![[55] Review - Lockwood / Assa Abloy 290S84 Monoblock @MichaelMaynard](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vMj3aOeF3To/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded February 2017 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
Lockwood has made a reasonably good lock here, albeit with one or two glaring weaknesses. With thanks to Mechanic Dan for the lock.
Lockwood has made a reasonably good lock here, albeit with one or two glaring weaknesses. With thanks to Mechanic Dan for the lock.
![[55] Review - Lockwood / Assa Abloy 290S84 Monoblock](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vMj3aOeF3To/mqdefault.jpg "[55] Review - Lockwood / Assa Abloy 290S84 Monoblock
Lockwood has made a reasonably good lock here, albeit with one or two glaring weaknesses. With thanks to Mechanic Dan for the lock.")
![[184] Locks from Mick the Pick Part 3 - Sargent & Greenleaf 833 padlock picked](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wqxnuYpnPCk/mqdefault.jpg "[184] Locks from Mick the Pick Part 3 - Sargent & Greenleaf 833 padlock picked
This is the one youve all been waiting for, the monster chunk of metal that calls itself the S&G 833. Ive never picked a Medeco before but I found an old one I had lying around, and did a quick progressive pinning on it to figure out what all the feedback meant. It turns out that there is a LOT going on inside a Medeco, which I guess is why they have the reputation as tough locks to pick but they are certainly beatable.
By far the hardest job is learning to distinguish between a true gate and a false gate when setting the pins rotationally. This is tricky but you can do it with a little practice. I was kinda lucky in that I chose the true gates first time with the padlock, so once I started getting the conventional pins set I didnt have to go back and tweak the pins rotational orientation afterward.
There was no key with this lock and because its a US military item keys are not available for this broaching so were looking for another core...the goal is to make this into a fully functioning padlock again.
Hope you guys enjoy the video.")
![[201] Medeco Duracam Deep Dive and Definitive Picking Guide](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xKJ-yXAWMkI/mqdefault.jpg "[201] Medeco Duracam Deep Dive and Definitive Picking Guide
A pretty exhaustive deep dive into an iconic Brown Belt lock. I explain its design requirements, history, a description of the internals, a comprehensive picking guide, and a worked example picking video.
Id like to make the point that this is not an easy lock to disassemble and then reassemble without damaging springs and deforming the thin brass retaining strip. If youre looking for a lock to film for your LPU brown belt requirements...this might not be a great choice.
0:00 - Introduction
0:41 - What job was it designed for?
3:52 - How does it work?
6:49 - Pins - overview
8:25 - Pins - keyspace
11:34 - Pins - in detail
14:15 - Picking tutorial
16:45 - Choice of picks
18:57 - Choice of tension tool
20:45 - Picking algorithm
27:19 - Picking recap and overview
28:34 - Picking starts
31:57 - False set in groove 1
35:19 - Final comments")
