DEFCON 19: Key Impressioning

[@garychap8384]

Two important points... You can turn two brass blanks into a strong cheeks that hold a zinc, aluminium or even plastic centre insert (just make sure you 'key' both halves so they act as one key. This saves you money and makes impressioning SO MUCH faster and easier WITHOUT the snapping problem. I'm surprised Jos didn't mention this. I don't use a file for these, but a 'nibbler' ... One snip, fast and accurate. But why do it this way at all ? At the moment I'm playing with foil impressioning. No light or magnifying glass, no filing, no blanks, no repeated insertion/removal ... Just slide it in... wiggle... keep wiggling... click! 30 seconds and the lock is open, you can usually even spin a multi-turn deadbolt... then remove carefully and cut a proper spare key at your leisure (or take the numbers down and phone it in to the shop, to collect later) So many ways, but manipulating a full brass blank is slow work : /

[@garychap8384]

Yes, that was a bit confusing : ) Not sure where my head was at. If you want to learn about locks I'd suggest doing what I did and join a sports picking ring. I got into locks whilst at DefCon 2010 and then joined a European ring once I got home. The one I'm in continually sends locks to members who video their bypass and then pass the locks on to the next person who wants it... you'll get to learn all the techniques and get to work on a ton of different locks from different vendors - all rated for difficulty. Some of them are rare, high value, security locks. The community helps with techniques, tools, etc. It's the cheapest and fastest way to get comfortable with all of the locks out there and many different bypasses from impressioning,, bumping, picking, picking security-pins, picking sidebars and side pins, picking tubulars, shimming pads, etc. Once comfortable there are sports picking meets and conferences where you're timed going down a line of locks with penalties for anything you skip - and there's always a few nasty models thrown in : ) At one annual meet we had a crack at some safes and there were a bunch of old eurocyllinders to try a range of homemade cylinder-snapping tools on. You'll get very confident in a lot of techniques very quickly. Best thing is that you're not paying a fortune for locks and you've got lots of friendly advice on hand for the more challenging ones. Some of the locks get re-pinned by members to make them more difficult. I got my kids into picking by removing some pins from some old locks to make them easier. They're not as patient and they get frustrated easily, so we started with a few 2-pin locks and I added some pins back in once they 'got it' ... now my youngest is cracking about 40% of the 'challenge' locks I get sent. But DO join a ring. It's so much better than trying to learn picking from youtube or with a few locks at home you're going to get too familiar with. Have fun

[@garychap8384]

Cool. Up a video then, astro-boy.

[@CGoody564]

If it's a simple lock, sure. If not, foil attack isn't really optimal.

[@torstenschaefer4600]

Great Introduction to the topic. I enjoyed it a lot.

[@herbhunter5520]

Can you impression an antique warded padlock?

[@808Unionist]

Beginners can't you use a set of Space & Dept Keys to get your impressions or lack of marks? I used Neolube to show the progressive cut needed to cut the key. Each time I cut a depth I remark the key and do the next cut.

[@MsHojat]

Do any locks have anti-impressioning measures in place in their locks? namely a softer material used for the tip of the pins? It seems like a quite simple counter-measure. I guess a big problem with that may be wear. The lock may stop working eventually if the tip gets too worn. In addition, I suppose a way to counteract those tips would be to just mould blank keys and re-cast them in an _even softer_ material like plastic or a hard wax, but that is a lot of work, and could be difficult to get working.

[@kg4boj]

No way would wax work. You NEED to use good cleaned (with your file) brass blanks. You WILL break many blanks if you do impressioning often it's just the name of the game. Also there are many catches that will give your perfect job of impressioning a lot of "false marks" as us locksmiths call them. Serrated and spool pins are just one of many of these caveats. Also forget about impressioning sidebar locks. Yes it can be done but it is extrodinarily impractical and not practical to do for a day to day thing as it is never a 100% sure bet. As a locksmith working since 2004 I can tell you I still use impressioning for pin tumbler ignitions such as those used in ford ignitions and door locks before they had one key fit doors and the ignition.

[@russej02]

I've been known when a blank starts to break to go duplicate in a fresh one so I dont have to start over

[@ketherga]

You wouldn't need softer tips for the pins, having different spring materials, which push at different rates frustrates impressioning attacks.

[@MatthewForan11]

Awesome explanation! Thanks for the great video!

[@jonathancandlish9776]

this technique works im a locksmith and ive used it myself

[@37Iulian]

I would paint the blank blade with a black Sharpie marker to see better the marks from pins! A magnifying glass helps a lot!

[@chriskaprys]

what is the name of the documentary with Tickle Jr.? many thanks.

[@brookesrook]

What if for your blank you used a softer metal? Wouldn't that make the process easier?

[@nextlifeonearth]

+brookesrook Like he said somewhere in the video; harder metals would take too long(steel) and softer ones (aluminium) would break if you try to file it down so brass is pretty much perfect to use.

[@konstantinkh]

+CapnTates The breakage happens primarily from the amount of stress you have to put on the key to leave the impression. Though, this got me thinking. What if you use a hard metal key with a strip of soft metal over the working surface. Like aluminum foil, or something. It's not something that would be useful in competition, but it might be more convenient in the field if you are doing "2 seconds once a day" sort of approach. I'll have to try it out and see how well that works.

[@possiblydavid]

+Konstantin Khitrin That's genius! I was thinking of ways to paint the top or something to see the impression more easily, but attaching a solid piece of aluminum would be the best. Foil impressioning is pretty cool too, but if you want to reuse the key, you would probably need to decode the foil and cut a real key.

[@soitbowl23]

Can i use the lishi key cutter for make keys by impressioning technique?? Or is better with a pippin file? , I need help do lockpad keys please, thanks

[@tegid699]

like it a lot, love the way he said you eed a special tool called a key !!! brilliant and helps me understand perfectly

[@brendandrury2177]

Excellent video and fun also.

[@nixie2462]

Anyone heard the "joke" said at around 7:23? I can't tell what the guy in the crowd says, but I wanna laugh too. XD

[@oceanman7868]

+Armilar Zifferblatt he said something like: nobody can hear you, your mic is turned off.

[@nixie2462]

Thanks!

[@OctaApe]

+Armilar Zifferblatt use the CC ( captions ) option on the video, its fairly accurate

[@sakofinland3421]

I dont think this guys voice could get any more choppy.

[@richardwales5561]

Brilliant inspiring stuff, many thanks.

[@tonyholt90]

VERY interesting and informative thanks for sharing!!

[@tunafish3216]

Why can’t we see the video to see what’s going on ?

[@ChRiStIaAn008]

you're welcome :)

[@florisjanpietster]

how many time does he magnify the key?

[@leathernluv]

This is one of the videos that taught me to pick a lock. (Don't do it unless you lock your keys in your shed like I did...)

[@MrSF247]

Does it have to be a shed?

[@ChilledfishStick]

That master lock in the end will be probably be easier to open than the zip tie :)

[@pakshah3245]

Thanks

[@Kenji314159]

Do you have to have special blank keys made out of a soft material for this?? EDIT: Oh, he said it. He likes brass keys. Steel keys don't impression (no markings) and aluminum keys break.

[@bmtlocksport5587]

Steel keys impression if you know how to work them

[@washingtonstatepicker3460]

Cool video!

[@fabts4]

Pity we don't see the lock :-(

[@skateryork1]

the spring keeps constant presser on the pins how would this work they would all leave marks and theres an easier way to pick locks then that

[@ChanceSarsis]

replying after 6 years in case people come here because of the stupid youtube algorithm, but this is a rare case where the owner lost his keys and need a new one without changing or destroying the original lock. Yes, it's pointless, you can pick the lock, dismantle it and draw a new keys looking at the inside. There are valid reason to do this, i guess.

[@duplicatekeymakersfullycom263]

Key impression work whith digital microscope vedeo I need

[@Kaelanpo]

how do i pick a 1170 fire sentry safe and i cant open it

[@Primelocksmithma]

Shared on google +

[@ChRiStIaAn008]

@josweyers if you do a video response, it's easier to see ;-)

[@samysaar]

German Engineering

[@kiraangle2823]

Im sure this has a place, but nowadays you can clone things way easier if you have prep time.

[@duckman12569]

The point being the lock on your door isn't as secure as you believe.

[@josweyers]

this vid can also be seen WITH the presenter at : kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWnEgoaujdR_fM0

[@sebzim4500]

@aaronleger First of 3, congrats

[@rogerwilco2]

Interesting story, but told really slow and with a lot of interrupts (I think?).

[@The-Weekend-Warrior]

Half the demo shows only the "Demo" screen and not the actual footage, this is not very good.....

[@ViolentOrchid]

put eyeliner or sharpie on the surface you're impressing.

[@ViolentOrchid]

The Stoned Videogame Nerd So what you're suggesting is you are more likely to be less conspicuous carrying or planting a lit candle near the lock then a sharpie or pencil eyeliner?

[@CGoody564]

If you're doing this, it's probably under circumstances where you don't want to leave any evidence. Plus, he seems pretty quick without any marking material.

[@htomerif]

What happens when you pop the first std pin and all the rest are spools? Thats not an uncommon kind of bible to see. Then you've just got a bunch of spools jiggling around.

[@21Wakeup]

And if it works. you win prizes.

[@JVBKing]

Germany FTW!!!

[@itscomingoutofbothends8385]

Come down the lock pick village Stack get pwned in varying pinage

[@JohannaMueller57]

omg the whining...

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

its a bit long...

[@nextlifeonearth]

+qwerty keyboard That's what she said.

[@bdnugget]

It's long just like my BALLS lol

[@aboriani]

Hearing this guy talking for 40 minutes made me a stutterer for a while... GOD DAMN SPIT IT OUT!

[@ryanmathis2152]

I had a hard time with his pace of speech as well

[@aaronleger]

first