9M2PJU General Interest Technology , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Open Organisation of Lockpickers: Locksport, Education, and Ethical Security Research

ToooL logo

Security through openness. It is a philosophy that drives much of the information security world, but few communities embody it as literally as TOOOL — The Open Organisation of Lockpickers. What began as a small group of Dutch hackers meeting in an Amsterdam pub has grown into an international nonprofit dedicated to teaching the public how locks work, how they fail, and how to pick them for sport.

This article explores the origins, history, structure, activities, and ethics of TOOOL: the organisation that turned lock picking into a legitimate hobby and a force for better physical security.

Last updated: July 2026.

Origin and Founding

TOOOL traces its roots to two parallel movements in 1990s Europe.

In Germany, Steffen Wernéry — a founding member of the legendary Chaos Computer Club — began teaching lock-picking courses at hacker gatherings. In 1997, he formalised this into the Sportfreunde der Sperrtechnik (SSD e.V.), or “Sports Enthusiasts of Lock Picking,” the world’s first lock-sport club.

The same year in Amsterdam, a group of Dutch enthusiasts began meeting at a venue called the Hippie Hangout — a hacker space before the term existed. This group, known as NVHS, picked locks in pubs and practised their craft as a purely recreational pursuit. In 2002, the group was formally reorganised as Toool — The Open Organisation of Lockpickers — under the leadership of Barry Wels, who remains the organisation’s president for many years.

The name itself is a recursive acronym that captures the ethos: open organisation, open knowledge, open hardware.

International Expansion

What started in Amsterdam did not stay there for long.

  • 2005 — Toool United States was founded, incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Deviant Ollam, a well-known figure in the physical security community and regular DEF CON speaker, became one of its most visible advocates.
  • 2006 — Toool Eindhoven chapter was founded, meeting at the Trafalgar Pub — the same venue it still uses today.
  • 2014 — Toool UK was established.
  • 2015 — Toool Belgium briefly operated.
  • 2018 — Toool Australia was founded and remains active.

Each national chapter is a legally separate entity, but they maintain strong bonds with the founding Dutch organisation. The US chapter in particular has grown substantially, with chapters in major cities including Detroit, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and many others.

Mission and Philosophy

TOOOL’s mission is straightforward: to advance the general public knowledge about locks and lock picking through teaching, research, and competition.

The organisation operates on a simple but powerful premise — one borrowed from 19th-century locksmith A.C. Hobbs, whose words appear on the TOOOL website:

“If a lock is not so inviolable as it has hitherto been deemed to be, surely it is to the interest of honest persons to know this fact, because the dishonest are… certain to apply the knowledge practically.”

Deviant Ollam puts it more succinctly in his DEFCON 13 talk: “Security is achieved through openness. Exposing bad security is what protects us all.”

TOOOL US is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer-led, with its IRS 990 filings publicly available. The organisation’s by-laws define a strict code of ethics with three rules:

  1. Never pick any lock that does not belong to you unless you have explicit permission from the owner.
  2. Never teach lockpicking to anyone you know or suspect would use the skills criminally.
  3. Be mindful of relevant laws in any jurisdiction where you practise locksport.

Activities and Programs

Lockpick Villages

TOOOL’s most visible public activity is the Lockpick Village — a hands-on educational area set up at hacker and security conferences. Visitors sit down at a table covered with practice locks, pick tools, and clear acrylic locks that show the internal mechanism in action. Volunteers teach basic picking techniques, explain how pin-tumbler locks work, and answer questions about physical security.

Lockpick Villages have appeared at DEF CON, HOPE, Hack in the Box, and many other events worldwide. They are free, open to the public, and designed to be accessible to absolute beginners.

Local Chapter Meetings

TOOOL chapters across the US and in the Netherlands hold regular meetings — typically monthly in the US and biweekly in the Netherlands. These meetings are free and open to the public. Members practise their skills, share techniques, discuss security research, and socialise. At least one-third of all chapter meetings must be public under TOOOL’s by-laws.

LockCon and the Dutch Open

Since 2008, the Dutch branch has hosted LockCon, its own conference, alongside the Dutch Open — a competitive lockpicking championship. Contestants from the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France, Australia, and the US compete to open a given lock in the fastest time. It is the sportpicking equivalent of a speed-running competition.

Lockfest

Since 2025, TOOOL US has organised Lockfest, an annual gathering of locksport enthusiasts, locksmiths, and lock collectors held in Arlington, Virginia. The 2026 Lockfest is scheduled for September 18–20 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Crystal City, with early-bird registration at $100.

Research and Ethical Disclosure

TOOOL conducts research into lock vulnerabilities and follows a responsible disclosure process. When a new exploit is discovered, the organisation contacts the manufacturer, describes the vulnerability, and allows time for a fix before going public.

The Lock Bumping Disclosure (2005)

One of TOOOL’s most significant contributions to public security came in 2005, when members drafted a white paper describing the lock bumping technique — a method of opening pin-tumbler locks using a specially crafted bump key. TOOOL members appeared on the Dutch national television programme Nova to demonstrate the technique and warn consumers.

The position — consistent with its founding philosophy — was that the knowledge was already in the hands of those who would misuse it, and that the public deserved to know so they could choose more secure locks. The organisation went on to cooperate with consumer groups in testing locks for bump resistance.

Membership and Governance

TOOOL membership is open to any person who subscribes to the organisation’s aims and abides by its code of ethics. Members pay dues, can vote in elections, and participate in chapter activities.

The Board of Directors consists of five members elected to two-year terms. Elections are held annually, with two seats up for election in odd-numbered years and three in even-numbered years. The Board reports to the membership every six months on policy, financial status, and progress.

Each chapter has a Chapter Coordinator nominated by its members and confirmed by the Board. Coordinators schedule meetings, maintain equipment, and represent their chapter to the national organisation.

Legal Landscape

TOOOL maintains an exhaustive state-by-state guide to lockpicking laws in the United States. The consistent pattern across nearly all states is that lock picks are legal to possess as long as there is no intent to use them for criminal purposes.

Some states — including Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia — apply a prima facie evidence standard, meaning that possession of lock picks creates a presumption of intent that must be rebutted. A few states, such as North Carolina, regulate locksmithing rather than possession, meaning that free educational demonstrations are fine but paid locksmith services require licensing.

TOOL US also publishes a compilation of TSA statements confirming that lock picks are permitted in carry-on and checked luggage.

Why It Matters

TOOOL occupies a unique space in the security world. It is not a locksmith trade association, not a consumer advocacy group, and not a hacker collective — though it overlaps with all three. It is a community of curious people who believe that understanding how things work — especially the things we trust to keep us safe — is a public good.

The organisation has educated thousands of people at conferences, published research that has made consumer locks more secure, and built a global community around a hobby that, not so long ago, was practised only in whispered conversations among locksmiths and burglars.

In an era where “security through obscurity” has been repeatedly proven to fail, TOOOL stands for the opposite principle: openness. Understanding how a lock works does not make you a threat. It makes you an informed consumer, a better engineer, and — if you choose — a sportspicker.

9M2PJU-TOOOL-300x225 The Open Organisation of Lockpickers: Locksport, Education, and Ethical Security Research

I still have the brass key I earned at the TOOOL booth during Hack In The Box (HITB) Security Conference in Kuala Lumpur years ago – 9M2PJU

Sources and Further Reading

Tag

Related Posts

Post Comment

You May Have Missed