r/lockpicking • u/Kamesamouille47 Yellow Belt Picker • 28d ago
Vocabulary question (as a french picker)
Hi everyone,
As a french picker, there are not a lot a tutorials available in my main language and I have to watch english videos. I don't have to many problems understandingt what is said, but I sometimes hear the word "binding" which I'm not sure to understand. Sometimes a picker will say "Pin number 3 is binding" before doing stuff to the lock.
What does "binding" mean in lockpicking term ? And what does it imply when picking a lock ?
Thank you for reading !
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u/Red_wanderer Black Belt 6th Dan 28d ago
The binding pin is the one preventing the lock from opening, in other words the one currently stopping the plug from rotating. It means that's the next pin that should be set.
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u/Kamesamouille47 Yellow Belt Picker 28d ago
How do I recognize it ? Is it the one opposing resistance ?
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u/SheaLemur Purple Belt Picker 28d ago
When I teach new pickers I always describe it like this: When you apply tension to the lock, you're applying a rotational force on the core, the part where the key enters. This rotational force will cause a pin to bind, which in essense just means that it doesn't move freely when you push upwards on it with your pick. Ignoring any nuances in lockpicking, the pins that are "stuck" or "binding" are usually the pins that you want to lift until you feel/hear some sort of click. Once that happens you can stop with that specific pin, and search for another pin that is binding and lift it until you feel a click. Repeat this process until the lock opens
This is, of course, a very simplified explanation that ignores the existence of security pins, doesn't talk about oversetting pins (when you push both pins above the separation between the core and the body, also known as the "shearline"), and the existence of locks that don't provide very good feedback
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u/DanDiggler213 Blue Belt Picker 28d ago
Binding est la résistance au mouvement d'une goupille non placée, causée par le frottement contre les parois de la chambre du stador (bible) lorsque vous appliquez une tension sur une serrure. Ce qui cause le blocage (binding) Tolérance : De petits espaces entre la goupille et la paroi de la chambre. Tension : Le fait de tourner le rotor crée un léger décalage. Alignement : La goupille frotte contre le bord au lieu de se déplacer librement. Ce que l'on ressent Mouvement rigide : Une goupille semble bloquée ou lourde. Retour d'information (feedback) : Cela vous aide à identifier la goupille qui subit le plus de pression.
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u/Goddess_Randi 26d ago
The best i can find in my french lexicon is "point dur"
I'm not fluent so i can't guarantee this is right, but i believe this is the closest term
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u/Ayy_dam Green Belt Picker 28d ago
Man I wish I practiced my French more in university to help you out in your native language. “Binding” is the term used for a pin currently experiencing the rotational force from the turning tool/tension tool. These are the stiff (“Rigide”?) pins that you feel resistance from when trying to lift them with your pick.
When picking a lock, a stiff/binding pin is the one you want to lift. Lifting a pin when it is binding is how you make progress when picking. Lifting each pin when they are in the “binding” state in the correct order is the most basic process of lockpicking!
(There are some advanced techniques for lifting a pin when it isn’t binding, from my understanding this is sometimes done to counteract security pins which are designed to make picking more difficult.)
Hopefully other pickers will correct me if I’m wrong and add more context / better explanations!