Clear Practice Locks - Learn Lock Picking Faster

Clear Practice Locks: watch the pins while you learn

A clear practice lock has a see-through acrylic body, so you can watch each pin stack as you pick. You see it lift and catch at the shear line as it sets. That's the bit you can't see in a real lock, and it's why beginners learn faster on one. You can see when you're using too much tension or lifting a pin too far. You can also check whether a pin has already set.

Acrylic locks are a little more forgiving than metal ones, which suits your first few weeks. Don't stay dependent on the view, though. Once you can open it while watching the pins, turn it away and pick it by feel, then move on to our metal practice locks.

Which clear practice lock should you start with?

• For your first lock, choose the Dangerfield Clear Acrylic Practice Lock (£18.99). It only has standard pins, so you can learn how tension affects the pins and work out the binding order without security pins muddying the lesson.
• The Clear Double-Sided Training Lock (£15.98) gives you more practice from one lock. It has two sides to open, so you can switch between them and compare the feedback.
• If you'd like a barrel-style trainer, choose the Sparrows Clear Acrylic Practice Lock (£24.99).
• When you're ready to learn security pins, move on to the Dangerfield EUREKA set (£39.99). Its three clear locks use standard, spool and serrated pins, so you meet false sets and counter-rotation one problem at a time.

No picks yet? The Lokko Beginners Box (£34.99) comes with 16 picks and 6 tensioners. You also get 2 clear practice locks, so you can start the night it arrives. Already have a set? Any of the locks above will do.

We also carry clear padlocks and clear tubular, disc detainer and dimple practice locks. That way you can see how each lock type works before you pick the real thing.