Picking a lock is surprisingly easy with practice. So the makers of this mystery bike lock came up with a brilliant and novel solution: bury the keyhole deep inside the lock mechanism. It’s unpickable, because you simply can’t get your picks into the lock. And it’s got lock-picking hobbyists stumped.
We’re not sure where this lock came from. All we know is that someone by the username Marduk28 posted about it on a lock picking forum, and posted YouTube videos here and here showing how it works. It’s like no lock I’ve ever seen, and judging by the reactions to Marduk28’s forum post, even the lock enthusiasts at Keypicking.com are baffled by it.
Basically, when you insert the key, you’re not putting it in the keyhole. You’re just putting it in a blank chamber, which rotates 180 degrees. Then a slider pushes the key into the keyhole, and then you turn the key to open the lock. The keyhole is never directly accessible.
Of course, the most complex locking mechanism in the world won’t stop someone from cutting through the hoop of your lock with an angle grinder. And just from what we can see in the video, it doesn’t seem like this lock has any special fortifications to stop a grinder, a cutting torch, or even a pry bar. There’s no such thing as a 100-per cent theft-proof lock; but from the looks of it, this one comes pretty damned close to being 100-per cent pick-proof. [YouTube via Digg]