I have decided to write a piece on lockpicking and its origins, as this section is dedicated to the art of picking locks,i feel it is only right that the people wishing to learn about this art should know a little of the history behind it.

Most modern day pin tumbler locks can trace there history back to ancient egypt and a temple called Karnak. Back then all locks were made from wood and were used to protect warehouse gates,and portals. When the bolt was slid across to lock the gate,wooden peg tumblers fell into a recesses in the bolt,thereby preventing it from being drawn back to open the gate again.This arrangement relied on gravity to keep the pegs in their blocking positions between the upper and lower chambers.

In order to withdraw the bolt,it was necessary to lift the pegs back up to their previous upper-chamber positions within the lock housing.To do this a key was required.The key was introduced into a key slot underneath the bolt.It had projecting pegs that correspond with the tumbler recesses within the bolt.The key was then lifted upward and held horizontally against the bolt to allow the tumbller pegs to nest once again in their upper chambers and clear the bolt of its obstruction.The bolt was now free to be slid back so the gate could be opened. This type of lock,in exactly the form described,was used in Egypt until the ousting of the ottoman Turks some four thousand years!.

Similar locks were also used in the faeroe islands ( just north of the shetlands )until modern times. It is possible that the inhabitants,descendents of Norse Vikings,were introduced to these locks when their ancestors brought them from trading with ( or perhaps raiding ) Egyptians during the Dark Ages.

Modern pin tumbler locks were invented by Linus Yale,sr and were incoperated in his Yale Bank Locks made at his factory in Newport,New York.

LOCK PICKING GUN

The earliest designed lockpick gun was either invented by a Nathan Epstein or his brother,Eli Epstein. The design of the device is similiar in appearence to that of a Jews harp an instrument far more common place back then than now.

The most well know and renowned lock pick gun was the majestic lockaid gun that was invented in 1931 by Bernard Barney Zion,he became one of New Yorks best known locksmiths of his day and worked closely with the police and federal agencies. The lockaid pick gun was such a succsess tha even today the gun is still being sold with very little changes from its origanol pattent.

GOVERMENT AGENCY LOCK OPENING DEVICE

During the late fifties and sixties,a lockpicking device was introduced to goverment agencies that was the size of a packet of cigarettes it was powered by a re-chargeable battery and supplied in a leather case with many diffrent attachments. These devises were able to open almost any pin tumbler lock and had a built in tension wrench meaning that a agent could simply just insert the pick and open the lock like you see in the films. Finding any info on this devise though is nearly impossible so if anyone has ever heard of or knows were i could find some information on the agency lock opening devise,then i would love to know.

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