The Open Organisation of Lockpickers or TOOOL is an organization of individuals who partake in the hobby of
locksport
Locksport is the sport or recreation of defeating Lock (security device), locking systems. Its enthusiasts learn a variety of skills including lock picking, lock bumping, and a variety of other skills traditionally known only to locksmithing, lock ...
, as well as educate its members and the public about the security (or lack thereof) provided by common locks.
It has two main chapters based in
The Netherlands, where it originated.
After opening in the United States of America in 2004,
it also has several chapters located in the
United States including ones in major cities such as Detroit, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Phoenix, Raleigh, and Austin, many of which meet regularly.
Mission
The mission of the Open Organisation of Lockpickers is to advance public knowledge about locks and lockpicking. By examining locks, safes, and other such hardware and by publicly discussing findings TOOOL hopes to educate the public.
TOOOL asserts that "the more that people know about lock technology, the better they are capable of understanding how and where certain weaknesses are present. This makes them well-equipped to participate in sportpicking endeavors and also helps them to simply be better consumers in the marketplace, making decisions based on sound fact and research."
Legal concerns
In the Netherlands, the law allows possession of lockpicking tools as long as there is no intent on using them unlawfully. TOOOL members have to adhere to a code of conduct that includes, among other things, to remain professional in their activities and not to use the skills learned for anti-social activities.
Lock bumping
In 2005, the technique of
lock bumping was brought to public attention when members of TOOOL first drafted a white paper describing the technique, then went on a Dutch national television show, ''Nova'', to describe the technique to the general public. TOOOL has since cooperated with consumer groups in testing the resistance of various locks to the technique.
Events
TOOOL is responsible for hosting or co-hosting many of the lockpicking areas of popular hacker conferences around the world including
Defcon and
HOPE
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
. The European branch of TOOOL also hosts its own conference and competition, LockCon and Dutch Open. The Dutch Open began in 2008 and is held during LockCon.
TOOOL attracted media attention when it hosted a "Love Picking" event to preserve locks on the
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...
.
Similar organisations
OpenLocks.at(
Austria)
Guide de Crochetage des serrures a Goupilles(
France)
Lockpicking i zabezpieczenia(
Poland)
Locksport International(
Canada)
Schlösser picken als Schweizer Sport(
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
)
Sportsfreunde der Sperrtechnik - Deutschland e.V.(
Germany)
The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers US(
United States of America)
See also
*
Hacking
*
Lock picking
*
Lock bumping
*
Lock (security device)
References
External links
Official Website of TOOOL"The joys of picking locks, the secret world of bumping."
'' The Wall Street Journal''
Nederlands Lockpickers Forum - Dutch Lockpickers CommunityMIT Guide to Lockpicking
By Theodore T Tool, MIT
Auto Locksmith - Lost Car Key ReplacementImpressioning Championships 2009Car Opening By Locksmith Mainz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Open Organisation Of Lockpickers
Locksmithing organizations
Sports governing bodies in the United States
Sports governing bodies in the Netherlands