Cody Biddle - Essay - Taylor County
Item
Title
Cody Biddle - Essay - Taylor County
Description
It's a Break Through…LOCK PICKING
Abstract
It’s a Break Through... LOCK PICKING
Most people aren’t interested in lock picking but for the people who are it can become
very fascinating. I happen to be one of those people. My interest in lock picking began when I
started to watch a YouTuber called Lock Picking Lawyer. His videos are about him picking locks
and showing how most locks are not secure. I find this interesting because people think of locks
as being perfectly secure. Lock picking is a good hobby but with ill intention could get you in
trouble.
Let's go back to the first locks, they were made of a simple knot but since then they
have gotten much better. The first mechanical locks were most likely created by Greeks,
Romans, and the Egyptians separately. The lock made in Egypt was made by a locksmith and he
did it with wood. That lock was not very secure but in the 1770s an engineer named Joseph
Bramah Stepped onto the scene.
Joseph created a lock that was the best that anyone had ever seen, and its name was
the Bramah Lock. He believed he created the best lock possible. He was so confident in his lock
he created a contest offering anyone who could pick his lock $30,000. The British government
was intrigued when the lock seemed unbeatable. The government wanted a lock that would
alert the owner if someone tried to pick it. Thus, the Chubb Detector lock was made. The lock
was made by a locksmith, Jeremiah Chubb. The lock would seize if a person tried to pick it. The
only way to disengage the blocking mechanism was to use a separate key. From the 1770s until
1851 was possibly the only time of perfect security- A term security experts use to describe
complete safety from intruders. Then a locksmith decided to end the era of perfect security. The name of that locksmith was A.C Hobbs. He sold the locks to banks by picking the
locks that they had and sold them his. In 1851 he decided to pick both the Bramah lock and
Chubb’s lock. He was able to pick Chubb’s lock in about 25 minutes but for the Bramah lock it
took him 52 hours (about 2 days)! The era of perfect security has ended. Now locks are mass
produced but most security systems rely on advanced technology to keep us safe. Locks are
important to many people to keep belongings safe but need someone to unlock locks when
they lose the key, or the lock becomes damaged.
That is the reason people need locksmiths. Locksmiths are people who pick locks as a
job. When someone loses their key, they call a locksmith. In the past they also made locks but
due to factories, lock making by hand was inefficient. Locksmiths lost the main part of their job
description, so the job changed to lock picking. Some don’t think of lock picking as a job but as a
hobby. They like to lock pick for fun and don’t get paid. They must be careful because in some
states it can get you in trouble. In some states lock picking is illegal but in others it is legal. Such as in West Virginia
where it has no specific law. Each state has different laws about lock picking. Most are very
similar and allow it if you don't commit any crimes. Some states have stricter laws including
Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, and Mississippi. They allow lock picking, but caution is merited. In
Tennessee, however laws about lock picking are unclear but context should be considered. Lock
picking can be great as a job but with it going out of style, I hope it can stay as a hobby.
Most people aren’t interested in lock picking but for the people who are it can become
very fascinating. I happen to be one of those people. My interest in lock picking began when I
started to watch a YouTuber called Lock Picking Lawyer. His videos are about him picking locks
and showing how most locks are not secure. I find this interesting because people think of locks
as being perfectly secure. Lock picking is a good hobby but with ill intention could get you in
trouble.
Let's go back to the first locks, they were made of a simple knot but since then they
have gotten much better. The first mechanical locks were most likely created by Greeks,
Romans, and the Egyptians separately. The lock made in Egypt was made by a locksmith and he
did it with wood. That lock was not very secure but in the 1770s an engineer named Joseph
Bramah Stepped onto the scene.
Joseph created a lock that was the best that anyone had ever seen, and its name was
the Bramah Lock. He believed he created the best lock possible. He was so confident in his lock
he created a contest offering anyone who could pick his lock $30,000. The British government
was intrigued when the lock seemed unbeatable. The government wanted a lock that would
alert the owner if someone tried to pick it. Thus, the Chubb Detector lock was made. The lock
was made by a locksmith, Jeremiah Chubb. The lock would seize if a person tried to pick it. The
only way to disengage the blocking mechanism was to use a separate key. From the 1770s until
1851 was possibly the only time of perfect security- A term security experts use to describe
complete safety from intruders. Then a locksmith decided to end the era of perfect security. The name of that locksmith was A.C Hobbs. He sold the locks to banks by picking the
locks that they had and sold them his. In 1851 he decided to pick both the Bramah lock and
Chubb’s lock. He was able to pick Chubb’s lock in about 25 minutes but for the Bramah lock it
took him 52 hours (about 2 days)! The era of perfect security has ended. Now locks are mass
produced but most security systems rely on advanced technology to keep us safe. Locks are
important to many people to keep belongings safe but need someone to unlock locks when
they lose the key, or the lock becomes damaged.
That is the reason people need locksmiths. Locksmiths are people who pick locks as a
job. When someone loses their key, they call a locksmith. In the past they also made locks but
due to factories, lock making by hand was inefficient. Locksmiths lost the main part of their job
description, so the job changed to lock picking. Some don’t think of lock picking as a job but as a
hobby. They like to lock pick for fun and don’t get paid. They must be careful because in some
states it can get you in trouble. In some states lock picking is illegal but in others it is legal. Such as in West Virginia
where it has no specific law. Each state has different laws about lock picking. Most are very
similar and allow it if you don't commit any crimes. Some states have stricter laws including
Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, and Mississippi. They allow lock picking, but caution is merited. In
Tennessee, however laws about lock picking are unclear but context should be considered. Lock
picking can be great as a job but with it going out of style, I hope it can stay as a hobby.
Youth(s) First Name and Initial of Last Name
Cody Biddle
Age Division
13
Category
Essay
County
Taylor
