recognize this by giving us pick sets to give away. Without constantly attracting new blood, our hobby will stagnate and die. Sometimes, new viewers need some kind of "incentive" to finish watching a video, and the giveaways fill that gap. I think of each kit given away as planting a seed to grow our hobby. LPL is a very gifted lock picker, much better than I am. His strength lies in his amazing picking ability, organization, and detailed descriptions of the inner workings of locks. Oh yeah, the Ramjet Nail Gun is pretty cool too.😀 My point is our approach to lock picking entertainment and the content of our channels is complimentary. Instead of two IDENTICAL channels doing the SAME thing to the SAME locks, try to look at our channels as a buffet, not a single course meal.

[@Polite_Cat]

Thanks for replying. All fair points. I didn't realize most of the stuff was donated, I guess I had assumed the patreon/donations were enough to sustain buying all of that equipment, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we're greatful for all time and money you put in the pot youtself. ///You are right in that you've already done tons of videos. I think I've watched them all, which is why I guess I'm itching for very fresh content. Not to say I don't like the challenge locks, but they sometimes can be very similar, with the occasional outlier who makes some brilliant design choice. I agree that locksport needs to have new blood as it is a fairly niche hobby and anything that does that is a good thing. And yes, I do enjoy the contrast between your and LPL's channels. I suppose it would be boring if it was always the same methodology and content. All the best from a longtime fan!

[@DonCarter1776]

Nice lock.

[@firefighterjake2008]

Good morning

[@novo1178]

Awesome!!

[@ckeller07]

Nice product. Thanks for the detail review

[@kroakakaka]

How can i find ur adress ? have a pretty unique lock and i mean pretty unique that is made in norway i want to send to you

[@bosnianbill]

Unique lock? I'm all IN! My address is: LockLab P.O. Box 2160 Merrifield, VA 22116 Thanks! bill

[@3daypriest]

Shipping is getting crazy. I wouldn’t say you were ripped off.

[@cup_and_cone]

9:36 - Who only drops into the pub for 5 minutes?

[@johndododoe1411]

Delivery guy bringing another keg from the local micro brewery

[@PaulSteMarie]

Making an adequate pick for this shouldn't be a major exercise for anyone with access to a mill and lathe, even micro ones like those made by Taig. As far as hardness testers go, a set of test files should run around $100 and be more than adequate for your purposes. An actual Rockwell tester is an order of magnitude more accurate, but two orders of magnitude more expensive.

[@bosnianbill]

Yeah, a few people recommended the files instead of the "real" Rockwell tester, so I ordered a set of them. Hopefully they'll at least be close to the real hardness. And you're right, a "real" electronic hardness tester is not only several times more expensive, but needs frequent calibration AND requires the target to weigh 1kg or more for accurate results.

[@kelseymafia]

Sorry to say but the audio issue is still there. Do you have a computer or something running in the background? 3d printer? washer/dryer? Water heater? oil heater? I know it's not me as I see the same comment on every video. Maybe it's time to ditch the Blue Yeti mic and get something else? Also, you have it on cardioid setting right?

[@bosnianbill]

Mike, I give up. I have no idea what the issue is, but after a rather significant investment in Yeti microphones, as well as the other things, we'll just have to live with whatever it is. BTW, there is nothing running in the Lab. My laptop is silent, with an SSD. No other machinery other than passing cars and overflying aircraft. I appreciate all of your help with this but I've blown LockLab's budget for the next three months on this...

[@kelseymafia]

Surely you have made some friends with other KZbinrs and video creators who can help you with this. I doubt it's something that requires money to fix if you've replaced the microphone as many times as you suggest you have. I'm guessing it's a setup issue or software issue that could be resolved. Giving up on it is kind of frustrating to me as it's literally all I can focus on when I watch your videos. And I watch almost all of them.

[@bosnianbill]

The only remaining possibility is the normalization, something I did not do to the audio files we looked at yesterday. On test #2, you said it was pretty good and that's the exact same thing I did for today's video. The only thing different is in the final step of editing the videos, where I normalize the clip's sound levels. I use the video editing software's (Magix) normalization function to make sure the intro's volume is the same as the video's. I started doing this about a year ago when people complained about the different sound levels. Perhaps on the next video I'll manually adjust the different clip's volumes and see if that makes any difference.

[@Tekwyzard]

It could actually be audio clipping, how about just trying a quieter intro, and not normalising the main body of audio as much or even at all, What db level are you aiming for? Should be no more than 0db really, not in the red on any gauge. Sod anyone who says it's too quiet, that's what our volume controls are for. There's recent videos where the issue makes you sound so sibilant (the best I can describe it) for most of the video, that it's almost unbearable, but the content wins through anyway. It's been happening for a long time and I'm baffled why so many people claim to not be able to hear it, while it's so obvious on so many varied types of playback equipment at our end.

[@GMBeaulac]

The audio is fine for me. I have no idea what you're referring to in terms of audio issues.

[@WestEast3259585]

LockPickingLawyer, get one please

[@cthulpiss]

nice one!

[@joonaknuutinen5540]

just use ramset for the owner and for the witnesses and carry the bike to the nearest pawn shop.. also cheers :)

[@greenefieldmann3014]

Blast Hardcheese! Drunk Slamchest! Rip Steakface! Knog Strongman! Fridge Largemeat! Bolt van der Huge!

[@notaname8140]

...?

[@ryanpenrod1859]

$99 new, so $48 isn't bad

[@VicariousReality7]

18 dollars is a ripoff for you? I have paid 80 dollars to ship similar items to me

[@panonf.9106]

You paid $80 shipping for a $40 item? Sounds like you're an idiot.

[@p2o8wer]

I could use a secure bike lock.

[@endospores]

In europe they go for >80 Euro. :(

[@lwilton]

You need a set of Rockwell hardness testing files. Something like this: www.ebay.com/itm/TSUBOSAN-MA00600-Hardness-Tester-Checker-File-HRC40-HRC65-Set-JAPAN-FS/322804522990?epid=1037874698&hash=item4b28a61fee:g:Ps8AAOSwgvNZ1FVE That's 75 bucks, which is about 10% of a used real Rockwell hardness tester. And these are new.

[@bosnianbill]

Thank you, Sir! I just ordered a set. One of the reasons I didn't order the electronic tester is I had no way to have it calibrated every 3 months (required for accuracy). I'd have to send it back to the manufacturer in China...not good. Anyway, these files look perfect and I appreciate you pointing them out to me - the perfect solution. Easy to use and no periodic calibration. Thank you!

[@lwilton]

Glad to see you got a set, I think you will find them useful. When you use those files, don't try to really cut with them. Just take a light cut. The files that are softer than the test piece will skate over it, and the ones that are harder will bite into it. If you lay into it with the soft files you will dull/ruin them. See Adam Booth demonstrating how to use these files here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5-8eXqmj7hmmcU Good luck!

[@rollbot]

'custom design' -- foreshadowing here? :)

[@benb3316]

I'd like LPL to take a jab at this - however since the custom made specialist tools failed to reach it I'm safe to say that this is "Crack Addict (or Meth Addict) with hairpins from a bloody purse proof". Tension far back in the lock is a good idea. IMO there should be several tumblers that turn with tension each not related to keys but even if China starts selling tools for this based on videos it's still something a drugged out creep who'd steal a bike would take way too long to figure out. Really burns me up when LPL finds ways to casually (no high skill, no specialized tools) defeat locks, especially the more expensive, too fancy locks. Not at him but the manufacturers. No lock could be 'pick proof' unless it bricks and the legit key doesn't work. Also you want for a more expensive lock the option to take it to a locksmith and have it fixed or re-keyed. However they need to be designed to not be easy to defeat so someone forcing/defeating it needs to spend time looking suspicious defeating them or make a lot of noise and really had better have a good explanation using saws or a grinder to cut through.

[@johnleonard2451]

Nice

[@karloslowry9043]

lock picking lowyer adapted his tentioner.

[@ToxicVortex8]

well im sad, i just broke my 3 peak in a master lock it was a sparrows *sad face* good news is i have a knife and im ganna make a mass order

[@mealex303]

A tough egg ... (Knog)!! then lol

[@Majorhantines]

Would you please attack this lock physically?

[@bosnianbill]

Sure! Please send me one and I'll do it. I can't afford another one.

[@Majorhantines]

Oh I have expected that the videos make much more than 68€. Sorry.

[@wades623]

what if grandmas house is in the slums of a ghetto war zone?

[@mrmaigo]

Ramset!

[@geoff255]

Everyday.... I'm huss husss-aaa-tttlliinn

[@marte1a256]

I want to win it

[@OGSontar]

Per a quick Google search, that's a US $100.00 lock.

[@bosnianbill]

Here you go then, save yourself some $$. This is the guy I bought it from and he still has some for sale. www.ebay.com/itm/Knog-Strongman-High-Security-Bicycle-U-Lock-White-13mm-Hardened-Steel-Shackle/132555025296?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[@philj745]

Check out Amazon they have it for $69.95 which seems worth it after viewing bosniabill's video.