"Well priced, insightful informative content."verified buyer, 05/20/2026
1
of
13
Loading...
•
Lock Picking - Beginners Visual Guide - 190+ Illustrations & 176 Pages
£ 1999
Unit price /
Unavailable
Order soon for same or next business day dispatch.
FREE UK Delivery
FREE UK Delivery
FREE UK delivery within 4 - 6 days on all orders over £20, upgradeable to 2 - 3 days. All our orders are packaged discreetly for your convenience and dispatched the same working day for orders placed before 4pm.
You can choose to upgrade your shipping at checkout for a faster delivery.
Your delivery time estimate should be visible on our product page if you enter your location.
Further details for shipping upgrades and other countries can be found here.
Lock Picking - Beginners Visual Guide - 190+ Illustrations & 176 Pages - Standard Paperback is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
FREE Beginner Lock Pick Guide
FREE Beginner Lock Pick Guide
Our short 30-page How to Pick Locks PDF online guide will be sent to you free after you purchase any lock pick set.
We do have 2 amazing real book upgrades customers love:
1. Illustrated 60 page Lock Picking Glossy Guide Booklet
2. Definitive 180 page Full Colour Visual Guide Book for all Lock Pickers
About This Item
About This Item
Lock Picking - Beginners Visual Guide - 190+ Illustrations & 17...
£ 1999
Unit price /
Unavailable
Description
Description
Free UK delivery over GBP 20
Royal Mail options
30-day easy returns
European delivery available
Lock picking, illustrated
See exactly what your picks are doing
Most beginners give up because the lock is a sealed black box. The Beginners Visual Guide opens it up. 190+ full-colour cutaway diagrams put the pin stack, the binding order, the shear line, and every tool angle right in front of you, so the feedback in your fingers finally has a picture to match. You stop guessing and start seeing.
Rated 5 out of 5 by verified UK buyers. The expanded edition of the guide thousands of pickers learned on.
176colour pages
190+diagrams
2editions
A5bench size
"I like real books compared to Kindle stuff hence the reason I like this"verified buyer, 12/17/2025
"Great book. Very informative"verified buyer, 05/28/2026
Why a book, in 2026
Why this beats the videos and the free PDFs
You can watch a hundred lock picking videos and still not know what your tension wrench is doing. A video moves at its pace, not yours, and you lose your place the moment both hands are busy. Free PDFs and text-only manuals leave the hardest part, the bit happening inside the cylinder, to your imagination. This guide shows it.
It sits open on the bench
Paper does not buffer, autoplay, or jump to an advert. Prop it beside your practice lock, keep both hands on the tools, and glance across whenever you need the picture.
You see inside the lock
Full-colour cutaways show the pin stacks, the shear line, and the binding order as they move. Colour-coded pins mean you recognise a spool or a serrated pin on sight.
Shown and explained
Every technique is drawn and written. You get the diagram for your eyes and the plain-English steps for your hands, not one without the other.
Why it works
It gives your hands a picture to copy
Lock picking is a feel skill, but the first real breakthrough almost always lands when the mechanism finally makes sense in your head. These diagrams show the hidden parts while you work the same idea on a real lock.
Cutaway diagramsColour illustrations show what happens inside as your tension and lift change the stack.
Tools by jobHooks, rakes, tensioners, bump keys, and specialty tools are explained by the job each one does, not the name alone.
TroubleshootingOversetting, false sets, and stubborn security pins get language you can take back to the bench.
A reference you keepPrinted pages let you pause, compare, and practise for years without scrubbing a timeline.
What is inside
A full course, from your first pin to high-security locks
It starts at the very beginning, what a shear line is and how a pin tumbler works, then builds in a deliberate order so nothing feels like a leap. By the end you are reading feedback most people never learn to name.
- Foundations: pin cylinders, tension, the shear line, binding order, and oversetting, shown step by step.
- Single-pin picking: which pick to use, how much tension, and how to find the binding pin every time.
- Security pins: spools, serrated, and mushrooms, plus false sets and counter-rotation.
- Progressive drills: the 2-pin drill, binding-order discovery, and blindfold picking to build real feel.
- Beyond cylinders: dimple locks, wafer locks, tubular locks, disc detainers, and combination locks.
- Specialty methods: bump keys, pick guns, impressioning, Lishi tools, comb picks, shims, and repinning.
- Reference: quick-glance reminders and a complete glossary of every term you will meet.
How to use it
Read a page, try the motion, return to the diagram
Put a practice lock, a tensioner, and a hook on the bench. Read one short technique, try the movement slowly, then use the illustration to name what you just felt: a binding pin, spring pressure, a false set, or a pin that lifted too far.
- Start with a clear standard-pin lock so you can watch the diagram come to life.
- Match one page to one slow drill rather than rushing whole chapters.
- Come back to the troubleshooting pages whenever the feedback turns confusing.
First-timer with no tools yet? The Lokko beginner gift set gives you picks and training locks so the book becomes hands-on the day it arrives.
Who it is for
Useful from your first lock onward
Complete beginners
Open at page one. Everything from "what is a shear line?" to opening your first 5-pin lock is explained, with no experience assumed.
Stuck on security pins
Skip ahead to spools and serrated pins. Learn to spot a false set, master counter-rotation, and beat the pins that keep stopping you.
Curious minds and pros
Locksmiths, security folk, and hobbyists use it to understand the mechanics, explore specialty locks, and check a technique fast.
Choose your edition
Same visual course, two physical editions
Both editions carry the identical 176-page course and every colour diagram. Pick the format you want on the bench and the shelf.
Standard Paperback
GBP 19.99 GBP 29.99The lighter A5 bench companion. Premium full-colour print, the complete guide, easy to keep flat next to a lock.
Luxury Hardcover Edition
GBP 24.99 GBP 34.99The same course in a tougher hardback. The reference copy you keep for years of repeated use.
Turn diagrams into feel
The companions that make it click faster
The book explains what is happening inside the lock. A practice setup lets your hands prove it. Begin with a clear lock to watch the pins move, then move to realistic cylinders once the picture has landed.
- See it move: the clear acrylic practice lock shows every diagram in real life.
- Build real feel: the Dangerfield training practice locks step you up in difficulty.
- Pick with quality steel: the Dangerfield Serenity picks give clean, honest feedback while you learn.
Browse more practice locks to match the book to your bench.
Specifications
Book details
| Brand | Dangerfield |
| Format | Full-colour physical book, paperback or hardcover |
| Pages | 176 full-colour pages, organised into progressive sections |
| Illustrations | 190+ colour cutaway diagrams, close-ups, and step-by-step breakdowns |
| Size | A5, roughly 14 x 21.6 cm / 5.5 x 8.5 in |
| ISBN | 978-1-9193137-0-2 |
| Editions | Standard Paperback and Luxury Hardcover Edition |
| Topics covered | Pin cylinders, security pins, dimple, wafer, tubular, disc detainer and combination locks, bump keys, pick guns, impressioning, Lishi tools, comb picks, shims, repinning, troubleshooting, glossary |
Chris Dangerfield, founder: I wanted a guide that shows what words alone struggle to explain. Once you can picture the pin stack, the shear line, and what your tension is doing, the feedback in your hands starts to make sense fast. That is the whole reason this book is full of diagrams, not walls of text.
Questions
Quick answers
Is this a physical book?
Yes. It is a printed full-colour book. Choose Standard Paperback for a lighter bench copy, or the Luxury Hardcover Edition for a sturdier reference.
Why buy a book when videos are free?
A book sits open while both hands are on the tools, never loses your place, and lets you compare the diagram with the lock at your own pace.
Is it only for total beginners?
No. It starts from zero, but the diagrams and troubleshooting stay useful through security pins and specialty locks.
Does it cover more than basic picking?
Yes. Alongside single-pin picking and raking it covers dimple, wafer, tubular and disc detainer locks, bump keys, pick guns, impressioning, and Lishi tools.
Which edition should I choose?
Paperback for price and a lighter bench copy. Hardcover if you want a tougher edition to keep for years.
What should I get alongside it?
A clear or progressive practice lock and a focused pick set, so each page turns straight into hands-on practice.
Put the mechanism in front of you while you learn
The Beginners Visual Guide turns confusing hand feedback into visible steps you can repeat on the bench. Start seeing what your picks are doing.
190+ colour diagrams176 pagesPaperback or hardcover30-day easy returns
Use lock picking and entry tools responsibly, only on locks you own or have clear permission to work on, and check your local laws before buying.
Payment & Security
Payment methods
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
