(219) Padlock Grabbox Part 8: Padlock Master (Finale) Alex Blate 2026-09-26 | (219) Padlock Grabbox Part 8: Padlock Master (Finale)
(288) Y this keyway... Zeiss-Ikon Euro Cylinder SPP Alex Blate 2013-10-25 | Security pins plus Y keyways can make for a nasty combination. Your pick tends to cause false counter-rotation, making it that much trickier to get past spools. One trick I use is to reverse tension. See it in action... :)
(286) Size Matters: Danke Schön, Bill II Mailbag Part 7 Alex Blate 2013-10-20 | More locks from the Lock Lab and Heir Weber, including this monster Abus.
(284) All German All The Time: Goodies from Adrian Weber - Mailbag Part 5 Alex Blate 2013-10-19 | ...
(282) Professor Blate Returns Mega box-o-Bill Lovin Continued Mailbag Part 3 Alex Blate 2013-10-19 | ...
(281) Professor Blate Returns Mega box-o-Bill Lovin Mailbag Part 2 Alex Blate 2013-10-19 | Be sure to check out Bill's YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/bosnianbill
(279) Professor Blate Returns: Mailbag Part 1 Alex Blate 2013-10-19 | After a 4-month sabbatical, I am finally back on YouTube. While offline, about 50 pounds of packages from my good friends on YouTube piled up. This is the first of several videos of unboxing these high-security care packages.
(280) Professor Blate Returns: Marc Proof Unboxing (mailbag part 1b) Alex Blate 2013-10-19 | Be sure to check out Marc's channel:youtube.com/user/marctomkins
(278) Really Easy: ASSA Ruko SPP Alex Blate 2013-06-19 | Thanks to bosnianbill for the lock (and taunting me). I filmed this a couple weeks ago, but I've been up to my eyeballs in teaching responsibilities.I hope to resume my normal cadence of video production soon :)
(277) Burg-Wachter Diamant D600/50 SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-22 | This is one bad-ass pin-tumbler lock. I wish it came apart so I could see what sort of evil pins are inside. If you can get your hands on one of these, do -- they're a heck of a wild ride.
(276) Serrure Cyliq (French) Mortise Cylinder SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-20 | Very oddly-shaped lock... not so difficult to open.
(275) American 2000 Puck Lock SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-20 | I think this is the 3rd or 4th YouTube opening of this model lock. 6 serrated key pins and 6 serrated spools and over a pound of steel to absorb feedback. (This is from the pre-Master days) Fun for the whole family.If I can disassemble one non-destructively, I'll do a separate gutting video.
(274) Scrambling the Code: Exploits against a cheap luggage lock (Manipulation, gutting) Alex Blate 2013-05-15 | Not only can we manipulate it open, but we can alter the combination *without* opening it. So secure, even the owner can't open it!
(273) Per request: Master 570: SPP and Gutted (somewhat destructively) Alex Blate 2013-05-14 | Ask and ye shall receive!Christopher Stillson (http://www.youtube.com/user/chrisstillson) corresponded with me recently about the Master Lock 570 -- a padlock he'd been having some trouble with. Being the precocious and inquisitive lad I am, I hit Amazon and got one. Turns out to be an interesting pick.
(272) Souber Tools Mul-T-Lock Pick Set: Product Review Alex Blate 2013-05-13 | A for the picks, C- for the tensors. Best pick set out of the box on the market for MTL... also the most expensive and not as versatile as others.These were purchased from lockpickcanada.com, the only distributor I could find in North America. Looking at my receipt, the price was CDN$65.00 plus postage and various taxes, taking the grand total to CDN$80.80.
(271) Mul-T-Lock MT5(+?) SPP and Gutted Alex Blate 2013-05-13 | This might actually be just an Interactive. I don't have a key and it's totally unlabeled, so I don't know :(5 serrated top pins made this a nasty little beast!
(270) The Blate Bypass: A Novel Attack on Disc-Detainer Locks (OnGuard motorcycle lock) Alex Blate 2013-05-12 | My loyal viewers inform me that this particular lock is popular for use on motorcycles. If you have one, you might want to upgrade. I searched YouTube and did not find any other references to an attack like this.I therefore claim invention and hereby name it the Blate Bypass. If someone else worked this out first, please let me know and I'll retract my claim of novelty :)US Patent Pending.
(269) Old, Odd EVVA Padlock SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-11 | Does anyone know anything about this weird old EVVA?
(268) Rotation DOMination: DOM ix5 SPP and Gutted Alex Blate 2013-05-09 | Yes, another DOM dimple lock. I happened to nail this on the first go... the process of working out the lock was instructive, so I included the whole run and added comments to explain what I was on about :D
(267) Jared 4-Lever Padlock SLP: Americans Can Pick Lever Padlocks, Too! Alex Blate 2013-05-08 | SLP := Single Lever Picked
(266) VF Paris Lever Padlock SLP: Americans Can Pick Lever Padlocks, Too! Alex Blate 2013-05-08 | SLP := Single Lever Picked
(265) Gutting The Hurd Alex Blate 2013-05-07 | A follow-on to #264... one the Hurd padlocks I got from eBay have removable cores, one of which wanted to fall out on its own :D So I had the special experience of disassembling one of these evil monsters. Enjoy!
(264) Hurd Round The World: Large Hurd Padlock SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-07 | I was fortunate to find a pair of large Hurd padlocks on eBay recently -- with keys! These turn out to have removable cores... a gutting video will follow.Another very challenging pick from a venerable US manufacturer.
(261) Fuji USN Padlock: Loved Long Time (SPP, MPP, abused) Alex Blate 2013-05-06 | An unexpected find in a lot from eBay. I think I got my money's worth. I hope you feel the same way.
(260) More DOMination: DOM ix5 SPP and Gutted Alex Blate 2013-05-06 | A standard-issue DOM ix5 dimple lock, SPPed and gutted for your amusement.
(259) Uber-Pick 2.0: Rebuilding the Homebrew Legend Alex Blate 2013-05-05 | The original pattern can be downloaded at: plus.google.com/photos/111560862354155369500/albums/5853396829038645441?authkey=CIvStI2As7vsZg
(258) Got False? Yale Y124/70 Shutter Lock SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-05 | This is a mild-mannered, 6-pin shutter padlock chocked full of wacked-out bitting and security pins. Definitely the hardest Yale lock I've attacked. And a heck of a nice padlock, too!
(257) Zeiss-Ikon N1 Euro Cylinder SPP Alex Blate 2013-05-05 | Yes, I'm dyslexic and I misspelled "Zeiss" as "Ziess" in the title slide. My German still sucks, too :) But I picked the shit out of this lock, so I feel OK about myself.
(256) Forsake Not The Half-Diamond Alex Blate 2013-05-05 | A short treatise on the oft-overlooked half-diamond pick.
(255) Pick Picks Alex Blate 2013-05-05 | I am frequently asked what picks a beginner should purchase... the answer is both simple and complicated, so I made this video. :D
(254) Milwauke Lock Company: MagnumPadlock SPP, MPP, Lubed, and Abused Alex Blate 2013-05-05 | My first truly WD-40-free episode...
(253) U-Change Lock: How it works and how its broken Alex Blate 2013-05-03 | The fourth and final segment in my epic discourse on the ill-fated U-Change re-keyable lock.I discuss, among other things, exactly how the bypass tool works and what about the design of the lock makes it possible. Fun fun!
(252) U-Change Anatomy Alex Blate 2013-05-03 | A really close-up look at what makes these locks tick -- and how the vulnerability works![Addendum] If you'd like to look at the photos more carefully, I've uploaded them to: plus.google.com/photos/111560862354155369500/albums/5873789352057938337?authkey=COn5xJ-Z4NSj6AE
(251) KSC U-Change Lock: SPP and Gutted Alex Blate 2013-05-02 | Second in a series of what will probably be four videos on the infamous U-Change lock. In this episode, I SPP the lock and disassemble it. In the next episode, I'll present some detailed pictures of the guts.
(250) KSC Rekeyable Cylinder MPP (U-Change Clone) Alex Blate 2013-05-02 | The first in a short series featuring this U-Change lock. My first shot across the bow -- Bogata!
(249) Mul-T-Lock Padlock: Full Gutting and Reassembly Alex Blate 2013-04-30 | As always, ask and ye shall receive!This is the lock from video #245 fully gutted (pins and all) and then cleverly reassembled.Take a look at what old(er)-school MTL cores looked like!
(248) The Best You Can Get? Master M930XKADLJ Humiliated Alex Blate 2013-04-30 | This is (allegedly) the highest-security padlock sold at my local home improvement center.Prepare to laugh, cry, and think longingly of days of yore. Or just get really pissed off.[NB: There is a typo in the text at the beginning of the clip... the correct model number is shown in the title, above. Just in case you want to add one of these little hunnies to your Xmas list.]
(247) Southord PXD7 Dimple pick set: Product Review Alex Blate 2013-04-29 | Summary: Unless you'd like to spend $25 for two tension wrenches, save your money for something useful.For the record, I own and enjoy many Southord products (such as the PXD15 of video 246). This is not an attack on the company, but a criticism of one product.
(246) Southord PXD15 Dimple Picks: Product Review Alex Blate 2013-04-29 | This is the second copy of this kit that I've ordered. I figured that while I had all the parts together (and before I start breaking them), I'd do a quick review. Enjoy!
(245) Mul-T-Lock High-Security Padlock SPP and Gutted (5-pin-in-pin dimple cylinder) Alex Blate 2013-04-29 | A 5-pin-in-pin (Classic) Mul-T-Lock high-security padlock SPPed and gutted. See also video #249 for a full gutting and reassembly!I bought this on eBay; it did not come with a key. What you get to witness is the virgin opening of this lock (for me, at least)! Inside, we find a well-constructed, secure mechanism and a somewhat bizarre design of the locking core itself.
(244) Dimple Lock Bitch-Picked: YouTube First! Alex Blate 2013-04-25 | SPPed too.A diminutive bit of amusement from eBay Germany. And Italy. And probably not China. (Note: I searched YouTube for 'dimple lock "bitch pick" ' and came up with nothing of interest. So I'm claiming first post. :) )
(243) Master 528 Dimple Gun Lock SPP, Raked Alex Blate 2013-04-23 | A surprisingly-respectable "gun lock" from our friends at Master (and a surprise gift from a generous eBay seller!). Apparently, unbeknownst to the rest of the company, some rebel decided to build a lock with a dimple cylinder AND spool pins. He probably got fired that same week. :DOf the locks of this type that I've examined, this has the most secure locking mechanism. That said, I'm not specifically recommending or not recommending it. I do strongly recommend, however, that you keep your weapons out of the hands of children... and I think this product would do a decent job towards that end. As always, these are my own personal opinions and observations. Yours may differ. Please do your own research, know and obey all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction, and make the decision that's right for you.
(242) Cloning of the Puck: Master 6270 SPP and Gutted Alex Blate 2013-04-23 | An intimate session with a 2001-vintage of Master's attempt to clone the venerable American 2000-series.
(241) Made in America: A Generous Thank-You From Chapman MFG Alex Blate 2013-04-22 | And to Chapman MFG! Thanks guys! :)
(240) Brinks 527 Padlock: Masters Superior. SPP, Gutted, and Praised. Alex Blate 2013-04-19 | In the continuing saga of the increasingly-disappointing Master 930, I now present you with the Brinks 527 -- which is the same form-factor and about the same price or cheaper than the Master... and, security-wise, superior in every way I have found. It's a heck of a fun pick, too!
