A tension wrench is one of the most important lock picking tools. If you're a beginner, you may have been advised to begin your lockpicking journey with a set of tension wrenches. What's the reason?
Does a tension wrench make lockpicking easier? Are there any alternatives to a tension wrench for picking a lock? We have the answers!
At first glance, a tension wrench may look like a simple tension tool product. How does it even work? You insert one end of it into the keyhole and put pressure on the other, right?
Well, that might be true! However, if you look back and examine your tension wrench, you will discover several reasons why it is the most important lockpicking tool.
This tiny-winy metal piece has so many interesting qualities that make lockpicking a piece of cake.
So, yes, tension wrenches do make lockpicking very easier. Don't you doubt it for a minute!
If you still don't believe it, why not look into the main characteristics and working of this infamous lockpicking tool - The Tension Wrench!
If you're new to the art of picking locks, know that a tension wrench is simply a lock pick tool with a complex nature. When you look at it, it's nothing more than a flat steel strip that is bent exactly at 90 degrees; and contains a long as well as a short end.
The shorter side is long enough to enter halfway into the keyhole. This part of the wrench works similarly to a key blade that turns the plug. Furthermore, the longer side acts like a lever that lock pickers use to apply pressure to the plug.
Tension wrenches are mainly designed to be used at the bottom of the keyway and are ideal for picking all kinds of locks. For these reasons, it is an integral part of a lock picking tool kit.
They are available in different styles, lengths and sizes. They consist of three types: the straight wrench, the double-ended wrench and the twisted wrench. The two commonly used sizes are the shorter tension wrenches and the long tension wrenches.
We'll still talk about longer vs shorter tension wrenches, but first, have a look at the main benefits of this amazing tool.
As you may already know, a tension wrench is nothing but a flat steel strip that is bent at 90 degrees. It is a simple tool that doesn't require any fancy technique or material for its construction. All of these factors make it really cheap but very useful.
You can easily get yourself good quality tension wrenches starting from as little as $10!
Most beginner lock pickers and professional lock pickers use the tension wrench because it offers a very firm and comfortable grip. It is very easy to insert it into the keyway and apply force without letting it slip from there. This is a perfect tool for learning lock picking.
However, this benefit can quickly become a drawback if you're a left-handed person!
When you pick a lock, you may need to leverage your pick from the bottom of the keyway or sometimes forward it to lift a pin completely. But the deal is, some key ways are huge and have a considerable amount of space between the area where you need to leverage your pins and picks. The huge gap makes leveraging the pick very challenging. This is where a tension wrench comes in. It can be used at the bottom of the keyway where it provides a platform that makes leveraging the pick very easy and uncomplicated. This is done by reducing the gap between the pins and the pick. In addition, it also makes it very easy to slide off the pick.
Some locks are very complicated. They have very tight or compact keyways that make it impossible to insert most tension tools at the keyway's upper portion. As a result, many people fail at picking such locks. But say no more, a tension wrench is perfect for such situations, for both the curved and compact keyways. You can easily perform tensioning from the bottom of the keyway using keyway tension wrenches.
So, if you think that tension wrenches are only for learners and beginners, you're wrong!
The tension wrenches play a very important role throughout the lockpicking spectrum.
Picking a lock with a tension wrench is the easiest way to do so. However, this doesn't mean anyone can come and pick a lock easily using this simple tool. To use it effectively, you need to practice a lot.
Following are the three easiest ways to picking a lock using a tension wrench :
That's how simple it is!.
Like so many other things, the tension wrench may look like any standard lock pick tool but serve an important purpose. It is a simple tool with interesting features that will keep serving you throughout your lockpicking journey.
The next time you use your tension wrench, consider these qualities and make the most out of your learning process. By understanding its capabilities and how it works, you'll be able to use it effectively and efficiently.
As a final piece of advice, always use a good quality and sturdy tension wrench that doesn't get bent when you apply pressure to it. These are cheap, so make sure to buy the best one.
We hope this tension wrench guide answered each of your questions regarding the importance of this tool.
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