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How to Pick an Office Door Lock? – 3 Simple Ways

Fact checked by Teddy B.Miller

how to pick an office door lock

We’ve all been there; we’re in charge of the office keys but somehow forgot them at home. You don’t have time to return to your home to get them since work starts in ten minutes. Before you panic, you can always pick a door handle lock.

While lock picking comes with a negative connotation, you can always consider this option if you’re out of choices. Now, you might wonder how to pick an office door lock, and to answer that, we have some nifty little tricks for you.

Ways to Pick an Office Door Lock

There are different office door lock types, so knowing what to use and when to use them is vital to pick an office door lock successfully.

Here are different lock types and ways to pick them:

1. Pin Cylinder Lock

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As you want to open a locked office door of this type, a flat and extended tool is the best method. Usually, you can find lockpicks built explicitly for this lock type. Still, if you’re in an office and in a hurry, you can do this with a paperclip or with a hairpin.

Here are the steps on how to pick a pin cylinder lock:

  1. Take a pin and bend it at a 90-degree angle until it is L-shaped.
  2. Bend the end slightly so it’s protruding a bit.
  3. Take another pin or paper clip and bend it at a 90-degree angle. This other pin will serve as your lever.
  4. Insert the lever into the lock and turn the mechanism until you feel the tension.
  5. Insert your first pin into the lock and find the seized pin. You will know that it is the seized pin because of its resistance.
  6. Push the seized pin up until you hear an audible click.
  7. Continue finding the next seized pin after the first one and repeat the process until all pins are locked in place.

For a video demonstration on how to pick a pin cylinder lock, you can watch this video tutorial.

2. Lever Locks

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Lever locks are similar to pin cylinder locks in that they use pins, or in this case, “levers,” that need to click into place before they can be opened. Aside from the levers, there are also the bolts inside the locks which need to have pressure for the device to be turned.

You must also have two tools to pick a lever handle lock. One is for clicking the levers into place, and one is to apply pressure to the bolt at the end of the lock.

As usual, one of the tools you can use for the levers is a paperclip. You can also reach the bolt at the end with a knife. However, it must be a thin knife to get to the bolt.

Here’s the step-by-step process on how to pick a lever lock:

  1. Take a paperclip or a hairpin and bend it in an L shape. And, take another clip or pin and bend the middle at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Push the first clip against the lock’s bolt until the bolt is protruding. Hold that position so the bolt is lifted.
  3. Take the other clip and insert it into the hole. Find the lever with the most tension and lift it as well.
  4. Using the first clip, swipe to the side where the levers are and rake them. This will effectively unlock the mechanism and open office doors with a lever lock.

3. Wafer Locks

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This lock type has gained popularity because of its compatibility with cars and lockers. Like pin cylinders and levers, wafer locks use varying levels of springs that need to be locked in place before you can turn the mechanism.

To pick a wafer lock, you need a raking tool to pass through the different springs and a pressure tool to apply tension.

While there are specialized lockpicks that can open a commercial door lock with a wafer design, office tools can get the job done.

4. Disc Detainer Locks

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Disc detainer locks are considered to be the most secure lock type. Instead of pins or ridges attached to the roof or base of the interior, this lock type has bars that obstruct the main pathway of the mechanism.

When locked out of this locking mechanism, you can still try to use the usual methods for other types, like using a tension and picking tool combination. However, it will be challenging to shimmy your way into the lock because of its design.

Make sure you:

  1. Insert the tension tool inside the first disc and turn it a bit to have tension.
  2. Insert your raking tool and put it inside the last disc on the mechanism.
  3. Turn your raking tool or hook until you hear a clicking noise.
  4. Repeat step 5 until all discs are clicked in place.
  5. Turn the mechanism using your tension tool, and the lock should be unlocked.

 You can refer to this video for a demonstration of how to deal with disc detainer locks without a key.

FAQs

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How to pick a door knob lock?

You can use the same method, bobby pins, to open a lock on the doorknob. Make sure you patiently use the lockpick into the keyhole and find the pins.

You will want to push the pins up and down until there’s a click that signifies your successful attempt to unlock it.

How hard is it to open an office door lock?

Picking a lock is like learning how to ride a bike; it will be difficult at first, but it gets relatively easier once you get the hang of things.

Knowing the diagrams of different lock types helps when you’re trying to pick a lock; experience is the best teacher.

However, don’t get any ideas about picking a lock without tools. These mechanisms are made to prevent forced entry, so forcing them isn’t a good idea.

Who can pick a locked office door?

Anyone with the proper knowledge can pick an interior door lock or an exterior one, for that matter. You can even force entry into a door with a card. However, you must train yourselves before confidently tackling a locking mechanism.

Is lockpicking illegal?

Lockpicking is similar to owning a gun; you can use it for valid reasons, but some people can exploit it and use it for dubious purposes. Owning a lockpick is generally legal in most states in the United States; however, they are illegal in some states like Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, and Nevada.

At this point, lockpicking becomes more of a morality issue than anything else. If you have a valid reason for picking locks or owning a lock-picking device, then your actions are justifiable.

What is the easiest way to pick a door lock fast?

The easiest way to pick a door lock is by using tools built explicitly for doing it. However, if these tools aren’t readily available, you can fashion a paperclip into an effective lockpick.

As previously discussed, this will still depend on the lock type you’re tackling. Still, almost every type can be dealt with using a paperclip.

Conclusion

By following the steps discussed above, you will never have to worry about being locked out of your office again. However, with knowledge of these techniques comes responsibility. Remember that lockpicking should only be used when necessary.

It’s also comforting to know that you can use office tools to break into your locked office doors. Now that you know how to pick an office door lock, the next step is to practice it in case you find yourself in this situation.

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