For education & authorized use only — practice on locks you own.
Open Sesame
IntermediateLock Class

Tubular Lock

You've seen these on vending machines, bike locks, arcade coin doors, and older cabinets — a cylindrical keyway with a notched circular key.

At rest

Seven pins sit in a ring around a central post, each pushed by its spring to a different depth. The dashed circle is the shear line the pins must all reach.

How it works

Pins are arranged in a ring around a central post rather than in a line. The notched cylindrical key lifts all pins to their shear points at once.

Tools you need

A dedicated tubular lock pick, matched to the pin count (usually 7 or 8), with self-setting feelers. A decoder that reads the retained feeler positions is optional but useful.

Step-by-step technique

  1. Insert the tubular pick matched to your lock.
  2. Apply gentle rotational tension by twisting the tool.
  3. Rock the pick back and forth — each spring-loaded feeler finds and holds its pin's shear point.
  4. After several seconds the pins align and the plug turns — typically 5 to 60 seconds.
  5. Read the bitting off the retained feeler positions to decode or duplicate the key.

Common mistakes

  • Using the wrong pin-count tool (a 7-pin tool will not work on an 8-pin lock).
  • Too much force — the feelers need room to find each shear point.

Skill level & notes

The dedicated tool is essential. Standard hooks and rakes can't reach the ring of pins.