Awesome Locks

Matador’s unique BetaLock carabiner clip has a built-in theft-deterrent lock. Its deadbolt mechanism attaches helmets to bicycles, sandals to backpacks, and secures other items you can’t afford to lose. The BetaLock is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, comes in seven colors, and has an optional accessory cable for securing items it won’t fit through.

’Tis the season to gift-wrap bikes. Keep ‘em safe with one of the best lock sets available. The Ottolock Cinch + Sidekick lock bundle offers the best of both worlds — one hardened-steel coil design and one silicone-coated U-lock — to use individually or together for double security against theft.

Most locks on doors and cabinets are pretty ordinary. 3D animator fkt likes to dream up designs for unique lock mechanisms, which make the process of locking things much more interesting to observe. Here’s a playlist of some of fkt’s amazing concept locks, each of which looks like it could be turned into a real-world lock with enough maker skills.

Why lock your toolbox with a padlock when you can secure it with Thor’s mighty hammer? Maker B machined and engraved a mini Mjölnir from a block of metal. Hidden inside its head is a latch mechanism that automatically clips around a lock hasp. A twist of the handle unlocks it. We’re impressed with the attention to detail in things like the hidden screws.

Iron and steel are the most recyclable materials on Earth. So it’s no wonder we often see items made by melting and reforging metal. In this video from Maker B, the machinist shows us how he took an assortment of steel bolts and removed their threads to create the parts for a working combination lock – no melting required. He made the dial from a brass rod.

Even with the latch engaged, hotel doors aren’t as secure as you might think, and you never know what you’ll get at an AirBNB. Stinger’s pocket-sized Starship travel lock provides added security by wedging between a door lock and its strike plate. It’s easy to install and has a built-in glass breaker and seatbelt cutter tools for emergencies.

The Safego is a portable mini-safe that lets you store your phone, wallet, and other valuables inside a locked chamber. It secures onto rails, benches, or other fixtures so you can keep it nearby. Its lockbox can be opened using a combination or key. Save 22% in The Awesomer Shop.

Maker The Q has a thing for modifying bicycles. For this unusual bike mod, he took an ordinary 2-wheeler and chopped its frame into a series of links with cables that hold them together. The idea is that its segments can be loosened and wrapped around a pole like a cable lock, then tightened to form a stiff frame for riding.

Sometimes, the best kind of lock is the kind that doesn’t look like a lock at all. B-Star Crafts shows off a simple, but effective method that keeps doors or drawers locked using hidden neodymium magnets. It’s a trick that’s frequently found in puzzle boxes but can be easily applied to furniture and cabinets as well.

Combination padlocks aren’t necessarily the most secure locks, but there’s a certain appeal to not needing a key to unlock them. In this video from Maker B, they show us how they machined pieces of stainless steel bolts and assembled them to form a working combo lock that looks like it came right off the store shelf.

This anti-theft lock attaches to your bicycle, moped, or motorcycle’s disc brake as an added layer of security beyond cable or U-locks. It’s compact enough to toss in your bike bag and can be locked and unlocked using your fingerprint or a key. It’s IPX7 waterproof and designed for durability. Fits brakes up to 6mm thick.

Keep your home safe from intruders and never worry about losing your keys with this high-tech deadbolt lock. It has an integrated biometric scanner so you can open it with just your fingerprint, while also supporting password and remote unlocking using the optional app. Save 42% in The Awesomer Shop.

Fans of the LockPickingLawyer know that he’s a master at breaking into supposedly secure locking mechanisms. He also has a little catchphrase, which Kyle Anderson compiled into this brief, but satisfying matrix of some of Lawyer’s successful break-ins.

We always enjoy watching craftspeople turn objects intended for one thing into something entirely different. In this clip from My Mechanics, offers up one off the more impressive transformations we’ve seen, reworking an ordinary stainless steel bolt and a brass rod into a working combination lock.

Until LockPickingLawyer gets his hands on this lock, we’re not going to call it infallible, but Shane from Stuff Made Here put an impressive amount engineering effort into this deadbolt that managed to stump a professional locksmith. Along the way, he offers a great explanation of how lock pins and cylinders work.

A pin tumbler is one of the simpler lock designs out there. But it definitely takes some skill to build one from scratch. Watch as FarmCraft101 puts his carpentry and engineering skills to the test with a working 10x scale lock made from wood, complete with a giant key to lock and unlock it. It’s way too easy to pick though.