Lock Picking Warded Locks for Beginners
Warded Locks are Common, Especially on Padlocks, and If You Know How – They are Very Easy to Open.
If you're new to lock picking and want to learn how to pick locks, especially padlocks—where, for reasons I still don't know, is where most people start—you might want to start with warded locks. These locks are simple, forgiving, and an excellent entry point for anyone starting their lock picking journey. The ease and simplicity of picking warded locks is good for morale, and will open your mind to the truth about locks: that they're not very good.
A Little History
A Warded Lock on an old church door. Mainly used to maintain the aesthetic, and these days, backed up with a more modern - more secure - lock.
Warded locks are one of the oldest types of locks around, dating all the way back to ancient China and Rome. In the Middle Ages, they were widely used in monasteries, where time and resources allowed for the creation of intricate designs. These locks are still knocking about today in the UK and Ireland, mainly for low-security stuff or on heritage sites like old churches and monuments - usually to keep the original look, while the real security comes from something else, like a modern lever lock added alongside.
Security Via Obscurity
On the box it says 'Security Level Nine', so it must be good. Oh, it also says 'pick-proof' and 'drill-proof', this looks like the lock for me! It usually isn't.
In truth, most locks - when you have the right information, tools, and are prepared to put in the practice - can be opened relatively easily. Your front door lock, your car lock, the new 'UNPICKABLE ULTRA-LOCK' that cost you a fortune and you secure your bicycle with. Lock manufacturers have survived for over a century based on security via obscurity - that is, people don't really know how they work, and if they did, they'd probably not be so reliant on them.
The Good News
However, most thieves don't use lock picks. Lock picking is 'non-destructive entry' and so for thieves, for most 'jobs', they're the wrong tool. They can take time, require a lot of practice, and kneeling in front of someone's front door doesn't look great. Kicking in a back door or breaking a window is typically the method of choice for a domestic thief.
That's not to say decent quality locks (which do exist) aren't worth using. For instance, if you don't have a sacrificial cut in your lock, you're vulnerable to a very quick exploit using an easily obtainable tool called a 'Snapper Bar'. Ensuring your locks are installed correctly is also a good way of preventing a few tricks in thieves' arsenal. However, aside from decent locks, there are additional ways to protect your property and family. Here's a great BLOG where I interviewed a reformed domestic thief, who gives you loads of tips to deter thieves from selecting your property.
What Are Warded Locks?
Warded locks are one of the oldest lock designs still in use. You’ll often find them on budget padlocks, cabinets, lockers, handcuffs, and luggage. They’re known for their distinct, skeleton-key style keyholes.
These locks use internal obstructions called wards, which block any key that doesn’t have the correct profile. Only a key with cutouts that avoid these internal wards can rotate and unlock the mechanism. It's a strange set-up when you think about it. Because if you make a key that is just a handle and a bolt thrower, the wards have nothing to block, and you can open the lock. It's like the security is all backwards! Removing everything but the 'bare bones' from a warded lock key is called a skeleton key, which I'll talk about in more depth later.
A classic Warded Lock made by MasterLock. I have to be careful, but let's just say it wouldn't be my choice of padlock.
Warded locks have no pins, unlike pin tumbler locks, which need to be aligned along a shear line to open. In warded locks, there’s only one moving part doing the work—usually a spring-loaded catch or locking bolt—and the rest is just metal shaped to stop the wrong key from turning.
Quick Summary:
Warded locks are simple mechanisms using internal obstructions called wards to block incorrect keys. Only keys with matching cut-outs can rotate and trigger the catch or spring at the back. While keys can be designed to open specific locks, warded systems are easily bypassed—removing excess metal creates a "skeleton key" that can open most of them. Even basic tools like screwdrivers, hairclips, and even a piece cut from a plastic bottle can sometimes be modified to do the job.
A B&G Warded Lock made in England. Note the giveaway design of the keys, and compare them to the keys in the previous image. These are all easily identifiable warded lock keys, File down the key so it only has the tip of the key, a thin shaft and the head, and you'll be able to open all of these locks. That's a Skeleton Key (more later)
How to Identify a Warded Lock
Spotting a warded lock is simple once you know what to look for:
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The keyhole often looks like a jagged or oddly-shaped 'W', sometimes cut into a spinning disk called a free-floating access ring.
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There are no visible pins or wafers inside the keyway.
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When inserting a key, it usually slides in easily and only encounters resistance when turning.
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Internally, you’ll often find stacked metal slabs with custom-shaped cutouts, allowing only properly shaped keys to turn.
After seeing a few, you’ll start spotting them more easily. The rotating disk or access ring acts as a gatekeeper, and only the right profile can pass through and reach the locking bolt.
The typical keyway, or 'profile' of a Warded Lock. I don't know if it's just me, but they don't scream 'secure' to me.
How Warded Locks Work
Inside the lock, you’ll find a locking bolt and a series of fixed internal wards. When the correct key is inserted, its protrusions avoid the wards and its bit turns the bolt to unlock the shackle.
Some warded padlocks use stacked metal plates, with specific ones serving as the wards. Others rely on a single metal catch or spring-loaded latch deep inside. Only the very end of the key—the tailpiece—needs to push that catch in the right direction to release the lock.
The tip of the key engages the locking mechanism, or 'actuator', and since there are spaces cut in the key, the wards, or 'obstructions' in the lock stop it turning. Remove most of the shaft on the key though and there's also nothing stopping it from turning.
If the key doesn’t match the internal layout, it will hit the wards and be unable to rotate. But if the key is correctly cut—or minimal enough—it bypasses the obstructions entirely.
How to Pick Warded Locks
Picking warded locks is surprisingly simple. Unlike pin tumbler locks, you’re not dealing with tiny internal springs and pins—just basic obstructions—which, as I said, obstruct keys, not picking tools.
Use a Skeleton Key (known as a Warded Lock Pick Set)
A skeleton key is a minimalist key designed with only the bare essentials—just a stem and a bit. These are made to avoid the wards and directly manipulate the locking bolt. They’re the foundation of any good beginner’s lock pick kit for warded locks.
A set of Warded Lock Picks. I don't think I know a locksmith or lock picker who doesn't own this set, or something very similar. Definitely handy to have, due to the surprising amount of warded locks still in use today.
You can buy or make skeleton keys. Most lock pick sets for beginners include a variety of warded picks designed to bypass different ward arrangements.
Here's a handy diagram you can use to make your warded lock pick set...
It will likely take trial and error, but if your budget doesn't stretch to a pre-made Warded Lock Pick Set, this diagram has been the basis for many a homebrew set.
Step-by-Step:
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Insert your skeleton key into the lock.
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If it doesn’t turn, wiggle it slightly or try inserting it deeper or shallower.
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If it still doesn’t work, move on to the next skeleton key in your set.
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Repeat until one of them rotates the locking bolt and opens the shackle.
Often, a simple L-shaped piece of wire, a modified jigsaw blade, or even a dimple pick will do the job—especially if it’s cut or filed to only engage the necessary locking mechanism at the back of the lock.
Pro tip: Start with the largest skeleton key that fits the keyway. If you begin with the smallest, you may waste time testing keys that never touch the locking mechanism.
Advanced: How to Make Your Own Skeleton Keys
If you want to go DIY, you can create your own warded lock picks using:
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A jigsaw blade – Strong, flat, and widely available
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Some Wire gutter cleaner bristles – Found in city gutters (be sure to clean thoroughly!) Or some hacksaw blades.
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A grinding wheel and/or a file – Essential for shaping and refining your key blanks. You can make them with just a file; it's just going to take a little longer, but not much.
Then simply find an image of some warded picks (you can use the previous image in this blog) and watch a few videos to get an idea of sizing. In truth, unless you're really strapped for cash, buying a set is not expensive and will last a lifetime. There's definitely still enough warded locks in use to make a set worth having, especially if you're a locksmith, but as a lock picker, being stumped by a warded lock, helping a mate is avoidable, as is the embarrassment.
It'll take some experimenting, but that's half the fun of lock picking. I'm confident you'll be surprised at how quickly you get results. You don't need to make fancy-shaped handles if you don't have the required tools. A hacksaw blade (file off the teeth so you don't do yourself an injury!) is fine with some gaffer tape wrapped around one end for a handle. I'm sure you can get creative if you want a handle of some sort. It's the actual picking tips you'll spend most time on, as long as the shaft is long enough to reach the actuator, it'll just be a question of refining the picking tips.
Some tiny warded locks you often get on suitcases, handbags and the like. Someone in a parallel universe thinks these offer security for your belongings.
Final Thoughts
Warded locks are a perfect starting point for anyone learning how to pick locks. They're simple, mechanical, and highly educational. Whether you’re using a professional kit or crafting your own beginner’s warded lock picks, practicing on these locks will build confidence, skill, and that good old morale. Opening a lock without the key is AMAZING! I've been picking locks for more decades than I like to admit and every new lock I open -regardless of its security grade - feels great. Open your first warded lock, and who knows where your lock picking skills will take you?
One more thing, UK Bump Keys has been going for nearly 20 years now. We're the largest and most well-known supplier of lock picking tools and resources in the UK and Europe. If you're unsure about anything lock picking related, please email us at hello@ukbumpkeys.com and our team of experienced lock pickers will be more than happy to help you. Additionally, we do not abandon customers after they make a purchase. If you experience any technical issues using your product, we're here to help. We'll engage with you, supply you with relevant and high-quality resources, such as blogs and videos. We can also have a video chat to identify areas where you might be going wrong and show you how to do it right.
Looking to get started? Check out our Warded Lock Pick Sets.
Level up: How To Pick Any Lock - in-depth guide to common locks
Level up: How to Pick Locks Like The Lock Picking Lawyer
Level up: The Most Comprehensive Lock Rake Set Available - With VIDEO
Have fun and stay legal
Chris Dangerfield