{"id":1672,"date":"2026-11-11T20:03:50","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T19:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2026-11-11T20:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T19:05:11","slug":"history-of-pocket-lockpick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/2026\/11\/11\/history-of-pocket-lockpick\/","title":{"rendered":"History of Pocket lockpick"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Early concept of EDC tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The concept of the “Swiss Army knife” is not modern. It’s a philosophy that we find today under the term EDC (E<\/strong>very D<\/strong>ay C<\/strong>arry).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Le concept du \u00ab couteau suisse \u00bb n’a rien de moderne. C\u2019est une philosophie que l’on retrouve aujourd’hui sous le terme d’ EDC (E<\/strong>very D<\/strong>ay C<\/strong>arry). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flintstone dagger, 2900 BC. Found in Allensbach, Germany in 2003<\/em> 1<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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From prehistoric times, early humans weren’t content with just flint stone tool. They were already making knives with handles, attaching blades of chipped stone to handles made of wood or bone glued with birch resin. This was the first multi-functional tool in history, used for hunting, skinning game, and wood work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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D\u00e8s la Pr\u00e9histoire, les premiers humains ne se contentent pas de morceaux de silex bruts. Ils fabriquent d\u00e9j\u00e0 des couteaux emmanch\u00e9s, fixant des lames de pierre taill\u00e9e dans des manches en bois ou en os coll\u00e9 avec de la r\u00e9sine de bouleau. C’est le premier outil multifonction de l’histoire, servant aussi bien \u00e0 chasser, \u00e0 d\u00e9pecer le gibier qu’\u00e0 travailler le bois.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Early Roman pocket knife made in bronze and iron 2<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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This Roman folding knife, discovered in 1971 during excavations at Bath Gate Cemetery in Cirencester, England, is a rare specimen to have retained its blade intact. Its bronze handle, adorned with a dog chasing a hare, evokes a hunting scene. The forged iron blade pivots around an axis riveted to the handle, offering a simple and elegant design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ce couteau pliant Romain, d\u00e9couvert en 1971 lors de fouilles au cimeti\u00e8re de Bath Gate \u00e0 Cirencester en Angleterre, est un rare sp\u00e9cimen \u00e0 avoir conserv\u00e9 sa lame intacte. Son manche en bronze, orn\u00e9 d’un chien poursuivant un li\u00e8vre \u00e9voque une sc\u00e8ne de chasse. La lame forg\u00e9e en fer pivote autour d’un axe rivet\u00e9 au manche offrant un design simple et \u00e9pur\u00e9.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roman “Swiss Army Knife”, 201 CE – 300 CE, Silver and Iron, 8.8cm X 15.5 cm 3<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In antiquity, the Romans improved upon the concept. They designed truly complex folding tools in bronze and iron, combining a knife blade, spoon, fork, spatula, and awl into a single compact object. One of these models, on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, is so sophisticated that it has been affectionately nicknamed the “MacGyvericus” by historians.
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\u00c0 l’Antiquit\u00e9, les Romains am\u00e9liorent le concept. Ils con\u00e7oivent de v\u00e9ritables outils pliants complexes en bronze et en fer, combinant en un seul objet compact une lame de couteau, une cuill\u00e8re, une fourchette, une spatule et un poin\u00e7on. L\u2019un de ces mod\u00e8les, expos\u00e9 au Fitzwilliam Museum de Cambridge, est si perfectionn\u00e9 qu’il a \u00e9t\u00e9 affectueusement surnomm\u00e9 le \u00ab MacGyvericus \u00bb par les historiens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Early pocket lockpick set<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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At the dawn of the Renaissance, a time when vagrancy was at its peak in Europe, a German manuscript from 1533. The “L\u00f6ffelholtz Kodex” describe a set of lockpicking tools composed of forged hooks. An assortment of forged iron hooks of various curvatures are riveted together and designed to bypass most of ward lock’s mechanism of medieval locks. Another German manuscript, “Liber Quodlibetarius,” features an illustration of a set of hooks that exhibit the same characteristics in terms of their curvature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A l\u2019aube de la renaissance, alors que le vagabondage est \u00e0 son apog\u00e9e en Europe, un manuscrit allemand \u00ab\u00a0L\u00f6ffelholtz Kodex\u00a0\u00bb illustre une repr\u00e9sentation d\u2019outil de crochetage sous la forme d’un trousseau compos\u00e9 de crochets. Cet \u00e9ventail de crochets de diff\u00e9rentes courbures est rivet\u00e9 et permet de contourner la plupart des garnitures des serrures m\u00e9di\u00e9vales de cette \u00e9poque. Un autre manuscrit allemand “Liber Quodlibetarius” propose un repr\u00e9sentation d’un trousseau de crochets pr\u00e9sentant les m\u00eames caract\u00e9ristiques au niveau des courbures.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Liber Quolibetarius (1524)<\/em> 4<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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“L\u00f6ffelholtz Kodex”, 1533 <\/em>5<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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These “thieves’ tools” were typically forged, or consisted of ordinary artisan\u2019s implements that the thief had repurposed from their original function. Some vagabonds, however, possessed blacksmithing skills and crafted their own instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shown here is a rare example of a set of burglar\u2019s \u200b\u200btools, engraved with the date “1899.” This picture is preserved in the photographic collection of Rodolphe Archibald Reiss, founder of the Institute of Forensic Science at the University of Lausanne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ces \u00ab ferrements de larron \u00bb sont g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement forg\u00e9s ou proviennent de simples outils d\u2019artisans que le voleur a d\u00e9tourn\u00e9s de leur fonction premi\u00e8re. Cependant, certains vagabonds disposaient de connaissances en forge et fabriquaient leurs propres instruments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voici un exemple rare d\u2019outils de cambrioleur grav\u00e9 de la date \u00ab1899\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0, ce clich\u00e9 est conserv\u00e9e dans la collection photographique Rodolphe Archibald Reiss, fondateur de l’Institut de police scientifique de l’Universit\u00e9 de Lausanne.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Burglar’s pocket lockpick, early 20th century 6<\/a><\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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At the beginning of the 20th century, a renowned locksmith named Ehrich Weisz, better known by his stage name, Harry Houdini revolutionized the art of escape by creating a new discipline: escapology. This exceptionally gifted lockpicker crafted numerous miniature tools, often inspired by implements seized from thieves. He even went so far as to question criminals themselves to learn their techniques. Concealed within his clothing or hidden on his person, these tools enabled him to open prison doors and the most complex handcuffs, allowing him to defy law enforcement during his public performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Au d\u00e9but du 20\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, un c\u00e9l\u00e8bre serrurier nomm\u00e9 Ehrich Weisz, plus connu sous le nom de sc\u00e8ne de Harry Houdini, r\u00e9volutionne l’art de l’\u00e9vasion en cr\u00e9ant une nouvelle discipline : l\u2019escapologie. Ce crocheteur surdou\u00e9 fabriquera de nombreux outils miniatures tr\u00e8s souvent inspir\u00e9s d\u2019instruments saisis sur des voleurs, allant jusqu’\u00e0 interroger les malfrats pour s’approprier leurs techniques. Dissimul\u00e9s dans ses v\u00eatements ou directement sur lui, ces outils lui permettaient d\u2019ouvrir des portes de prison ainsi que les menottes les plus complexes, d\u00e9fiant les forces de l\u2019ordre lors de ses shows publics.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Houdini’s pocket lockpick set<\/em> 7<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Many of Houdini’s lock-picking tools survive today in private collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cocolitos<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fichier:ALM_05_Dolch.jpg<\/a> \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  2. https:\/\/coriniummuseum.org\/object\/1980-109-22-2\/<\/a> \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  3. https:\/\/fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk\/learn-with-us\/look-think-do\/roman-swiss-army-knife<\/a> (GR.1.1991) \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  4. http:\/\/digital.bib-bvb.de\/webclient\/DeliveryManager?custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=5281832&childpid=5282456<\/a> \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  5. https:\/\/swb.bsz-bw.de\/DB=2.104\/\/PPNSET?PPN=696115042&INDEXSET=21&COOKIE=Us998,Pbszgast,I2017,B20728,SY,NRecherche-DB,D2.104,E83d950b9-0,A,H,R193.197.31.8,FY<\/a> \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  6. https:\/\/collections.unil.ch\/viewer\/45501\/?offset=51&height_top=60&css-name=include&dir_ico=%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fviewer%2Fblack%2F#page=1&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q=<\/a> \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  7. “Handcuff Secrets<\/em>“, Harry Houdini, 1909 \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Early concept of EDC tools The concept of the “Swiss Army knife” is not modern. It’s a philosophy that we find today under the term EDC (Every Day Carry). Le concept du \u00ab couteau suisse \u00bb n’a rien de moderne. C\u2019est une philosophie que l’on retrouve aujourd’hui sous le terme d’ EDC (Every Day Carry).…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fichier:ALM_05_Dolch.jpg<\/a>\",\"id\":\"55c0ccea-09db-4a73-82bc-f768b10a1bec\"},{\"content\":\"https:\/\/coriniummuseum.org\/object\/1980-109-22-2\/<\/a>\",\"id\":\"5c676c41-4aa0-4e2a-a86b-fccd67655d59\"},{\"content\":\"https:\/\/fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk\/learn-with-us\/look-think-do\/roman-swiss-army-knife<\/a> (GR.1.1991)\",\"id\":\"53888db9-c62b-4ee4-b3a2-e4119c6acaf9\"},{\"content\":\"http:\/\/digital.bib-bvb.de\/webclient\/DeliveryManager?custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=5281832&childpid=5282456<\/a>\",\"id\":\"02ee65ee-42ea-4b89-8eaa-3b2fd5ff67a6\"},{\"content\":\"https:\/\/swb.bsz-bw.de\/DB=2.104\/\/PPNSET?PPN=696115042&INDEXSET=21&COOKIE=Us998,Pbszgast,I2017,B20728,SY,NRecherche-DB,D2.104,E83d950b9-0,A,H,R193.197.31.8,FY<\/a>\",\"id\":\"e25c8943-c368-4bc4-ae3e-f45d597756b6\"},{\"content\":\"https:\/\/collections.unil.ch\/viewer\/45501\/?offset=51&height_top=60&css-name=include&dir_ico=%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fviewer%2Fblack%2F#page=1&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q=<\/a>\",\"id\":\"9a56a8cb-0c74-470d-890f-1dc586e576b7\"},{\"content\":\"\\\"Handcuff Secrets<\/em>\\\", Harry Houdini, 1909\",\"id\":\"f7f065ce-8c3f-4181-952c-5dc793917e43\"}]"},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-classe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1672"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1727,"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions\/1727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lockanalyst.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}