How to Unlock a Lock Without a Key

The skill of opening locks without keys is very useful, can be a lifesaver when you lose or forget your keys. With a few simple tools and patience, you can crack almost any cylinder lock, helping you with everything from door locks to padlocks.

Table of Contents

Prepare the lock before opening

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Check lock status. You won’t be able to open the lock if it’s already broken. Rusty rusty locks can get stuck no matter how good your poking technique is. Consider the overall condition of the lock before attempting to poke. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Rusty locks can be restored to openable with a small amount of lubricant, such as WD4.

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Prepare the padlock tool. The padlock kit includes things like a skewer, a poke, and a rake. ^{[2] X Research Source} You will also need a suitable lock lubricant such as graphite powder, which is available at hardware stores. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

You can use household items instead of poking tools, like hairpins or paper clips.
You may have to go to a specialty store like a spy store, a locksmith, or an online store to buy a keyhole kit.
Although the law in most regions allows the purchase of keyhole tools, if you are found to be carrying them, you may have to prove you did not intend to commit a crime.

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Distinguish the uses of three main tools used to poke locks. Knowing the uses and names of basic keyhole tools will make it easier to talk. This is important because popular culture has misnamed some tools. ^{[4] X Research Source} The three main tools are:

Rotating tree. This tool is used to apply pressure, which is a thin metal rod with flared ends. The swing tree is L or Z shaped, where the bevel of the Z is a straight line. You will insert it into the lock shaft (the part that rotates in the lock) to apply pressure.
Key stick. The poke usually has a handle to hold and narrows to a sharp metal rod, the tip is slightly curved. The poke is used to adjust the internal parts (latches) of the locking mechanism.
Scratch tool. Like a poke but with sharp edges. Some rakes have pointed or rounded tips. The rake is used to scrape the inside of the locking mechanism (pin rake) to separate the pin. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Visualize the locking mechanism. When you insert the key into the slot of the key shaft (the rotatable part of the lock), the teeth (rim) of the key push up the spring-loaded pins. Each latch is composed of a set of locking pins and push pins. When the clearance between each pair of locking pins and push pins matches the locking swivel, the lock rotates and opens. ^{[6] X Research Source}

You can’t see inside the lock when you open it, so it’s important to have a clear picture of the lock mechanism.
The number of latches is not the same for each lock. Padlocks typically have 3-4 latches, while door locks have 5-8 latches.
Some locks, especially European locks, have a pin located at the end of the shaft instead of the top.

Lubricate the lock. The pin in the lock can get stuck due to little use. In addition, dirt makes it difficult to adjust the locking mechanism. Addressing these issues and applying lubricant will increase the likelihood of successful lock breaking.

Many lock lubricants have a simple spray head that can deliver the lubricant directly into the groove in the lock shaft. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Open the conventional cylinder latch lock

Notice the main goal of the padlock. While gently pressing down on the slot of the lock shaft with the turntable, you will use the poke to push up each pin in the groove. When a pin is raised high enough, the force of the spindle will prevent it from falling and you can continue to push the next pin. When all the latches are raised, the lock will open.

Determine the direction of key rotation. Insert the swivel into the top or bottom of the keyway, then gently rotate to apply torque (pressurization) on the locking shaft. The locking shaft will rotate in one direction more than the other. This is the direction of turning the key.

Be careful not to put too much pressure on the swing. While trying to push the pin up, you should use only one finger to apply pressure on the swingarm. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Find and examine the pin with a poke. Insert the poke into the key slot. Gently touch the pin with a poke, and select a dowel that is accessible. Squeeze gently and gradually increase pressure on the poke until you feel the spring of the pin move up. Pull out the poke. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Try to keep an image of the pin in mind. That way you can keep track of where the pin has been pushed up in case you have to start poking again.
By applying progressively stronger pressure to each pin, you can test the resistance of the pin pusher spring. Some pins may be stiffer than others and require greater pressure.
In general, the inner working of the lock is relatively gentle. Always be gentle to avoid accidentally damaging the lock or breaking the poke.

Use a turntable to apply gentle pressure on the keyway. Insert the turntable into the top or bottom of the keyway and rotate it slightly. Feel the movement of the locking shaft. Stop twisting the turntable. Repeat this process several times. ^{[10] X Research Source}

At this point, your goal is to feel the stiffness of the locking shaft and the position where the pins block inside the locking mechanism, and prevent the locking shaft from rotating.

Find the bar that is blocking. Twist the spindle to apply gentle pressure on the locking shaft again. Insert the poke into the key slot, and gently tap the pins while maintaining pressure on the swingarm. Stop pressing with the rotary stick. Continue this process until you find that one bar is holding back more than the others while maintaining light pressure. This is the first latch bar.

Once you find the latch bar blocking, continue to keep the pressure steady with the turntable. Squeezing too hard will cause the lock to get stuck, too light will make the latch fall. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Push each pin each time. While using the tweezers to maintain a steady pressure, you will raise the first dowel bar with the poke. Finally, the turntable can move the lock shaft a very small distance. The first pin is now pushed into place. Use the poke to find the next pin that is blocking more of the remaining pegs and raise it. Repeat until all pegs are raised.

With many conventional locks, the latches will be placed from front to back or vice versa. However, this is not always true.
Raise the latch slowly to get it into position more easily. Once mastered, you can do it faster, especially when combined with the scratch technique which will be explained below.
Whenever you force the tree to rotate too hard, the lock will get stuck. In this case, you must release the pressure to release the latch and start over. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Open the padlock. When the last latch is pushed into place, the padlock will fully detach and open. You may need to use a more powerful wrench to turn the lock. You can squeeze the poke a little harder if it’s still in the keyway, though you should be careful not to break the poke. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Use the scratch technique

Use a swing and poke to feel the texture of the lock. Usually you will have to use the rotary stick to feel the key shaft. Insert the poke into the key slot and lightly touch the positions of the pins. Press on a pin to test spring stiffness.

Although the scratch technique usually helps the knowledgeable person to unlock the lock faster, its principle is to poke each pin one at a time, and will be easier to do for those with experience poke each pin.

Rake the pin with a rake. You can use a regular poke or rake to perform this technique. Use a rotating stick to apply light and steady pressure to the locking shaft. Insert the rake into the keyway slowly and smoothly. Pull the tool up and forcefully pull it out of the keyway.

When the rake is pulled out of the keyway, only the tip of the tool remains to apply pressure to the keyway.
The rake needs to be long enough for it to come into contact with all the pins in the lock when raking. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Listen to the pin drop. You often have to scratch several times before you succeed. After scratching, you listen to the sound in the lock when squeezing with the turntable is stopped. The sound of the pin dropping indicates that you are using the swing with the right pressure.

Drag the rake back and forth along the unopened pins. Scratch the pegs as described above. While using the turntable to apply steady pressure on the lock shaft, use the tip of the rake to “scratch” the unopened latches. If a certain latch does not open, stop forcing the tree to rotate and start over. Continue until the lock opens. ^{[15] X Research Source}

When most of the pins won’t open, you may have to force the tree to rotate harder and slightly increase the rake force.

Advice

The locks are very simple like the ones used for money boxes or desk drawers, you don’t even need to “poke”. Simply insert a flat metal stick all the way into the keyway, then rotate it clockwise while pushing it up and down.
Filing the stick to a smooth finish will make it easier to slide it into the keyway and also make it easier to work with.
Practice poking simple and cheap locks, even old locks that you can buy at antique or second-hand stores.

Warning

If you do it right, poking the lock will not damage the lock. However, there is always a risk of damaging the locking mechanism.
In some areas, owning a padlock kit may require you to demonstrate no intention of breaking into someone’s home.
Never be too strong with the keyhole tool while trying to open it, as the lock can be damaged or the stick can break.

Things you need

Lock
A padlock kit (you’ll need a spinning stick and a poke stick at least).
Locking lubricant (such as lubricating graphite powder)

Steps