How to Pick a Master Lock with a Lock-Picking Kit or DIY Tools

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Plus, learn what to do if you can’t pick the lock yourself

Co-authored by Trevor Maclise and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: November 4, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Using Bobby Pins or Paperclips
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• Using a Lock-Picking Kit
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• What if you can’t pick it?
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips
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• Warnings

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If you need to get your master padlock open but you've lost the key, there's still hope. By using a lock-picking kit or even a bobby pin or paper clip, you can unlock your master padlock without the key. For this article, we spoke to professional locksmiths to teach you the easiest ways to pick a master padlock. Just make sure the master padlock you're unlocking is your own!

How to Lockpick a Master Lock

Locksmith Robert Vallelunga says you’ll need both a lock pick and a tension wrench. Insert the wrench into the keyhole and turn it like you’d turn the key. Push your pick into the lock as far as it will go, pressing the teeth up into the pins at the top of the lock. Pull the pick out quickly to unlock it.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Using Bobby Pins or Paperclips

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1. 
   1
   Make a lock pick and tension wrench with bobby pins. To make the tension wrench, bend the closed end of a bobby pin until it’s at a 90-degree angle with the rest of the pin. Then, Vallelunga says, “The pick can be made by straightening out the 180° bend in the hairpin. This will leave you with a straight hairpin with little ridges. The ridges will hit the pins [in the lock] and push them up as you slide the hairpin back and forth.”

   • Vallelunga adds that it may be “very difficult” to make a tension wrench out of a hairpin because there’s not much to hold onto. He recommends using a small screwdriver in place of the tension wrench you made if you have trouble.
   • Whether you use homemade tools or buy a lock-picking kit, you will need a tension wrench and a pick (or a rake), explains Vallelunga. If you plan on using a lock-picking kit, skip to our Using a Lock Picking Kit section for instructions.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Robert Vallelunga is a locksmith and the owner of ACME Locksmith in the Phoenix Metro Area. He has over 15 years of experience and specializes in automotive ignitions, locks, keys, and master key systems.

   Trevor Maclise is a locksmith and the owner of Infinity Key Locksmith in San Diego, California. He has over 5 years of experience and specializes in working with residential doors, multi-point locks, and mortise locks.

   Shawn Fago is a master locksmith and the founder of Noble Locksmith in San Diego, California. He has over 7 years of experience providing commercial, residential, and automotive locksmith services.
2. 
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   Alternatively, make a pick and wrench out of paper clips. To make the tension wrench, take a paperclip and unbend all the loops except for the one at the bottom. Then, bend the flat end of the paper clip until it makes a 90-degree angle with the rest of the paper clip. To make the pick, Vallelunga says to straighten out the paper clip and bend the end into a “little bump.” This bump will hit the pins of the lock and push them up as you slide the paperclip back and forth.

   • Vallelunga adds that it may be difficult to make a tension wrench out of a paper clip because they aren’t very strong. If you have trouble, he recommends using a small screwdriver in place of the paper clip, instead.
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3. 
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   Insert the tension wrench into the keyhole and rotate it. Place the bent end of your tension bar into the lock’s keyhole. This will hold the keyhole as you work on picking the lock. Turn the wrench as far as it will go, and hold it in place using the same hand you’re holding the lock with. Maintain pressure on the tension wrench the whole time you’re picking the lock.

   • The tension wrench won’t go very far because the lock is locked.
   • If possible, clean the lock before you attempt to pick it. Locksmith Trevor Maclise says a clean lock is easier to pick.
4. 
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   Insert your lock pick and push up the pin at the back of the lock. Insert the pointed end of the pick into the lock and hold the handle in your free hand. Master padlocks have a series of pins that need to be raised above the cylinder so the cylinder can rotate and unlock the lock. To find the pin at the back of the lock, gently push up on the top of the inside of the lock with the pick until you feel something push upward. Then, press down on the handle of the pick to lift the end and push the pin up above the cylinder.

   • When you push up the pin, the cylinder will rotate slightly and catch the pin so it doesn't fall back down.
5. 
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   Push up the rest of the pins in the lock with your pick. Maclise says, “Move [the pick] up and down and back and forth to try and touch all the pins.” Work your way up the row of pins, pushing them up one at a time. The last pin you push should be the pin closest to the keyhole on the lock. Once all of the pins are up, the cylinder should turn (as long as you’re still applying pressure to the tension wrench), and the lock should pop open.

   • If you encounter a pin that feels stuck, wiggle the pick up and down a few times to get the pin to go up.
   • Once the lock opens, pull your pick and tension wrench out of the lock. Remove the master padlock from whatever it was locked onto.
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Section 2 of 3:

Using a Lock-Picking Kit

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1. 
   1
   Buy a lock-picking kit for the best results. A lock-picking kit will come with a variety of tools, including a tension wrench, rake tool, and single-pin pick. If you’re looking for the easiest way to open a master padlock, use a lock-picking kit.

   • Maclise says you can buy these tools online or through a locksmith.
2. 
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   Insert the bent end of your tension wrench into the lock opening. You'll use the tension wrench to hold open the small door over the lock hole and to apply pressure to the lock cylinder. Vallelunga explains, “The pick’s purpose is to slide along the pins of the lock quickly and push them up into the cylinder. While doing this, the tension wrench applies slight pressure to the cylinder. The goal is that this pressure is just enough to catch the top pins and hold them in place so that the cylinder will spin once all pins are held in place.”
3. 
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   Turn the tension wrench in the direction the key would go in. The tension wrench won’t go very far because the lock is locked, but that’s okay. Turn it as far as you can and hold it there so you’re applying pressure to the cylinder inside the lock. Use the hand you’re holding the lock with to hold the tension wrench in place.
4. 
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   Push your rake tool into the lock so the teeth are resting at the top. Place the end of the rake tool (lock pick) with the teeth and ridges into the lock. Push down on the end of the rake tool to get the end inside the lock to go up. Hold the handle of the rake tool down so the teeth stay at the top of the inside of the lock.
5. 
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   Pull the rake tool out of the lock quickly. Maintain pressure on the tension wrench as you do this. Continue to push down on the handle of the rake tool as you pull the tool out so the teeth scrape against the top of the inside of the lock. Once the tool is out, check to see if the lock is unlocked.
6. 
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   Continue to bring the rake in and out of the lock if it hasn’t unlocked yet. Use a fast, repetitive motion, like you’re scrubbing the inside of the lock. Continue to apply pressure to the tension wrench as you bring the rake tool in and out of the lock. Eventually, the lock should pop open.

   • When the lock pops open, take out the rake tool and tension wrench and remove the master padlock from whatever it was locked on.
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Section 3 of 3:

What to Do If You Can’t Pick the Lock

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1. 1
   Call a locksmith. If you can’t pick the lock yourself and you want to keep the lock, your best option is to call a locksmith. This can be pretty pricey, but they have the professional tools and experience needed to safely unlock your master padlock.

   • Most locksmiths charge at least $100 for their services.
   • If you lost the key to your padlock but still have the key number, Masterlock says you can take the number to a hardware store or locksmith to get a replacement key. Just know that this also costs a small fee.
2. 2
   Cut the padlock off. If you would prefer to replace the padlock, you can attempt to cut it off as long as you follow safety precautions and have experience working with the proper tools. Master locksmith Shawn Fago says, “Use something with a cutting wheel, like an angle grinder with a cut-off blade on it or a Dremel with a metal cutting blade.” Put on thick gloves and a face shield to protect yourself from sparks, and hold the bottom of the lock secure with vise-grips. Then, use your angle grinder or Dremel to cut through the top of the lock.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  Are there any other tools that can be used instead of a bobby pin?

  

  Community Answer

  You can use a paper clip, you just need to bend the metal a little.

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• Question

  What is better, bobby pins or paper clips?

  

  Community Answer

  They are both equally as useful, anything should work as long as it is roughly that size and is made of a malleable but reasonably strong metal.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• If you have old bicycle spokes on hand, use them to pick the lock. Bicycle spokes are made of strong steel, and you can make a tensioner and a pick out of a single spoke.
• Take off the rubber ends of the bobby pin before you pick a lock, as the rubber ends can get stuck.

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Warnings

• If you're picking a master padlock outside of your home, make sure you're doing it in a visible spot during the daytime so people don't think you're trying to break into someone else's belongings.
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• Never pick a master padlock that doesn't belong to you.
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