[1619] Drop Key Locks: A Different Approach

[@rightsright]

Wait! You didn't pick a lock! That's not allowed!

[@lauxmyth]

"The exercise to design and build a pick is left to the class as homework." The three get progressively more difficult. Bonus points for developing a drill plan with time to defeat. (If I worked for a fire department, I would develop such as vandals could plug the hole for the standard key. Remember time to open matters.)

[@GimpyChinaman]

Today he's the Lockshowing Lawyer.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

Yes, we the people demand a follow up pick video! lol

[@AndrewJens]

Yes, and he also didn't pick it twice to show it wasn't a fluke.

[@echodeal7725]

it's just a fluke

[@Andy-fd5fg]

They look like they are more pick resistant than just about every Master Lock lock.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

So true! Especially the biting one. I mean how do you know it has biting on the other side, how do you know the spaces or how many spring slots there are? I'll take my chances with a Master Lock.

[@pixelmaster98]

duct tape is more resistant that any Master lock

[@pretentiousname01]

I mean….. thats a pretty low bar

[@nahuel3256]

@@CanadaFree-ce9jn You'd only need to get the teeth in one hole to create a lever arm and spin the gear

[@HakumivalGaav]

uf

[@hyvahyva]

That one with the gear and three pins is beautiful

[@volvo09]

Yeah if that was made of hardened steel and on a secure facility, only a real lock geek would know how it works, even though it's so basic. Another means of entry would be found.

[@spvillano]

@@volvo09 hardened steel for a garage or barn door? OK, so I kick a few slats out of the boards and get in that way. Or use a cable saw to do the same quietly from the rear. Although, that is a bit much work to steal a hoe or something. Clever, easily mass produced, fit for purpose and well, more secure than a masterlock. I'll always give the Russians credit for cleverness where it's due, despite a dislike for their government.

[@OrangeDog20]

I can't visualise how you would pick it. Three separate thin hooks all inserted together and moved about until you find the pins?

[@volvo09]

@@spvillano that's why I said "secure facility"... A barn, or a house, is not secure... No one targets locks first. All I'm saying is that if it was the only point of entry it would confuse anyone unfamiliar with locks because it's so simple.

[@volvo09]

@@OrangeDog20 same as any other lock, tension the disk, and use a separate hooked pick to poke the open ports. This lock just rotates a circle instead of a barrel with pins. I'm not a lock picker, but it is basically a flat lock, not a cylinder like we are accustomed to.

[@alexburchak]

Ukrainian guy here. I had one of these on the door when I was young. Not the most comfortable to carry in a pocket...

[@seanb3516]

Sure, but if you get in a fistfight with your older sister then... you know. (I hear Ukrainian Girls are kinda Tough) XD

[@bondarenkodf]

The same, to the shop class (one of two locks).

[@volvo09]

I was going to say that key looks like it would wear out your pocket fairly quickly.

[@D3nn1s]

Shouldnt be too hard to make a more compact version of that system though. Maybe add a sleeve to it?

[@spvillano]

@@D3nn1s or just have a key hook on one's belt.

[@CoreyOgburn]

I adore locks that operate on a different paradigm. This is so freaking unique!

[@АлексейГордеев-п1н]

It isn't unique in former USSR. This lock very easy to made.

[@Timmycoo]

@@АлексейГордеев-п1н Prob for weather resistance, durability, ease of use etc. Makes sense. But the ingenuity of them is what I find most fascinating.

[@samuelnelson7429]

I really value your videos on vintage and obscure locks. I appreciate all your work, but the unique locks are next-level fascinating to me. Thanks again.

[@wigrysystems]

Back in 90's similar locks were used in Estonian technical school to lock the valuable computer classes. As the school had its own metal workshop, then these locks may have been made even in-house. Anyway it always looked special when teacher operated the locks to either unlock or lock the classrooms.

[@ErrorTH]

Security through obscurity is a general garage door approach in Russia (mostly built in USSR or in 1990s). You can see a lot of uncommon or unique handcrafted locking mechanisms (they are usually part of a set, like a 1-2 normal locks and one weird) in those garage doors.

[@АлексейГордеев-п1н]

Yes. I have them in garage too. 3 of them in one door. And they match bigger. My father build them.

[@daemn42]

I'd say that last one offers some security even if you do know how it works.

[@sharky98]

Hey, I've seen a Master Lock that was really unpickable yesterday. At least unpickable for long enough to deter any thief. The only issue is that I, the key owner, was also locked out since the lock was frozen rock solid in ice 😂

[@danstotland6386]

Squirt rubbing alcohol into the keyway, enjoy a cup of coffee then turn the lock open.

[@denyereduardopuentes4410]

A Nice opportunity to go peeking....

[@gatherer818]

My current security is "the road out of my neighborhood isn't passable by even most four wheel drive vehicles, you can get in but good luck getting out"

[@theotherguyhere]

And sometimes Darwin award recipients 😅

[@Intercaust]

I busted out from that comment.😂😂😂

[@NobbsAndVagene]

For more information, look up "elevator wedgie"...

[@abheekkaushal]

I dont get it whats the joke about??

[@Tahngarthor]

@@abheekkaushal "darwin award" refers to someone getting themselves killed by doing something really stupid. Like, in this case, entering an elevator shaft.

[@Mind-The-Doors]

@@abheekkaushal Pretty sure it was a bit of a nudge at people who surf elevators

[@grahamjones1446]

Wow that last lock is so elegant. Optimised for cheap production. Love the fact there are only driver pins in the wheel and the key forms the other pins. Someone should make a miniature precision version with some refinements. Even without different pin heights you could get a lot of combinations by making the pins different shapes. Some round some square some triangular. That and moving the position of the pins. Then add fences between the pins to further hamper access to the pins. Just an idea!!

[@waylonk2453]

Now that's an idea!

[@Jonathan-hx6oy]

I hate to break it to you but pin location and length matters alot more than shape. I very small diameter pin the right length can depress driver of every shape if the length and location is correct.

[@qwerty-cg7hv]

Certainly, in the UK, they are also often used on the entrance doors of blocks of flats and apartments for fire access. I remember in a rather dodgy part of London waiting outside a block for a colleague to arrive to join me on a job. Two police officers arrived and tried to access the building but no one would answer the intercom to let them in. I stood a little way away from them scratching my ear with my drop key, one of them spotted it and ran over and asked to be let in. I wasn't going to approach them and offer, it wasn't that sort of neighborhood, but I was happy to help when they asked for it.

[@Speedbird9L]

I really like the last one. A very elegant design.

[@darrennew8211]

That barn door one looks like the right amount of security for a barn door. Just enough to tell people to keep out, given they could probably axe thru the door in about 90 seconds anyway.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

You do know locks only keep honest people out...I know you do. lol That $300 house door lock is just as secure when I go through your window...or your wall with a front end loader using a key from Amazon. Ha!

[@KevinKadow]

@@CanadaFree-ce9jn Locks also keep insurance companies honest -- most will refuse to pay out in a case of "mysterious disappearance". Forcing you to use a kinetic entry method doesn't protect my stuff, but does help me successfully file an insurance claim.

[@DanStaal]

That Ukrainian lock reminds me of a ‘lock’ that I have seen on village huts in Africa, made completely out of natural materials. The ‘key’ was basically a curved stick - and if the curve or length wasn’t right, it couldn’t lift the bar across the inside of the door.

[@caseydarrah]

We see those in Egyptian tombs, as well- you need a stick with nubs in the right spaces or the bar won't move.

[@estern001]

I learned something new today. Drop-key locks, very interesting. Thank you, LPL!

[@BellofattoBrews]

For 34 years as an elevator mechanic, that was one lock that I had no problem picking.

[@Defy5]

Did you have a set of keys or a special tool?

[@jaymassengill3340]

How was the elevator business over that time span?

[@brad.fuller]

@@jaymassengill3340 had it's ups and downs........

[@BellofattoBrews]

@@Defy5 had a set of drop keys. Each company, i.e. Otis, used a different drop key to pick their lock. The one the LPL first shows could pick a G.A.L. or Otis door lock. Most commonly used one is say.

[@BellofattoBrews]

@@jaymassengill3340It was a great trade to be in allowed me to retire at 61 just about five months ago. I’d recommend it before sending someone to college for a generic degree that’s for sure. Though my son wouldn’t listen to me when I was telling him this. It can be hard work and it does have its pain in the ass moments but again overall it is a tremendous trade and a very well paying one oat that to be in.

[@gradientgamer5480]

How a drop key works in an elevator system All the landing doors (Doors on the floor) have an interlock system engaged when the doors close. The interlock release system is attatched to pair of rollers mounted on the door. when the roller is pushed, it pushes on the release arm attatched to the interlock which disengages the interlock to allow the door to open. In normal operation, the elevator door has a special arm on it called the clutch. When the elevator lines up with the floor, the clutch slides into where the rollers are, when the elevator door opens, the clutch pushes the roller to unlock the door, the rollers at this point, allowes the clutch to move with landing doors. When the elevator door's close, the clutch no longer pushes on the roller so the lock is engaged. The drop key opens the door by having the key line up with the rollers and when turned, engage the release arm to open the door.

[@longbow6416]

I always thought they were for a beam to be inserted and forced open. I didn't think there was a catch. Thanks!

[@gradientgamer5480]

@@longbow6416 theres a video by Jared Owen on how elevators work, and it covers how the doors operate

[@Thegreateyeinthesky]

But can you pick them with a carrot?

[@pacmon5285]

Darwin Award recipients 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Sly and humorous way of also suggesting nobody try messing with these.

[@SomeGuysGarage]

....he didn't pick the locks.....HE DIDN'T PICK THE LOCKS......how am I supposed to know it wasn't a fluke?

[@higihups]

A fluke would require him to open a lock at least once without a key. As he opened no lock without the key and the key is intended to open the lock reliably, we can conclude that opening the locks was not a fluke.

[@stronzer59]

0:50 Darwin Award Recipients??? Total Gold, best laugh in weeks

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

I was coming down to say the same

[@burke615]

Yeah, that was hilarious. And randomly opening a door to an elevator shaft does seem like a solid first step to winning a Darwin award.

[@AaronHahnStudios]

A key that Bruce Willis might have needed a few times at Nakatomi Plaza.

[@anthonywebb269]

I’ve always noticed that hole on elevators but never thought it being a lock. Thanks for that

[@Defy5]

Same!

[@AaronOfMpls]

Yah, I'd always figured that was to open the door for maintenance and such when the elevator car wasn't there. But I thought of it more a "key" in the sense of a removable handle, to keep the average person from messing around with it -- like the hallway light switches at school that were just vertical slots, or the outside hose faucets that have a nut in place of a knob.

[@EmeraldHill-vo1cs]

Always knew it, but ours is a 7/8 th outline of a triangle. No hole. Love to know how.

[@KasparOnTube]

here in Estonia we have quite many garage doors still guarded by those locks. Installed before 90s.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

Go around and see how many you can open with the same key. Ha! No don't do that. That would break Rule #1 and Rule #2.

[@whynot6795]

@@CanadaFree-ce9jn This lock is easy to modify so that a stranger's key, even with same pins, won't fit.

[@helmsman13]

The legacy of the ancient civilization

[@Tuepp]

​@@helmsman13 So, you use "ancient" as an euphemism for the repression? I'm sure this is a try to be friendly, but it wasn't the peoples fault that modern technology didn't reached them for a while... check history books...

[@helmsman13]

@@Tuepp It always amused me how people find nonexistent meanings in others' words. The state produced these lock is long gone but its products are still in use even in its former parts. It is that simple.

[@geniferteal4178]

I like them for their obscurity (and simplicity). That alone could make them somewhat useful.

[@DIYuntilDAWN]

I feel like if you did start selling those keys to the public, then we would have a lot more Darwin award winners out there.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

Good point.

[@Ferd414]

You say that like it would be a bad thing...

[@johnvaluk1401]

At my old church one of the basement doors used a drop key lock similar to the barn door lock in design. The members were from the country of Belarus and have been here in USA since the end of WW2.

[@laukinath194]

never heard of those before; neat concept!

[@ГригорийПавлов-ь3и]

В СССР такие делал каждый токарь и фрезеровщик. Это очень сильно распространенный замок. Сейчас много продается. Цена примерно 20-30 долларов

[@taylorsutherland6973]

That Russian one you showed looks very interesting. With spring loaded pins and an unknown number of pins. Looks like an interesting challenge to pick without a camera at least.

[@mishuha]

The key is "without a camera"

[@KevinKadow]

A form of impressioning could be effective? Unlike the earlier designs where you could just catch and turn the mechanism without a perfect match, looks like the Russian lock requires that all (three in this case) spring-loaded "pins" be depressed before the mechanism will start to turn.

[@TheRealWormbo]

@@KevinKadow Like with regular locks, you'd probably find a way to tension the rotating part and then test each of the pins, as one or more of them will likely be binding. Engage those, then continue with the others until all of them are set. I doubt they are security pins. I assume the difficult part would be to actually find them, but I guess because of the way the key is put into place, they will likely always be above and below the hole.

[@crazygoatemonky]

I think the easiest way would be making a universal key. Instead of a key with specific nubs, have a dense row of collapsible/spring-loaded nubs, so when you pull it back it engages whichever pins are there and the other nubs collapse out of the way

[@jeffhiner]

@@crazygoatemonky A potential way to resist such an attack: fake pins that engage to block rotation of the gear when pressed in? Maybe as simple as some captured steel ball bearings on a small ramp or cam, such that they bind if depressed under any tension but drop back when released.

[@marquiis]

In Spain elevators don't use those, instead a very basic triangular key is used. And a square key in trains, where you can see Darwin award candidates opening the toilet that was out of service for a very good reason

[@j.f.christ8421]

Australian keys are similar, no drop keys (that I've noticed). An old flatmate was an elevator tech, I wound up with a set of keys for various things, including elevator keys. Never been interested in putting them to use.

[@jameshodgson1609]

We call those triangular keys Euro keys and are on nearly every UK lift. Except for lifts where Darwin Award candidates might be around where drop keys similar to those shown by LPL are often used.

[@EngineerMikeF]

I'd sure like to see LPL pick that Russian version

[@Apreche]

I’ve always seen that hole on the elevator doors. Now I know! Thank you LPL.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yep, the key gets inserted into there. It's been a few years since I had access to one of them. IIRC, ours as a star key, I think it had to do with the shape of the actual tip. But, it's been a while and we were never allowed to use it, it was for the responding technician to use if anybody ever got stuck in an elevator. With the dozens of elevators that the building has, it kind of surprises me that nobody ever got stuck in an elevator when I was working.

[@markedis5902]

Fascinating. Thank you for showing them.

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

0:30 I’m sure I’d have noticed a 6 foot hole in the lift before now

[@michaeldew7904]

That’s probably why he said 6 foot HIGH hole.

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

@ thats still a big hole,. As Priscilla Presley said in one of the naked gun movies, “he’s white, 6 foot three moustache “ Leslie Nielsen replied “thats an awfully big moustache “ I knew what he meant, calm down pendant.

[@badger31738]

Thanks, I learned something new today. I really enjoy your videos. God Bless 🙏🏼

[@rf159a]

Worked at "The Sands" in Atlantic City and had to use that "elevator key" quite a few times to get passengers from stuck elevators!

[@blackmoon9511]

oof that's kinda illegal lol, always wait for first responders to get someone off a stuck elevator, you never know when the elevator might malfunction further, like when getting someone off of it

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@blackmoon9511 Normally, it's an elevator tech, although, I'd imagine that the fire department would probably have people that can do it. The big risk with getting people out of an elevator that's stuck between floors is somebody falling backwards and down the shaft immediately after exiting. It's highly unlikely for the elevator to move at all in that state. Especially, if somebody has had the sense to shut it down completely until the work is done. .

[@basocheir]

you know what would be different approach? Carrot approach

[@AndreVandal]

Amazing set of locks, never seen them before, always wondered what that hole was in the elevators

[@tohogojira3759]

I knew the hole was to open the door but I was thinking like an allen key and not this floppy thing

[@Davlavi]

Great episode.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Thank you. Seeing new things is better than watching master fail like it's their mission statement.

[@HumboldtPicker707]

Very cool mechanism! Thanks for sharing how they operate!!

[@adamtalpash6469]

The first time I’ve ever seen a drop key lock it was made of wood. Incidentally it was on a Ukrainian Canadian heritage site. I had no idea that they were still in use today. Cool video 😊

[@Shuck-Shick-Blam]

I bought a digital safe recently where it was locked & didn't come with the backup keys. I was able to pick it open to get to where I could reset the combination to make it useful again. I could hear something inside. The keys weren't inside though. Still, a $200 dollar safe for $5 bucks is a deal that's worth it to me. The key way was one that I've never picked before. It was a 'laser track key' type of key. Your channel has helped me to go forward with things like this.

[@BigDavie2000]

I am certain I have seen a key similar to the Russian one on my fathers work keys. He worked as a gas engineer in the UK from about 1970 to 2010. He is no longer with us, so I can't ask about it. The keys he had on that bunch were varied from simple three sided rods to double headed mortice keys, comically large key to tiny tubular keys. I guess the different manufacturers had their own key to keep unauthorised access to the dangerous gas parts of their machinery.

[@timothybayliss6680]

The russian lock that has bitting could get particularily evil to pick if it was upgraded with tumbler pins with different cut height.

[@KevinKadow]

It is possible (but unlikely) that even the lock as shown has a height requirement? E.g. using a key with overlong pins could run up against a backing plate, prevent the lock from turning.

[@sangraal043]

Instead of lock picking lawyer you should be lock encyclopedia lawyer. great stuff, love it, carry on Sir.

[@doctortwilight]

That Russian lock has some atrocious looking welds

[@RealRickCox]

Audio was a little low on this one.... maybe we can find a key to turn that up next time.

[@metropolitanelevators]

guys lockpickinglawyer mentioned elevators!!!!!!

[@Soul-Burn]

DeviantOllam collab incoming?

[@QEElevators]

Lmao

[@c.mvrdaaa]

wait till everyone sees your Darwin Award winning video on your channel

[@idkidk4334]

Would not be surprised if he had a video about elevator keys and puts said keys on his store😂

[@fyrfyter33]

Love it! Only a few of us know about and how to use drop keys. The newest elevator use a different style of small drop key, that is ridiculously expensive.

[@jedidiah710]

Were you able to pick the lock sent in by Works by Design?😁

[@alleycatlordoflunes9689]

Security by obscurity has always been a good approach

[@Vares65]

Oh those are cool! Thanks for showing us these.

[@damonshamkite7677]

I must say that I'm quite impressed with the russian one. Apart from the obvious downside that all your trouser pockets will have holes torn into them, it's awesome on so many levels. It is easy to fabricate, you can almost certainly make it in your garage shop, even if you are only a moderately gifted DIYer. And it still has the "required" level of security. No lock holds forever, but as long as it it holds long enough such that another point of entry is easier, it's just good enough. Also, it sems like this type of lock will be reliable even in Sibiria or in a desert where more intricate locks may bind and fail. No wonder it's from russia. Lastly, the lock's biggest weakness, the fact that you can look inside with a fiberglass camera and "pick" it in seconds with some hook can be amended with a pair of sheet metal pieces that require you to turn the key by, say, 90 degrees prior to pulling it into the pins. Then it is practically "unpickable" by any reasonable means in any kind of reasonable time. Fiber camera now is no go. You would have to make a tool that can rotate, with a variable-radius backwards feeler gauge, then feel the positions of all the pins, and then make a key accordingly. Or, a picking tool with a mechanic which lets you adjust the radius, maybe with a piece of wire or such. No standard part, for sure. That's an insane amount of work, rather you could just use a blowtorch to cut through the bolt, or smash a window, or drive a truck through the door...I must say that I'm quite impressed with the russian one. Apart from the obvious downside that all your trouser pockets will have holes torn into them, it's awesome on so many levels. It is easy to fabricate, you can almost certainly make it in your garage shop, even if you are only a moderately gifted DIYer. And it still has the "required" level of security. No lock holds forever, but as long as it it holds long enough such that another point of entry is easier, it's just good enough. Also, it sems like this type of lock will be reliable even in Sibiria or in a desert where more intricate locks may bind and fail. No wonder it's from russia. Lastly, the lock's biggest weakness, the fact that you can look inside with a fiberglass camera and "pick" it in seconds with some hook can be amended with a pair of sheet metal pieces that require you to turn the key by, say, 90 degrees prior to pulling it into the pins. Then it is practically "unpickable" by any reasonable means in any kind of reasonable time. Fiber camera now is no go. You would have to make a tool that can rotate, with a variable-radius feeler gauge, then feel the positions of all the pins, and then make a key accordingly. That's an insane amount of work, rather you could just use a blowtorch to cut through the bolt, or smash a window, or drive a truck through the door...

[@1582len]

The drop key is very simple and easy to use. I was a firefighter for many years and used it to get people out of stuck elevators numerous times.

[@CulturedWhiteBoy]

That old lock is pretty cool.

[@TheMimzez]

these are super interesting in how they're engineered! thanks for showing us

[@dreyfusslugado]

Lovely design on those locks, especially the last one.

[@GuretoSefirosu]

Never seen how those work. Simple but I bet it was complex as heck back when they were invented! Cool!

[@TomSedgman]

I can’t wait to see the Leishi tool to decode that!

[@billme372]

Then - More Darwin awards!

[@Ron-0417]

WOW, a couple locks that the LPL can't pick..... yet.....

[@DemaGeek]

I love the unusual, out-of-the-box stuff like this!

[@mos8541]

WOW.... very cool, thanks LPL!

[@jakewynn]

Drop keys are no longer used in elevators certainly in the UK. They have been replaced with traingle keys as drop key mechanisms are prone to failure.

[@keeperofstars]

my dad's uncles had these on the family farm. nearly all the barn doors, had them. Basically used to just keep a stranger or some other animal from opening the doors where the livestock etc was. Less for security more for just a way to hold a door shut but with a simple "outside" method to open them, that had a tiny bit of drunk guy walking past opening the barn door with the bull locked up. oh wait you covered that the darwin award winners. I asked why not just a normal keyed dead bolt and he was like they freeze up in winter, rust, cost a ton for weather resistance, the key's get broken easily around the farm or lost in hay piles etc. Also one key he hung up at the back door would let him do his round of tending animals quick and easy.

[@feuby8480]

i'd be interested in you explaining what kind of tool you could use to unlock theses. Not to make it, but just explaining with some schema. This looks quite interesting.

[@joebob227]

Security through obscurity. Love it :)

[@idkidk4334]

Drop keys for elevators are also dangerous especially for someone whos clowning around with one. From moving elevator cars to big drop offs

[@1582len]

The drop keys are not dangerous, it's the stupidity of the unauthorized people that might have gotten ahold of one.

[@richardhole8429]

Hence the reference to Darwin awardees

[@1582len]

@@richardhole8429 Exactly. I was a firefighter and used one dozens of times with no problems

[@TangoAndToys]

Although not secure anymore, the mechanical mechanisms and sounds sure are satisfying!

[@wbfaulk]

This video and your last have been more interesting than the previous hundred or so combined. It's nice to get back to talking about locks instead of trivial picks with virtually no commentary.

[@MythicMagus]

I have indeed never seen one of these kinds of locks. Thanks for the info.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

Worked as a tech for elevator conveyor repairs, the machine shop made them, there is a safety switch on the doors and major brakes on the cable 4’ pulley so…. Don’t be inside. We worked in pairs for safety, disabled the operator controls in car👍🏼

[@57thorns]

While they look simple, the drop keys for elevator doors have the advantage of being uncommon, the same logic that applies to capacitor batteries for high voltage inside electrical substations. While most things are locked with padlocks, the capacitor banks which are the only things really dangerous at ground level are locked with nuts and bolt. The theory being that you will not bring a spanner to remove those unless you really have to work on them. And even if you do, there is a reminder that this is special. Of course, the nuts&bolt locking is done inside a fenced area where the gates are locked (mostly with padlocks, sometimes with other locks). Or at least, this was how it was at the one place I worked for one summer in 1989. 🙂

[@elevatorcentral]

what is fun is the Schindler and Westinghouse elevator ones are crescent shaped but you are right cause elevators as cool as they are like trains will mess you up without even slowing down if they are not respected

[@vvsotnikov]

My grandparents have this lock on their dacha country house, I believe grandpa welded it himself!

[@David_Crayford]

The Darwin Award Winner joke was pretty sick, but besides the gallows humour it is a reminder of why we need locks to protect the public.

[@milesmurphy4329]

I was aware of the elevator one but I didn't know about the others. So thanks for the information I appreciate it.

[@kenmore01]

I like them! Even if I recognized one, had an idea how it worked and had a kit to pick it, I would have a tough time knowing where to start. It could be made camera-proof.

[@coladict]

I know a woman who has the barn key lock on the door to her yard. The house itself uses regular eurocylinder locks, of course.

[@lenapawlek7295]

So cool!!! Never seen these types of locks before

[@David_Crayford]

Fair to say this is security through obscurity... few use it so the public at large have no idea what that special tool you have in your belt is actually for.

[@Tsnafu]

Today was a good day - I learned something today

[@Liberty4Ever]

The welding on that Russian drop key lock... McDonald's chef's kiss. 💋

[@PaulG.x]

These are great. They would be ideal to build into a shipping container that is used for storage. Miscreants would not even realise what the lock was , let alone how to work it

[@fisk0]

Surprised to see such an elaborate design coming from the Soviet Union. We got an elevator at work here in Sweden that keeps getting stuck between floors (we get service technicians to fix it several times a year, but it keeps getting problems again within weeks), we just open the lock with a screwdriver which can reach into the locking mechanism, and that feels like the Soviet approach.

[@1956kirk]

In the western world these are a great example of "security by scarcity"

[@ddp3000]

A locksmith told me that the more space he has to work the easier it is to open a lock. Sounded logical

[@Merennulli]

I've definitely seen them on elevator doors and always assumed it was some sort of variation on a tubular key. Glad to learn how it really works, though if I ever win a Darwin award, I want it to be for something more fun than falling down an elevator shaft.

[@KubedPixel]

Funky, simple yet elegant

[@MikeBaxterABC]

Good info .. I've only seen the elevator one before! .. Manufacturing one of these for a specific application would be an interesting project!!

[@petesmith2234]

Drop key locks are used for fire service access to many tower blocks in the UK.

[@Kragatar]

1:35 That's a brilliant design. Make one of those with a whole lot more pins, not in a straight line, that each have to be pushed down a specific distance at the same time, and it would be near impossible to pick.

[@AAi2K]

My dad made this type of lock for his basement himself. There was a regular lock in plain sight and a hidden hole for this type of lock. We've never had anyone break in.

[@danielz000]

Hold up.... How would you pick that russian lock without having to resort to a trial and error approach of guessing where the pins are?

[@aaronbredon2948]

Either feed a camera through the hole, or have a drop bar with a modeling clay like substance to impression the pins, then attach pins in matching locations on a drop bar pick.

[@danielz000]

@@aaronbredon2948 impressioning maybe, but that doesn't sound particularly easy... also, if it's some kind of sprung pin with a sheer line like in a normal lock then what...? either way, i'd love to see LPL do that lock!

[@prebenkul]

Seems the last lock would be classified as unpickable. Bec unless you know the exact model of the lock, youd have no idea how many pins and where they where located. Youd need to have some kind of bendable lockpick and probably many of them at the same time, which is not going to be easy to get nor use. Its so simple yet genius.

[@max6499]

I would enjoy seeing the design process of making picks for one of these locks.

[@Tera_GX]

This is what those ancient temple vaults need to be using!

[@jakethadley]

That Russian one is SO COOL, love the combination of bitting with this! Must be awkward to use at first.

[@0scr_]

My dad had one of those on his garage doors. They're mostly found in former USSR countries.